O’Connell’s Nashville
Good afternoon, everyone. Does Freddie want you to stay?... How to snitch on your local autonomous driver... Columbia TN mayor racks in the big bucks to take on Ogles... And much more!
Terrorism in America Join us Thursday, April 16th for a discussion with domestic terrorism expert Kyle Shideler as we dig into the federal government's response to the Charlie Kirk assassination and what it means for us here locally. (Buy Ticket)
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your councilmember, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
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Nashville’s affordability crisis remains on the brain, and some say Freddie could care less if they stay.
From Megan Podsiedlik
“Dear Mayor Freddie O'Connell, due to these extreme property tax increases, I had to pay an additional $5,400 in reconciled property taxes to my landlord. On top of that, my rent has gone up $400 a month—an extra $4,800 a year. This is for a space that isn't even 2000 square feet, and a space I don't even own,” posted Nashville’s The Modern Dog Company in a recent video. “We hear you, Mayor Freddie: us small Nashville businesses are disposable, easy to replace, but we are what make Nashville special.”
Affordability, rents, taxes, property ownership: They all contribute to which direction Nashville will go.
Affordable Housing According to the Sycamore Institute's latest study on building policy, Tennessee’s housing shortage and rising prices are partly driven by state and local zoning, building codes, and other red tape. Local governments also have broad control over zoning, resulting in widely varying rules across the state. For instance, Nashville has one of the most complex zoning systems in the state, with more than 30 residential classifications.
While Nashvillians tend to all agree that affordability is a major issue in the city, not everyone aligns on how to fix that problem. Though Sycamore highlighted how prices have increased due to supply and demand issues, thousands of vacant apartments have consistently remained dormant since Nashville’s boom.
Taxation In general, upzoning and density supporters tend to clash with those who have invested in Nashville's growth. Construction optimization specialist and president of Save Our Nashville Neighborhood, Christopher Remke, recently pointed out how Nashvillians are getting pushed out of Nashville in the name of affordability.
“When Metro Council up-zones a neighborhood (allowing more density, more units, taller buildings), the Assessor’s office is legally required to value your property based on that new potential,” wrote Remke. “Even if you have no intention of tearing down your single-family home to build a new triplex or a 20-unit apartment building, the land is now valued as if someone might.”
Remke called this the instant speculation tax: “Your property value and therefore your tax bill jumps to reflect what a developer would pay for your land, not what it’s worth to you as a home or business.”
✹ TERRORISM IN AMERICA
Domestic Threats to Americans Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Trump administration declared its intent to counter domestic terrorism and organized political violence.
These efforts have been ongoing and recently bore some fruit, including major federal convictions and an upcoming international summit focused on countering the left-wing movement Antifa and other groups.
Join us to learn from an expert in the field on domestic threats to the American people, Kyle Shideler, and what the Trump administration's efforts mean for Nashville.
This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer, Nashville, and priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free admittance.
HEADLINES
- 🗣 New hubNashville portal opened for autonomous vehicle complaints. Self-driving cars are now a reality in Nashville, but they are also raising some concerns. From traffic issues to unexpected stops, the city is making sure Nashvillians can share what they see on the roads. (WKRN)
- 💸 Your tax dollars used for survey to end language barriers across Metro departments. The Metro Human Relations Commission, along with the mayor’s office, have dedicated funding for a Metro language assessment survey to assess language barriers in Nashville’s local government. “It shouldn’t matter that you speak a language other than English,” said Metro Human Relations Commission Research Analyst and Title VI Coordinator Gavin Crowell-Williamson. (WKRN)
- 💰 Molder announces $601K fundraising haul in Ogles challenge. Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, the leading Democratic challenger in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, announced a fundraising haul of more than $601,000 for the first quarter of 2026 on April 1 adding to the $1.2 million in campaign contributions Molder has raised since September. (Tennessean)
- ⁉️ Memphis rappers Big30 and Pooh Shiest accused of robbing/kidnapping rapper Gucci Mane. The Department of Justice says Shiesty, along with another Memphis rapper, Rodney Wright Jr., known as Big30, and seven others are accused of robbing and kidnapping multiple victims at a music studio in Dallas, including Atlanta rapper Radric Davis, known as Gucci Mane. Arrests were made in Memphis, Nashville, and Dallas. (WSMV)
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your councilmember, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
DEVELOPMENT
- Nyrstar sells East Tennessee mines and smelter to South Korean company (WVLT)
- Serrato’s Steakhouse owner and chef will open Roots Prime Italian (NBJ)
- Justin Timberlake's Bounty Club files permits ahead of opening (NBJ)
- TPAC building plan progresses (Post)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week 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
🎸 Gillian Welch & David Rawlings Play Grateful Dead Acoustic Reckoning @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, 8p, $63, Info
🎸 Slomosa @ The Blue Room, 7p, $34.77, Info
✨ Tycho @ The Caverns, 7p, $69.50+, Info
🎸 The Format w/ Ben Kweller @ Ryman Auditorium, 6p, $27+, Info
🪕 The Cowpokes @ Acme Feed & Seed, 12p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
SATURDAY
🪕 Rick Faris Band @ Station Inn, 9p, Info
🎸 Gillian Welch & David Rawlings Play Grateful Dead Acoustic Reckoning @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, 8p, $63, Info
🎸 Indigo de Souza @ The Basement East, 8p, $34.52, Info
✨ Tycho @ The Caverns, 7p, $69.50+, Info
🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
SUNDAY
🪕 Bluegrass Jam @ Station Inn, 7p, Free, Info
+ a night for musicians and singers from all over the world to gather and enjoy making music together
🪕 Sundays Between with Easy Green @ Tennessee Brew Works, 1p, Info
+ a bluegrass celebration of the music of the Grateful Dead
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.