GOP plan could cut Metro Council in half by August
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Photo illustration: Allie Carl/Axios. Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
Republican lawmakers are pressing forward with legislation to slash the size of the Metro Council in half, but they've tweaked their proposal to allow city leaders to put the changes in place before the August election.
Why it matters: Mayor John Cooper's decision to pursue the Republican National Convention in 2028 did not deter Republican lawmakers from trying to reduce the council size.
- City agencies would also have to work quickly to implement a downsized council before the August elections.
- Critics say shrinking the council is retribution for the city rejecting a proposal to host the RNC in 2024.
Driving the news: On Tuesday, a legislative committee passed an amendment that would allow the Metro Planning Department to draw new district lines and for Metro Council to pass the necessary local legislation before the May 18 deadline for candidates to qualify for the ballot. Voters would select the new 20-person council this year.
- The initial proposal from state Rep. William Lamberth and Sen. Bo Watson, both Republicans, would have extended council members' terms one year and held the first election for a new 20-member council in August 2024.
- If Metro fails to approve new districts before the May 18 deadline, then the original proposal would kick in and the current council members' terms would be extended one year.
State of play: Currently there are 35 district seats and five at-large seats. The consensus seems to be trending toward 17 districts and three at-large seats.
What they're saying: Metro Councilmember Bob Mendes points out to Axios that during the normal once-per-decade redistricting process it normally takes Planning staffers several months to draw new lines.
- "It's hard to see how anyone in Nashville can be OK with running a forced redistricting like a fire drill," Mendes says. A Planning Department spokesperson declined to comment for this story about what preparations staffers may already be making.
- During an Election Commission meeting Wednesday, commission member Tricia Herzfeld expressed similar concerns about having enough time to alert voters of new districts and perhaps new polling spots.
The other side: Lamberth said during a legislative hearing about the proposal that similarly sized cities function with much fewer than 40 council members — pointing to Austin, San Jose, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Memphis.
- "It's a simple group dynamics issue. A body of 40, 50, 60 people is not able to coalesce around ideas and to be efficient like a body that is 15 or 20 is able to do," he said, adding he hopes the city reduces the size this year.