Nashville, Tennessee

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# Nashville, Tennessee

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Nashville, Tennessee

General information

Mayor:| John Cooper
Mayor party:| Nonpartisan
Last mayoral election:| 2019
Next mayoral election:| 2023
Last city council election:| 2019
Next city council election:| 2023
City council seats:| 41
City website
Composition data (2013)
Population:| 634,464
Gender:| Female 51.5%
Race:| White 56.3%
African American 28.4%
Asian 3.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone 0.3%
Two or More 2.5%
Median household income:| $45,982
High school graduation rate:| 85.6%
College graduation rate:| 34.3%
Related Nashville offices
Tennessee Congressional Delegation
Tennessee State Legislature
Tennessee state executive offices

Nashville is a city in Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1963, the governments of the city of Nashville and Davidson County merged to form the Nashville-Davidson Metro Government.[1] The city's population was 634,464 as of 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[2]

Click on the links below to learn more about the city's...

* Mayor
* City council
* Other elected officials
* Elections
* Census information
* Budget
* Contact information
* Ballot measures

## Contents

* 1 City government
* 1.1 Mayor
* 1.2 City council
* 1.3 Other elected officials
* 2 Mayoral partisanship
* 3 Elections
* 3.1 2020
* 3.2 2019
* 3.3 2018
* 3.4 2017
* 3.5 2015
* 4 Census information
* 5 Budget
* 5.1 Fiscally standardized cities data
* 5.1.1 Historical total revenue and expenditure
* 5.2 Nashville, Tennessee salaries and pensions over $95,000
* 6 Contact information
* 7 Ballot measures
* 8 Noteworthy events
* 8.1 2020: Events and activity following the death of George Floyd
* 8.2 2015: Study on city's nondiscrimination laws
* 9 See also
* 10 External links
* 11 Footnotes

## City government

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Nashville utilizes a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.

### Mayor

See also: List of current mayors of the top 100 cities in the United States

The mayor is the city's chief executive. The responsibilities of the mayor include proposing a budget, signing legislation into law, appointing departmental directors, and overseeing the city's day-to-day operations.[3] The current Mayor of Nashville is John Cooper (nonpartisan). Cooper assumed office on September 28, 2019.

### City council

See also: List of current city council officials of the top 100 cities in the United States

The Nashville Metro Council is the city's primary legislative body. It is responsible for adopting the city budget, approving mayoral appointees, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies, and ordinances.[4]

The metro council has forty-one members. Thirty-five members are elected by one of the city's thirty-five districts, while the vice-mayor and five other members are elected at large. Each member of the metro council serves four-year terms. The vice-mayor presides over council meetings.[4]

* Click here for a current list of council members

Office

| Name | Party | Date assumed office | Date term ends

|
|
|
|

Nashville Metro Council At large | Burkley Allen | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council At large | Steve Glover | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council At large | Sharon Hurt | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council At large | Bob Mendes | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council At large | Zulfat Suara | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 1 | Jonathan Hall | Nonpartisan | 2018 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 2 | Kyonzte' Toombs | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 3 | Jennifer Gamble | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 4 | Robert Swope | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 5 | Sean Parker | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 6 | Brett A. Withers | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 7 | Emily Benedict | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 8 | Nancy VanReece | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 9 | Tonya Hancock | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 10 | Zach Young | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 11 | Larry H. Hagar | Nonpartisan | 2014 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 12 | Erin Evans | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 13 | Russ Bradford | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 14 | Kevin Rhoten | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 15 | Jeff Syracuse | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 16 | Ginny Welsch | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 17 | Colby Sledge | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 18 | Tom Cash | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 19 | Freddie O'Connell | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 20 | Mary Roberts | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 21 | Brandon Taylor | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 22 | Gloria Hausser | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 23 | Thom Druffel | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 24 | Kathleen Murphy | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 25 | Russ Pulley | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 26 | Courtney Johnston | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 27 | Robert Nash | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 28 | Tanaka Vercher | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 29 | Delishia Porterfield | Nonpartisan | 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 30 | Sandra Sepulveda | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 31 | John Rutherford | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 32 | Joy Styles | Nonpartisan | September 28, 2019 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 33 | Antoinette Lee | Nonpartisan | September 26, 2017 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 34 | Angie Henderson | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council District 35 | Dave Rosenberg | Nonpartisan | 2015 | 2023 | Nashville Metro Council Vice-Mayor | Jim Shulman | Nonpartisan | November 1, 2018 | 2023

### Other elected officials

* Click here for a current list of other county officeholders

Office

| Name | Party | Date assumed office | Date term ends

|
|
|
|

Davidson County Assessor | Vivian Wilhoite | Democratic  | August 31, 2016 | 2024 | Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk | Richard Rooker | Democratic  | 2013 | 2022 | Davidson County Clerk | Brenda Wynn | Democratic  | 2014 | 2022 | Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk | Howard Gentry | Democratic  | 2014 | 2025 | Davidson County District Attorney | Glenn Funk | Democratic  | August 28, 2014 | 2022 | Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk | Lonnell Matthews | Democratic  | 2018 | 2022 | Davidson County Public Defender | Martesha Johnson | Democratic  | 2018 | 2022 | Davidson County Register of Deeds | Karen Johnson | Democratic  | 2018 | 2022 | Davidson County Sheriff | Daron Hall | Democratic  | 2014 | 2022 | Davidson County Trustee | Erica Gilmore | Democratic  | August 15, 2020 | 2024

## Mayoral partisanship

See also: Party affiliation of the mayors of the 100 largest cities

Nashville has a Democratic mayor. As of November 2021, 63 mayors in the largest 100 cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 26 are affiliated with the Republican Party, four are independents, six identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and one mayor's affiliation is unknown. While most mayoral elections in the 100 largest cities are nonpartisan, most officeholders are affiliated with a political party. Click here for a list of the 100 largest cities' mayors and their partisan affiliations.

