Money in, money out
🛣️ How free is Nashville · Taxpayer-funded lobbying · Antioch lawsuit · Comically criminal blunder of the day · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Today, we look at the results of the Becaon Center's Freedom Index, peek at some aspects of Metro's recent budget increase, honor a particularly dumb criminal offense, and much more! First time reading? Sign up here.
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🏙️ Nashville: One Of The Least Free Cities In TN The Beacon Center of Tennessee released its annual City Freedom Index this month, and Nashville ranked second to last overall. According to the think tank, the Index is the state's most comprehensive analysis of city policies. It ranks Tennessee's 30 largest cities based on 25 metrics across four categories: free enterprise, private property, individual liberty, and cost of government.
Music City’s best ranking was for individual liberty, coming in at 16th, and its worst ranking was free enterprise, for which it came in dead last. Nashville didn’t fare too well when it came to government spending, either, ranking 28 out of 30.
“The city does poorly due to high competition with the private sector through city-owned enterprises, and high fees for short-term rental permits and building permits,” reads the analysis. “Nashville still has the worst pension and other post-employment benefits (OPEB) liability in the state, in addition to high costs for taxpayer-funded lobbying.”
💸 An Eye On Spending After Metro Budget Increase During Friday’s media roundtable, Fox17 investigative reporter Dennis Ferrier asked the mayor why his office spends taxpayer dollars on lobbyists instead of utilizing his staff. “This is not something new to the city of Nashville,” said O’Connell. He went on to explain that lobbyists engage with the Metro Council and the General Assembly, as well as create relationships within Congress and the White House.
As far as the pinch on local taxpayers, the mayor was asked whether Metro has seen any real effects from DOGE cuts—something he repeatedly mentioned during budget season as his office fended off pushback regarding this year’s spending and property tax increase. In reply, O’Connell mentioned the loss of Metro Public Health Department employees “related to cuts that seem to have originated from a DOGE department of government efficiency approach at the federal level.” Referring to one-time COVID-19 grants cut short in MPHD, the funds that supported those positions would have sunset regardless. (The Trump administration has since been blocked from withholding those funds.)
Metro departments have spent one-time funding on initiatives now categorized as indispensable, creating fiscal cliffs that the mayor and council claim they attempted to help reconcile in the recently passed budget. For example, Metro schools got $64.5 million to continue programs that would have been cut as federal funding expired. It’s also worth noting that taxpayers have had to pick up the tab for multiple lawsuits, settlements, blunders, and refunds for unconstitutional policies that the city imposed.
💰 Antioch Shooting Lawsuit The family of 16-year-old Josselin Dayana Corea Escalante, who tragically died in the Antioch High School shooting in January, is suing Metro. The wrongful death suit, filed last week, claims that Metro Nashville Public Schools ignored red flags and didn’t follow through with district expulsion policies. According to NewsChannel 5, Escalante’s parents are seeking the maximum damages of $700,000: “$300,000 for the death and loss of their child and $400,000 for their other injuries, damages, and losses.”
“I think they are probably pursuing an appropriate way to offset some of that devastation, and I know that they have probably endured costs beyond just the emotional cost,” said Mayor O’Connell at Friday’s media roundtable. “I haven't looked at the details of it. I am aware that the young man who was the shooter seemed to have a complicated history, and I'm sure the details of that will come up as a result of the lawsuit.”
DEVELOPMENT
- Permits sought for Vanderbilt residential project (Post)
- Project eyed for Gulch could start by year’s end (Post)
- State Building Commission OKs Millions for TSU Projects (Scene)
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✹ COMICALLY CRIMINAL BLUNDER OF THE DAY
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 New Found Glory @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, 8p, $48.80, Info
🪕 Kyle Tuttle's Bluegrass Monday @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $10, Info
🎸 Timbo & Lonesome Country @ Jane's Hideaway, 8p, Info
+ modern take on classic country, bluegrass & hillbilly Jazz
🪕 Val Storey, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle & New Monday @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
💀 Grateful Monday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🕺 Motown Monday @ The 5 Spot, 9p, $5, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Megan Podsiedlik, Camelia Brennan, and Davis Hunt.