Survivor’s Guilt Haunts the Mayor

Absolved of responsibility for the winter storm response, O’Connell digs himself a fresh grave.

From Daivs Hunt

Everyone’s buzzing this morning about Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s callous retort to the side effects of his property tax hike. As the mayor dusts his ill-fitting suit off after clawing his way out from under the rubble of the city’s storm response two weeks ago relatively unscathed, he now appears haunted by a form of “survivor’s guilt.”

Fox17 quoted Acme Feed & Seed owner Tom Morales about why his Broadway staple may not make it to the end of the year: “It’s our property tax,” Morales told the outlet. “It went from $129,000 a year to $600,000 a year. That’s more than our rent and net profit combined.”

In response to Morales’ concerns, O’Connell told Fox, “It’s not up to me whether he keeps that business open. The market evolves. New businesses start even as beloved old businesses close.”

The comment drew the ire of his normally circumspect successor in District 19. “It’s contrary to what my district believes. It was really a disappointing message from the mayor,” CM Jacob Kupin told Fox17. “Our job is not to say, ‘too bad, so sad.’ Our job is to protect these businesses.”

Acme stands apart from the more corporate bend that Broadway has taken in recent years. Morales is a Nashville native and his bar, which opened in 2014, serves as a token reminder of the old culture of Broadway. Acme Farm Supply operated out of the spot until 1999.

I spent the evening at another local staple, the Station Inn, which sits amongst the surrounding development in the Gulch like a place out of time. Nonetheless, it’s still hanging on with a note now stamped to the bar informing patrons of a new entertainment fee on their tabs to cover the “recent, massive property tax increase.”

O’Connell’s disdain for his former constituents on Broadway was the centerpiece of his mayoral campaign, focusing instead on appealing to a small, but committed base of supporters long on bike lanes, bus expansion, and housing affordability.

“We Want You to Stay” ran his campaign slogan. Amongst his many pledges—such as an effort to move all Metro buildings onto 100 percent solar energy—O’Connell promised to build a Nashville that didn’t chase people out of town over affordability concerns.

His plan to address this was vague from the jump, but the progressive platform he’s adopted amounts to a scorched Earth campaign levied against perceived enemies, be they single family home owners or Broadway businesses, through an increasingly onerous tax regime and flagrant dismissal of residents' more base concerns.

Morales calls the tax bill “punitive,” a description of Metro’s actions we see with increasing frequency from those who have dealings with our local elected officials.

✹ THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPEN BUT SHOULD

​Welcome to America in 2026. You're sitting at the End of History. Nothing will ever happen again.

​The steady march toward the impossible vision of a borderless world governed by rooms full of perfectly rational leaders incapable of committing evil in thought word or deed continues apace.

​Will anything–can anything happen–that shakes us from our stupor? Is "Nothing Ever Happens" the law of the land? What should happen that hasn't happened?

​Join us Thursday, February 19th as we sit down with Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist, to discuss whether anything will ever happen again and more. (Buy Ticket)

This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer and free for paying, Bard-level subscribers.

✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH

Who bankrolls your councilmember? We analyzed every donation to every council member to show you whether they're funded by their constituents or someone else. Higher grades go to those who raise more money locally. (Take a Look)

HEADLINES

• 🧊 The real estate arm of Freeman Webb Publishing, which owns the Nashville Scene and the Nashville Post, inadvertently rented Nashville office space to ICE leading to public blowback from activist orgs across the city. “We would never knowingly lease our space to ICE. I've directed our lawyers to investigate all available legal remedies under the lease, and that work is underway," Democratic state house representative and heir to the throne Bob Freeman told the Post. (Post)
• 🔌 TVA decides not to close the Cumberland City coal plant in Stewart County. The Authority has reversed course on its plan to close all coal plants by 2035. The decision comes as artificial intelligence data centers drive unprecedented demand for electricity across the Tennessee Valley. (NewsChannel 5)
• 🥶 ICE to open second Tennessee immigrant detention center in Lebanon. Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto said he had heard no information about the plans to build a detention center in the county and asked for contact information to reach ICE in order to learn more. (Lookout)
• 💰 Tennessee lawmakers propose property tax cap bill. The Republican-sponsored legislation would limit the annual increases to 2 percent. (WSMV)

DEVELOPMENT

• Target Plans New Antioch Location At Century Farms In Nashville (Now Next)
• Knoxville-based Xul Beer Co. inks deal for 10-year-old Nashville brewery (NBJ)
• Ball and Buck slated for Green Hills (Post)
• Hill Realty offers Germantown property for sale (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

🪕 Meels @ Station Inn, 8p, Info

🎸 Jay Buchanan (Rival Sons) @ The Basement, 8p, $39.31, Info

⚡️ Movie Night - Back To The Future @ The Eighth Room, 5p, Free, Info

🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p

📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.

Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.