Latest news with #SmallGovernmentEfficiencyAct
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leaders speak on ruling that cuts Metro Council in half
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Tuesday, the state Court of Appeals found 'the Small Government Efficiency Act' constitutional and House Majority Leader William Lamberth applauded the decision. In 2023, the state legislature passed House Bill 48, which limited the number of metropolitan councilmembers to 20. The law was seen as retribution against Metro Council's decision not to support hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention. Last July, a Nashville court ruled that the law violated the Local Legislation Clause of the Home Rule Amendment to the state constitution. Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Metro Councilmembers celebrated the decision. The ruling prevented the law from going into effect. However, a three-judge panel in the state's Court of Appeals found the law to be constitutional and reversed the lower court ruling, allowing it to go into effect. PREVIOUS: Metro Council could be downsized following latest appeals court ruling Lamberth, who sponsored the House version of the law, added that Republicans would 'continue to cut waste at all levels of government' in a social media post Tuesday. Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson) also applauded the ruling. '[The] ruling is a win for efficient and effective governing,' Watson said in a statement provided to News 2. 'The law places restrictions on the size of metro government councils and is intended to improve government efficiency – a key focus of conservatives in the Tennessee General Assembly. The Court of Appeals affirmed what we have always believed, that the legislature constitutionally has the authority and responsibility to ensure government continues to best serve Tennesseans.' News 2 spoke with attorney Brandon Smith, currently a partner at Holtzman Vogel and the former chief of staff for Tennessee Attorney General Johnathan Skrmetti, about the decision — and he said he agrees. 'When a city becomes ungovernable and turns to taxpayers for bailouts, someone has to put the brakes on,' Smith said. 'The efficiency found from a smaller council — Nashville's council is currently the third largest in the country, just behind Chicago and New York, and it's been this size since the county was officially consolidated in the early 60s. It's time for some needed change.' As of publication, Metro Council has 35 district members and five at-large members, which boils down to each district representing roughly 20,000 people. Some worry about what cutting that representation in half would look like — especially when considering largely-minority areas. 'I really think it's going to hurt those communities, but it's going to hurt all communities because you're going to have districts that are going to be combined,' Antoinette Lee, Metro Councilmember for District 33, told News 2. 'To me, a plus for Metro — you did not have to be rich or a lawyer or be well-endowed financially to be on the Council because you could work your regular job and you can do this. That is going to be very challenging now with huge areas.' 'Antioch bows to no council member': Some constituents call for Metro Councilmember's resignation following immigration remarks As of publication, Metro Councilmembers get paid $25,000 dollars each year. This move could mean having to pay council members to go full-time to cover larger districts. Vice Mayor Angie Henderson said the math all boils down to how many of the 20 council members will be 'at large.' 'Why this bill was filed at the state and kind of the process that we're going through — I personally feel that the kind of call for efficiency and effectiveness was somewhat specious,' Henderson told News 2. 'I do think it was targeted legislation and that we can't just say by virtue of our size that that's inherently a bad thing.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Appeals Court upholds state law halving Metro Nashville Council
Historic Nashville Courthouse. (Photo: John Partipilo) A split Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of the state's effort to cut the Metro Nashville Council in half, overturning a trial court decision in a battle between state and local governments. The three-judge panel upheld a 2023 bill passed by the Republican-controlled legislature cutting the size of metropolitan government councils to 20, a move that would dramatically reduce the size of the Metro Nashville Council from 40 members — 35 from districts and five elected at-large. The appeals court overruled a Davidson County Chancery Court's decision that the state law violated two sections of the state Constitution, the home rule amendment that prevents the state from targeting specific local governments and a clause exempting metropolitan governments from a 25-member cap on legislative bodies. 'In resolving this dispute, we remember that it is our duty 'to resolve every reasonable doubt in favor of the constitutionality of a legislative enactment,'' the decision states. The Court of Appeals rejected Metro Nashville's argument that the law applies only to Nashville, thus violating Tennessee's Home Rule law that prevents state lawmakers from passing legislation targeting a local government without its permission. State appeals court ruling keeping Nashville's 40-member council intact While Tennessee has three counties that voted to form metropolitan governments, the law only requires Davidson County to shrink its council to comply. The Court of Appeals sided with the state in affirming the idea that though the law would only impact the current governing structure of Davidson County, two smaller counties that already have Metro Councils with fewer than 20 members will be required to maintain that compliance. Any counties that form metropolitan governments in the future would also have to comply with the law. House Majority Leader William Lamberth, a Portland Republican, applauded the court's decision in affirming constitutionality of the Small Government Efficiency Act. 