I’ve been serving Metro in different ways since Mayor Dean appointed me to the NES Board in 2011. After four years with NES, eight as a Council member, and two as Chief Development Officer for Mayor O’Connell, my last work day with Metro was October 24.

When people ask me to reflect on my time with Metro, so many thoughts come to mind that it’s hard to make sense of them. The three main threads are about the people I’ve worked with, about how the work changes but never ends, and about the deepening polarization of America.

Thank you, Nashville. It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve you in the Metro Council since 2015.

Early voting has started and runs through July 29. Election Day is August 3. There almost certainly will be a runoff for Mayor and Council At-Large. The runoff election will be on September 14 with early voting in the weeks before then. Everyone should plan on voting in both elections. Here’s who I am supporting and then a few thoughts about the Mayor’s race.

The Metro Council will finalize the annual operating budget at our meeting on June 20, 2023. You can read my May 22 post about the Mayor’s proposed budget here. The substitute budget proposed by Budget and Finance Committee Chair Kevin Rhoten begins on page 487 of the Amendments Packet for our meeting tomorrow. Proposed amendments 1 through 23 begin at page 524 of the same amendments packet.

Here’s what I’m watching in the Mayor’s proposed FY2024 operating budget…

I’ve become convinced that the Titans intend to operate a live sportsbook gambling business at the new football stadium. I also think the Mayor’s Office knows this. The only conclusion I can reach is that they’ve decided to keep this part of the deal out of the public eye.

When the proposed football stadium comes up for a final vote on April 25, 2023, I’ll vote “NO.”

At the Council meeting on April 4, 2023, CM Angie Henderson moved to hold a public hearing about the proposed $2+ billion dollar football stadium. The motion lost by one vote. I hope the Council reconsiders this and holds a public hearing at a full Council meeting.

I watched the State House expel Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson yesterday with mixed emotions. Anger. Sadness. Hope. Admiration. Disbelief was not on the list. Nobody should be surprised at how low the Republican super-majority in Tennessee can go.

On April 3, 2023, the Mayor’s Office will share what it is calling the finance plan for the football stadium. The Sports Authority was briefed on it a few days ago on March 28, 2023. I’m concerned that they are still intentionally hiding the ball on how much captured tax money will be controlled by the Titans through the course of the 30 year lease.

Over the weekend, a transit advocate took me aside to tell me that the funding plan for the proposed football stadium will eliminate a funding source for transit. I think they are right about that.

We are 2+ weeks into the forced Council shrinking and redistricting. Where are we and what’s next?

Here are my previous posts about the proposed new football stadium:

Governor Lee signed the new law to shrink the size of the Metro Council on March 9, 2023. You can see the text of the final version in Section 1 of this document.

I have decided to not run for Mayor in 2023. Sue and I believe that joining the race is not the best way for our family to serve Nashville at this time.

Since the non-binding term sheet for a new $2.1 billion football stadium was approved by the Council on December 20, 2022, we have all been waiting for the full, final documents to be submitted to the Council. That hasn’t happened yet.

While everyone is focused on a new football stadium and a new racetrack, the third biggest TIF loan in Nashville history is on the Council agenda next Tuesday, December 20.

In a previous post, I described how the Mayor’s Office has provided a one-page financial projection showing year-by-year tax revenues that would be captured for the new $2.1 billion stadium.

The webpage for the Council’s East Bank Stadium Committee is here. All of my posts about the proposed new $2.1 billion football stadium are here.

The Term Sheet for the proposed $2.1 billion new football stadium is not ready for Council approval.