A Pittance For Your Troubles
🏛 Last Night at the Metro Council · Cothren booted from the ballot · Blackburn accused of mishandling campaign funds · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Council recap... Cade Cothren gets booted from the ballot... Blackburn accused of mishandling campaign funds... And much more!
The Battle for Nashville's Soul Join us Thursday, March 26th for a discussion with developer and advocate Chris Remke as we dig into the city's actions around zoning and property taxes. (Buy Ticket)
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A Recap of Last Night's Metro Council Meeting
From Megan Podsiedlik
Vice Mayor Angie Henderson set the tone at the beginning of last night’s council meeting by throwing some shade at, presumably, Congressman Andy Ogles.
“Our Muslim neighbors are an integral and special part of our community,” said Henderson. “And so we want to be sure to express, as local elected officials and as a body—especially given that certain persons in higher levels of elected office have recently said otherwise—that our Muslim neighbors are welcome here.”
Though the vice mayor was happy to kick things off by stirring the pot, the council was careful not to exacerbate NES drama. Without any discussion, they passed a resolution requesting that NES and its board make all contracts, agreements, and related documents available to Metro and the public.
Upzoning in Goodlettsville The council also passed Councilmember Jennifer Gamble’s upzoning legislation in Goodlettsville on its final reading without discussion, but not without pushback during the public comment period.
“How is it that 98 percent of a neighborhood can come together in opposition of a development that is being done when nothing has been provided to us for informational purposes?” asked resident Todd Horn, who claimed Gamble created “hostility during board meetings.”
Paul Pleiman, a resident who filed an ethics complaint against Gamble, also aired out his grievances. Though his complaint was dismissed by the Board of Ethical Conduct, Pleiman said Gamble hindered community engagement by attacking his character and needlessly heightening tensions during meetings.
“When an elected official labels a private citizen as racist or as a public safety concern during an active legislative matter, it shakes participation,” explained Pleiman. “It can chill public participation and influence votes.”
Buchanan Brouhaha The legislation to protect residents by placing restrictions on future commercial businesses along Buchanan Street passed its final reading with little difficulty. The only comment during discussion came from Councilmember Ginny Welsch, who abstained because she felt she didn’t have enough information to make a “truly educated choice.”
Abortion Tracking Panic In the same spirit, Welsch also took up the mic on a resolution allowing Metro to access vital medical records to support its public health surveillance and response. Since the legislation included access to fetal death data, the council member wanted to make sure that it couldn’t be used as an “abortion tracking tool.” Legislative Affairs Director Dave Rosenberg clarified that the state would share data with Metro Health for research, but Metro wouldn’t share any data with the state.
Ice Storm Bill Comp The longest deliberation came when the body wrestled over a bill authorizing a one-time reimbursement for Nashville water and sewer users in response to the ice storm. Due to regulations, the credit has to be equally distributed regardless of how severely a resident was impacted.
The discussion revolved around whether the small, $10-$25 credit was fiscally responsible or just a diluted effort. Councilmember Courtney Johnston proposed an alternative solution that would reallocate unused ARPA dollars to compensate those most impacted.
The council ultimately decided to defer the bill for one meeting.
✹ DOES NASHVILLE WANT YOU TO STAY?
The Zoning Phantom Leadeth the Taxman Zoning, land use, and property tax disputes have animated political discussions in Nashville since Mayor Freddie O'Connell first took office in September 2023.
Through his Substack, Built to Think, and organization, Save Our Nashville Neighborhoods, Chris Remke has emerged as the city’s most potent critic of the Metro agenda. He's effectively drawn attention to everything from Nashville’s inflated growth projections to the smoke-and-mirrors assurances given to homeowners about how upzoning would affect them, and most recently, the betrayal of local businesses now saddled with unwieldy tax bills.
Join us Thursday evening, March 26th, for a wide-ranging discussion on what Metro is trying to achieve and where they've gone wrong.
This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer, Nashville, and priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free admittance.
HEADLINES
- ⚖️ Nashville woman detained by ICE expected to be released on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson made no decisions during the hearing, instead setting a status conference for 4 p.m. today to confirm Estefany Rodríguez has been released before the case moves forward. (Lookout)
- ❌ State GOP takes Cade Cothren off the ballot. The Tennessee Republican Party voted to remove former top state House aide Cade Cothren from the Republican primary ballot for a state House seat. Cothren, who was convicted — and then pardoned — in a public corruption trial alongside ex-House Speaker Glen Casada, can appeal the decision. (State Affairs)
- 💲 New complaint alleges Blackburn used Senate campaign funds for governor bid. A Knoxville Republican has filed a complaint with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, asserting U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn used U.S. Senate campaign funds to fuel her run for Tennessee governor in what he says was a “flagrant violation” of campaign finance law. (Tennessean)
- 🎓 MTSU president announces retirement. On Tuesday, Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney McPhee notified the school's Board of Trustees about his plan to retire in December. His announcement comes after 25 years of service with the University. (NewsChannel 5)
✹ 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)
DEVELOPMENT
- Cole Swindell will open Broadway bar in 2027 (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
🎸 Power Washer / Most improved / Squent @ The East Room, 8p, $15.42, Info
🎸 Eggy @ The Basement East, 8p, $35.52, Info
🎸 Compost Adjacent @ Dee's Lounge, $5, 6p, 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.
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Finish Repealing Tennessee’s CON LawsToday's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.