'The action reins in excessive government growth while ensuring local municipalities across the Volunteer State remain accountable and responsive to their constituents,' Lamberth said in a statement. The Republican-controlled legislature started targeting Metro Nashville two years ago with a spate of bills designed to give the state greater control of the local government, including reducing the size of the council. The conflict stemmed, in part, from the council's decision to reject a move to lure the Republican presidential convention to Nashville. Allison Bussell of the Metro Legal Department said, 'We are understandably disappointed and concerned about the ruling's implications on local sovereignty. But we are also encouraged by Judge Armstrong's compelling dissent. We are digesting the ruling and considering our options.' 'The Home Rule Amendment of the Tennessee Constitution, in part, stands for the proposition that the size of the Metro Council is a decision for the voters of Metro Council,' said Vice Mayor Angie Henderson in a statement. 'The General Assembly's 2023 Small Government Efficiency Act was advanced purportedly to address the 'efficiency and effectiveness' of Nashville's legislative branch.' 'For the last 60 years, this 40-member Council has capably and effectively served the interests of our constituents, who today number some 715,000,' Henderson said. The obvious reason for exempting a consolidated government from the restriction on the size of its membership is to accommodate the far larger population of a consolidated government as compared to a single county or municipality. – Judge Kenny Armstrong Judge Kenny Armstrong of Memphis dissented from Judge Steven Stafford of Dyersburg and Judge Carma Dennis McGee of Savannah in the ruling. Armstrong argued in his dissent that Metro Nashville, as a metropolitan government with home rule, qualifies for an exemption from state-set restrictions on its legislative body's size. 'The obvious reason for exempting a consolidated government from the restriction on the size of its membership is to accommodate the far larger population of a consolidated government as compared to a single county or municipality,' Armstrong stated. This decision is a significant blow to Metro Nashville's continued efforts to combat what city leaders have classified as unconstitutional state overreach. The Court of Appeals' ruling runs counter to a slew of victories for Metro Nashville in related cases. Nashville's legal department has also sued to block laws targeting the city's authority over boards controlling Nashville sports stadiums, its convention center, the fairgrounds and the Nashville International Airport. The Court of Appeals noted that its decision on the Metro Council case opposes a separate Court of Appeals ruling nullifying the state's attempt to vacate the Metro Nashville Airport Authority and appoint new members. The court in that case concluded that the law, which applied only to Metro Nashville, violated the home rule provision. Tuesday's ruling stated the airport case is 'readily distinguishable' from the question of the Metro Council size statute, because the airport authority law was 'unlikely' to apply to other counties in the future. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Metro Council could be downsized following latest appeals court ruling
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A three-judge panel in the state's Court of Appeals found a law that would cut the size of Metro Council in half is, in fact, constitutional. In 2023, the state legislature passed House Bill 48, which limited the number of metropolitan councilmembers to 20. The law was seen as retribution against Metro Council's decision not to support hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention. JULY 2024: State law reducing Metro Council size ruled unconstitutional Last July, a Nashville court ruled that the law violated the Local Legislation Clause of the Home Rule Amendment to the state constitution. Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Metro Councilmembers celebrated the decision. The ruling prevented the law from going into effect. However, a three-judge panel in the state's Court of Appeals found the law to be constitutional and reversed the lower court ruling, allowing it to go into effect. 'At its most fundamental level, this case represents a power struggle between State government and local government,' Tuesday's majority ruling reads, in part. 'I applaud the Court's decision today affirming the constitutionality of the Small Government Efficiency Act,' Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland) said in a social media post. 'This action reins in excessive government growth while ensuring local municipalities across the Volunteer State remain accountable and responsive to their constituents. Republicans will continue to cut waste at all levels of government.' Nashville could appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court. 'We are understandably disappointed and concerned about the ruling's implications on local sovereignty. But we are also encouraged by Judge Armstrong's compelling dissent,' Allison Bussell with Metro Legal told News 2 in a statement. 'We are digesting the ruling and considering our options.' ⏩ I am grateful to the Metro Department of Law for their expert argument before the Court of Appeals in March of this year to uphold the Charter of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County on behalf of the voters and residents of Metro Nashville. Metro Nashville was first in the nation to fully consolidate a city and a county government, and in so doing, a 40-member, highly representative, local legislative branch was created by the voters. I am disappointed that today's Court of Appeals decision failed to respect the will of our voters. The Home Rule Amendment of the Tennessee Constitution, in part, stands for the proposition that the size of the Metro Council is a decision for the voters of Metro Nashville. The General Assembly's 2023 Small Government Efficiency Act was advanced purportedly to address the 'efficiency & effectiveness' of Nashville's legislative branch. For the last 60 years, this 40-member Council has capably and effectively served the interests of our constituents, who today number some 715,000. Over the course of this recent term, this Council has delivered numerous efficiency improvements, and we will continue to represent all Nashvillians to the best of our ability. I appreciate the dissenting opinion of Judge Armstrong and look forward to discussing our next steps with Metro's Department of Law. Statement from Vice Mayor Angie E. Henderson Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
