Metro Council approves key O'Connell appointments

• Crumbo is taking the job on an interim basis, the mayor's office announced. He previously served as finance director during the early years of former Mayor John Cooper's term. Crumbo was the finance director when the city passed the 34% property tax increase in 2020.
• Dietz is also a holdover from the Cooper administration.

Why it matters: The legal director oversees the city's legal strategy, including its ongoing court battles with the state, and the finance director is responsible for managing Metro's  $3.2 billion budget.

• Council's support for hiring Crumbo and Dietz was an important hurdle for the new mayor to clear as he fills out his administration.

Catch up quick: O'Connell also hired former Councilmember Bob Mendes for the new role of chief development officer, former campaign manager Marjorie Pomeroy-Wallace as chief of staff and Katy Varney as director of communications.

• Varney, an accomplished veteran public relations executive, is also serving on an interim basis.

Of note: Dietz's appointment received pushback from prominent attorney Daniel Horwitz, who frequently handles lawsuits concerning Metro.

• Horwitz has been a vocal critic of Metro legal since before Dietz was appointed to the role.

• Dietz has been lauded for his legal strategy of challenging state laws targeting Metro. He successfully delayed the implementation of a law that sought to cut the size of the council in half prior to the August election.
• Metro also won an initial ruling in its lawsuit challenging a state law that sought to reduce the number of council votes needed to approve a proposed fairgrounds racetrack plan.

Meanwhile: Metro Council voted last night to approve a $3.37 million grant from the state to pay for school resource officers to be posted at middle and high schools.

• The proposal was deferred at the previous meeting after council members questioned what would happen to existing funding already allocated for school resources officers.