The Mayor Escapes Tax Hike
💸 Tax bills, SNAP stops · DADU Effect · AG takes on birthright citizenship · Repeat offender all-star · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Tax bills hit last week; people are upset; others, like our mayor, weren't affected... More on those zoning bills awakening the neighborhoods... The AG challenges birthright citizenship... And we present our repeat offender all-star of the day.
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Property tax bills started rolling in last week. Your bill might’ve increased, but your mayor’s didn’t. He will actually pay less in property taxes this year than he did last year.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s home value increased by just 12 percent compared to the median increase in his district of 40 percent. Countywide, the median increase was 45 percent. O’Connell earns $209,898 as the city’s mayor, making him the 63rd highest-paid Metro employee.
Speaking of financial concerns, the governor warned SNAP recipients on Friday to “expect a lapse in benefits” starting on November 1st due to the government shutdown. At present, 42 million Americans receive food stamps.
All partisan finger-wagging aside about the shutdown, I’m wondering how this will affect crime rates. Will those accustomed to receiving free money from the government lash out when their cards start declining? Should you have your head on a swivel in the grocery store? I guess we’ll see. DAVIS HUNT
✹ THE SOUTHERN REVIVAL SALOON
Join us for a classed-up, cowboy-formal type thing with an open bar, music, and the opportunity to meet some of the most talented and influential people in Nashville. Use the discount code PAMPHLETEER to get 25% off your ticket. (Buy Tickets)
🖋️ Edited by Megan Podsiedlik.
🏘️ The DADU Effect Concerns about increasing density without support for infrastructure was a recurring theme during last week’s community presentation on proposed zoning changes across the city. The Planning Department acknowledged that stormwater and other studies are not completed yet, but reiterated that the legislation at hand is merely an option that won’t be implemented unless passed through the regular council process.
One such bill involves restrictions around detached accessory dwelling units (DADU). If passed, DADUs, affectionately known as granny flats, will become a whole lot easier for property owners to construct. If your neighborhood already has a DADU overlay, the application process will become merely administrative with no public hearing.
One West End resident explained that any increase in DADUs will exacerbate stormwater runoff, water pressure, and parking issues that are already a problem in the area. “Emergency vehicles cannot pass on those streets currently.”
There are four more community presentations on this legislation this week. On November 4, community members are encouraged to voice their opinions on the proposed legislation at the Metro Council meeting during public hearing.
📜 TN AG Challenges Birthright Citizenship in the U.S. Supreme Court Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined 24 other states urging the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify that the Fourteenth Amendment does not guarantee automatic citizenship to everyone born in the United States. In an amicus brief filed on Friday, the states argue that the Citizenship Clause has been misinterpreted and that citizenship should depend on parents’ lawful residency and allegiance to the U.S.
The brief cites historical evidence from the Reconstruction Era showing that citizenship was intended only for children of parents lawfully present in the country. It also clarifies the 1898 United States v. Wong Kim Ark case, noting that the parents in that ruling were legally and permanently domiciled in the U.S.
⚖️ Jones’ Case Against Sexton Dismissed Representative Justin Jones’ (D-Nashville) lawsuit against Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton was tossed out by a federal judge on Friday. Jones alleged violations of his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights following his expulsion from the House floor and ensuing removal from committee assignments after leading a protest in the chamber after the Covenant School shooting.
According to State Affairs, U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson dismissed the complaint, which was filed in 2023, ruling that Sexton is protected by sovereign and legislative immunity. Richardson found that Jones’ claims could not be directly traced to Sexton, as actions like the expulsion and rule changes were decisions made by the House as a whole. The judge also rejected Jones’ claims over lost benefits, finding they were caused by parties not named in the suit.
HEADLINES
- 🏈 Vanderbilt bested No. 15 Missouri on Saturday afternoon, bumping them up a slot in the polls to No. 9. It's the highest ranking a Vanderbilt football team has earned since 1937. That year, the 1937 flood swamped downtown, the Opry was just 12 years old, and construction was completed on the Metro Courthouse.
- 🚑 The premiere of 9‑1‑1: Nashville drew approximately 12.4 million viewers across linear and streaming platforms in its first seven days, with a 1.51 rating in the 18–49 demo, marking it as a strong launch for ABC. The series outperformed the debut of Grey’s Anatomy in the same time frame, signaling strong audience interest in the franchise’s new Nashville setting.
DEVELOPMENT
- Sprouts Set To Anchor Port Royal Marketplace In Spring Hill (Now Next)
- South Nashville motel property listed for $1.49M (Post)
- Historic downtown building listed for $8.87M (Post)
- Marquee supper club now open downtown (Post)
- Popular golf simulator plans new location in Mt. Juliet (NBJ)
- Porter Road Butcher under new ownership following bankruptcy filing (NBJ)
✹ REPEAT OFFENDER ALL-STAR
Today's distinguished criminal has a lengthy career in Nashville going back to 2001. He’s a registered ex-convict with multiple felony drug convictions, including a 2001 conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine case, as well as weapons and felon-in-possession charges in 2017 and 2018.
Most recently, he pulled up on an undercover cop and pointed a gun at him. The officer did the wise thing and left the scene, but Beach fired three shots as he fled, hitting his car at least once. Unsurprisingly, MNPD soon arrived on the scene in full force and discovered 3.4 pounds of marijuana, 4.73 pounds of cocaine, and a whopping 33.55 pounds of fentanyl. (More Info)
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
🎸 Messer Chups @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $25.26, Info
🪕 Kyle Tuttle Bluegrass Monday @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $10, Info
🪕 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 Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik and Camelia Brennan.