Council Throws Wet Blanket on Boring Co.
Good afternoon, everyone. Council "objects" to the Music City Loop tunnel project... A look at Freddie's property taxes... CNBC keeps saying TN is bad for business... Astronaut for governor?... And much more!
Who funds your Councilmember? Checkout our new Council Watch tool. 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. (Explore)
Correction In yesterday’s newsletter, we incorrectly got our CM’s mixed up in one sentence and wrote that CM Jennifer Gamble had filed a $40 million defamation suit against her complainant. The suit was actually brought by CM Joy Kimbrough. Apologies for the error.
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Dispatch from Last Night's Metro Council Meeting
From Megan Podsiedlik
Boring Vote There was one last round of tiresome discussion on the resolution condemning the Boring Co.’s Music City Loop. The political theater has dragged on for three months, and the vote exposed fractures within Metro’s cohort of progressives.
“In the military, we have a saying called CED—career-ending decision—and that might be what I'm making tonight,” said council member Olivia Hill, who attempted to defer the vote one more time.
“The reason why we're here is because this body has a history of opposing things they don't like from the state,” the council member explained, pointing out how many who oppose the project seem to have a personal bone to pick with Elon Musk and the Tennessee GOP more than any real problem with the Music City Loop.
Twenty members of the body ultimately voted in favor of the resolution, which was modified to “object to the company’s lack of transparency, inadequate community and Metropolitan Council engagement, and troubling labor and safety practices” instead of condemning it.
Local healthcare executive David Whelan summed up his view from the sidelines: “So Metro Council is unable to condemn the electric company that couldn't restore power for two weeks but rushes to try to block a transit tunnel to the airport.”
NES CEO The council didn’t vote on the resolution urging Metro’s Electric Power Board to terminate Teresa Broyles-Aplin as CEO of Nashville Electric Service. The legislation was deferred by rule until June 2. Sponsor Emily Benedict asked for her colleagues to support postponing the vote until the board conducts its investigation into NES’ winter storm response.
East Bank Rezoning The council held a public hearing on two bills that would rezone the East Bank. While those in favor are excited about transforming the industrial eyesore that sits across from Broadway, those in opposition fear that rezoning will inevitably drag downtown across the river.
The new owner of PSC Metals scrapyard, David Byerley, may have put some minds at ease after outlining his vision for the site.
“I believe it should be a place for families,” said Byerley. “I have great friends that own bars on Broadway, and I'm all for it. I love great music and have a history of it myself, but I believe Broadway ends at the river.”
Both bills passed on second reading. Final reading will be delayed until April 7 to give more time for community input. Sponsor Jacob Kupin reminded his colleagues that amendments can be added to the bills on third reading.
✹ 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)
Tax Day approaches and Mayor Freddie O'Connell is insulated from the impact of his property tax increase.
From Davis Hunt
O’Connell’s bill only increased by $429 from $5,256 to $5,685 after his recent tax hike manifested in the reappraisal process. O’Connell had the second-smallest percentage increase in his property tax bill among council members and the vice mayor. The average council member’s bill increased by 36.16 percent while O’Connell’s bill increased by just 8.16 percent.
CNBC Keeps Saying TN is Bad for Business, Here's Why They're Wrong
From Davis Hunt
As is tradition, CNBC has released its annual America’s Top States for Business study. And Tennessee came in last. Again. But fear not. The study is stupid. We’ve consistently lampooned it over the years, and I'll tell you why.
The study grades states across ten categories, including crime, health care, child care, air quality, and inclusiveness. Tennessee ranked especially low in inclusiveness and crime. “The state was among the earliest to codify a person’s gender based on their anatomy, passing its law in 2023,” reads the summary of our state’s woes.
Typically, at this point, I’ll trot out one of my favorite data points about the state (between April 2020 and July 2022, there were only five states in the country in which the number of children aged 0 to 4 increased, Tennessee among them). In short, as fertility tanks across the world, Middle Tennessee has emerged as one of the few places showing promise as a haven for family formation.
The Institute for Family Studies put out a study last week showing that Red states continue to gain babies in the post-COVID wash, due in large part to housing affordability. In the graph below, you’ll see that the median Tennessean spends about 27% of their income on a mortgage, putting it about middle of the pack. But over the past five years, Tennessee ranks second behind New Jersey in the increase in the number of kids under the age of 6.
New Jersey, a blue state and thus a bit of an outlier against the claim that family growth is occurring in cheaper red states, owes much of its growth in young families to immigration. New Jersey has the second-highest percentage of foreign-born residents in the country, while Tennessee sits near the bottom.
HEADLINES
- 🚀 Retired astronaut Barry Wilmore considers run for Tennessee governor. Wilmore still must file the petition with the required valid 25 signatures by the qualifying deadline of noon March 10 to be on the ballot. Wilmore took out his petition as a Republican, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State's office. (Tennessean)
- ⛏️ Get your free tunnel: three TN cities are finalists vying to be selected by The Boring Co. for a mile-long tunnel constructed on the company’s dime. No, this is not the same as the Music City Loop. The company announced its Tunnel Vision Challenge in January, calling for proposals for tunnels that solve problems.
Tunnel submissions could be for freight, pedestrians, water, utilities, or Loop — a transportation tunnel used exclusively by Tesla vehicles to transport passengers for a fee.Tennessee finalists include the Vol Loop, a proposed Loop project in Knoxville; the Mountain Mile Loop, a proposed Loop project in Gatlinburg; and a proposed utility tunnel in Hendersonville. The winner will be announced on March 23. (Lookout) - ☕️ Starbucks announces plans to open a corporate operations office in Nashville later this year. According to the company, the Nashville office will focus on supporting coffeehouse growth and customer demand in the southeastern United States. (Fox 17)
DEVELOPMENT
- Austin group plans upscale sushi restaurant for Pie Town (NBJ)
- Nashville Yards could land Hilton hotel (Post)
- Former funeral home property on east side sells (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
🎸 Joiner @ DRKMTTR, 8p, $16.80, Info
🎷 Makaya McCraven @ The Basement East, 8p, $33.44, Info
💀 Tennessee Dead @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.