Housing, cost-of-living top Nashville issues following transportation referendum
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In the wake of voters approving the transportation funding plan, Mayor Freddie O'Connell says addressing housing and cost-of-living will be top priorities for his administration.
The big picture: Although O'Connell shirked at the notion that the transportation plan put certain initiatives on the back burner, the referendum was a heavy lift for a first-year mayor.
- Creating dedicated funding for transportation has been a white whale for Nashville leaders.
Why it matters: With $3.1 billion in transportation funding now secured, O'Connell and the Metro Council have more bandwidth to pursue other priorities.
- After battling through a competitive field to win the mayor's race and following it up with a resounding referendum victory, O'Connell also wields substantial political clout.
What he's saying: "Fundamentally don't agree with that," O'Connell said last week when asked if the referendum cast other priorities to the side. "I would invite anybody to check out nashville.gov/progress. We made incredible strides across the board in year one."
- He singled out the East Bank development deal, expanding after-school care and the launch of the Nashville Early Education Coalition as accomplishments.
- "For us going forward, I think housing remains the top priority," O'Connell says. "We've been working with the housing division of Metro Planning. I think we'll have many more (housing developments) over the next several years."
- O'Connell predicted the city's unified housing strategy, which leaders say will be a detailed road map for affordable housing policies, should be available before the end of the year.
Between the lines: Several Metro Council members also singled out housing affordability to Axios as a pressing issue post-referendum.
- "Nashville is too expensive," Metro Councilmember Rollin Horton, a leading voice on housing in the council, tells Axios. "The cost of living continues to soar and the middle class is being boxed out. The Metro Council will focus on curbing these costs and making a Nashville for Nashvillians."
- With the transportation plan approved, Metro Councilmember Jennifer Gamble tells Axios the council should highlight "workforce and small business opportunities for residents" interested in working with the city agencies on the $3.1 billion project.
- In addition to implementing the transportation plan and supporting the city's unhoused population, Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin identified public safety as a priority. "Making sure that we balance enforcement and safety with protection of all of our communities and recognizing safety looks different to different people," Kupin says.
The latest: O'Connell indicated his administration intends to address child care, saying the issue is right behind housing and transportation as a cost-of-living consideration.
- "I'm also very interested in health care access and things related to it like nutrition and food security issues." He said there's a "whole package of things we're going to be doing around affordability and cost of living."
- Along those lines, he also mentioned last week that he would consider cutting Nashville's grocery tax.
What we're watching: The passage of the transportation plan could clear the runway for more hot-button issues that were perceived as political distractions before Nov. 5.
- Here are five issues facing Metro over the next year:
💰 Property tax increase: O'Connell's navigated a tight first budget, and there's speculation a property tax increase could be coming in year two.
- The city is entering a reappraisal year, which O'Connell suggested is an opportunity to take a broad view of the city's revenues and expenses.
🚔 License plate readers: Metro Nashville Police Department leaders want to use license plate readers to help solve more serious crimes, but the issue has stalled out in the council.
- It figures to come back after council votes on separate legislation that would allow police to use a network of camera footage provided voluntarily by private businesses.
🏡 Middle class housing: A bold slate of bills to spur more middle-class housing achieved mixed results this year. A notable proposal to allow multi-family housing in more commercial zones passed.
- The most ambitious bill to allow multiple units on single-family lots was deferred while the city studies the issue.
- Creating more housing has grassroots support and some council members are eager to revisit the issue.
🎭 East Bank: A key component of the East Bank redevelopment plan, a new facility for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, has taken longer than expected to come together.
- TPAC leaders are working on fundraising their portion of the project.
🏎️ Fairgrounds racetrack: Previous Mayor John Cooper reached with Bristol Motor Speedway to revitalize the fairgrounds racetrack, but the plan stalled out before O'Connell took office.
- This fate of the racetrack has been debated in Metro for over a decade.
- The plan has entrenched opposition, and a competing proposal to redevelop the racetrack property was pitched last year.