City sues Davidson Co. Election Commission over Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act charter referendum
Metro Nashville
and last updated 2021-05-11 18:21:39-04
The suit was filed less than 24 hours after the commission voted to put the issue on a ballot. Metro argues the petition is unconstitutional and does not meet referendum requirements.
And the city is not alone. The Nashville Business Coalition also filed suit against the commission.
The NTPA will limit how much the city s tax rate could go up each year. It s being backed by a group called 4GoodGovernment. The first referendum attempt failed when a judge ordered the wording on the petition wasn t clear enough to put the proposal in front of voters.
The Election Commission s duty is to place the proposed amendments on the ballot for approval or disapproval by the voters of Metro, an executive summary reads.
The petition group, 4 Good Government, aims to limit the city s power over property tax rates, public property transfers, recall elections, along with other aspects of how Metro government operates.
Among all changes, the proposal receiving the most attention would roll back Davidson County s property tax rate to the level before Metro Nashville raised the rate by 34% last year. Petitioners also want to curb Metro s authority to set future property tax rates, capping increases at 3% without voter approval.
Election Commission votes to put Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act before voters
Metro Nashville
and last updated 2021-05-10 23:34:46-04
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) â A proposal to limit property tax increases in Nashville will go before the voters.
The Davidson County Election Commission made the decision Monday night in a 3 to 2 vote.
This is the second effort by the group 4 Good Government to put the 2021 Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act (NTPA) on a ballot for Nashville residents to vote on. The NTPA would limit how much the city s tax rate could go up each year.
The issue is expected to be placed on a ballot within the next two to three months.
4 Good Governmentâs Latest Attempt to Repeal Property Tax Increase Is a Mess Metropolitik: The election commission is trying to determine if the charter amendment petition is constitutional Tweet Share
I rang up a longtime observer of Metro politics to see what he thought about the latest attempt by anti-tax advocates to get a charter amendment before voters that would repeal last yearâs property tax increase.
âItâs a shitshow on steroids,â he said.
Thatâs an apt description. For two solid weeks, the Davidson County Election Commission has been able to do little more than hold one paralyzed meeting after another as they try to figure out how not to get sued and what to do with the lawsuit thatâs already been filed against them, and to determine what parts of 4 Good Governmentâs charter amendment petition might actually be constitutional enough to put on the ballot. The last time this played out in the fall,