## Elections

Note: The city of Nashville operates under a consolidated government with Davidson County. Members of the Metro Council are elected through 35 numbered districts and five at-large districts within the county. The mayor is elected by the entire county. The cities of Belle Meade, Berry Hill, Forest Hills, Goodlettsville, Oak Hill, and Ridgetop each have their own governing bodies, but residents are able to vote for the mayor of Nashville and the Metro Council.[1]

### 2020

See also: City elections in Nashville, Tennessee (2020)

Nashville, Tennessee, held general elections for assessor of property, county trustee, one chancery court judge, and one criminal court judge on August 6, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020. The filing deadline for this election was December 19, 2019.

### 2019

See also: City elections in Nashville, Tennessee (2019) and Mayoral election in Nashville, Tennessee (2019)

The city held general elections for mayor and all 41 metro council seats on August 1, 2019. The filing deadline for this election was May 16, 2019.

A special election for the District 29 seat on the metro council was scheduled for February 12, 2019. The filing deadline for this election was January 3, 2019. A runoff election was scheduled for March 19, 2019.

### 2018

See also: Municipal elections in Davidson County, Tennessee (2018) and Mayoral special election in Nashville, Tennessee (2018)

Davidson County, Tennessee, held general elections for Chancery Court Part 2, county clerk, criminal court clerk, Criminal Court Division 2, General Sessions Court Division 3, General Sessions Court Division 10, juvenile court clerk, public defender, register of deeds, sheriff, and trustee on August 2, 2018. If a race had more than two candidates for a party nomination, a primary was held on May 1, 2018.

Nashville also held a special election for mayor on August 2, 2018.

### 2017

See also: Municipal elections in Nashville, Tennessee (2017)

The city of Nashville, Tennessee, held a special election for the District 33 seat on the metro council on August 15, 2017. A runoff election took place on September 19, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was July 6, 2017. This election filled the vacancy created when former councilman Sam Coleman was appointed to a district judgeship in May 2017. The winner served the remainder of Coleman's term, which expired in 2019.[5]

### 2015

See also: Nashville, Tennessee municipal elections, 2015

The city of Nashville, Tennessee, held nonpartisan elections for mayor and metro council on August 6, 2015. A runoff in the races where it was required took place place on September 10, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was May 21, 2015. All 41 metro council seats—including the office of vice mayor—were up for election.[6][7]

## Census information

The table below shows demographic information about the city.

Demographic data for Nashville, Tennessee (2015)

| Nashville| Tennessee
Total population:| 634,512| 6,595,056
Land area (square miles):| 475| 41,235
Race and ethnicity[8]
White:| 61.7%| 77.8%
Black/African American:| 28.1%| 16.8%
Asian:| 3.3%| 1.6%
Native American:| 0.3%| 0.3%
Pacific Islander:| 0.1%| 0.1%
Two or more:| 2.5%| 2%
Hispanic/Latino:| 10.2%| 4.9%
Education
High school graduation rate:| 87.1%| 85.5%
College graduation rate:| 36.7%| 24.9%
Income
Median household income:| $47,621| $45,219
Persons below poverty level:| 18.6%| 21.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)

## Budget

The city's budget process operates by fiscal years running from July 1 to June 30 of the next year. The mayor is responsible for proposing the budget. The metro council must pass a balanced budget by June 30 of each year. The metro council also holds hearings to allow for public input in the budget process.[9]

### Fiscally standardized cities data

The fiscally standardized cities (FiSC) data below was compiled by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to make municipal budgets comparable across cities in the United States.[10]

“  |

FiSCs are constructed by adding revenues and expenditures of each central city municipal government to a portion of the revenues and expenditures of overlying governments, including counties, independent school districts, and special districts. The allocations to FiSCs are estimates of the revenues collected from and services provided to central city residents and businesses by these overlying independent governments. Thus FiSCs provides a full picture of revenues raised from city residents and businesses and spending on their behalf, whether done by the city government or a separate overlying government.[11]

|  ”

|
|

—Lincoln Institute of Land Policy[12]

The tables below show estimated finances within city limits. As such, the revenue and expenses listed may differ from the actual city budget.

| Revenue in 2017

Revenue type | Amount
Total Revenue  |  $4,708,283,687
General Revenue | $2,870,604,566
Federal Aid | $131,952,189
State Aid | $620,625,553
Tax Revenue | $1,611,095,320
Charges & Misc. General Revenue | $506,931,505
Utility Revenue | $1,367,614,488
Liquor Store Revenue | $0
Employee Retirement Trust Revenue | $470,064,634

| Expenditures in 2017

Expenditure type | Amount
Total Expenditures | $4,949,234,777
General Expenditures | $3,089,853,490
Education Services Expenditure | $1,156,250,386
Social Services and Income Maintenance Expenditure | $211,577,205
Transportation Expenditure | $219,908,857
Public Safety Expenditure | $438,161,008
Environment and Housing Expenditure | $470,099,006
Governmental Administration Expenditure | $226,556,305
Interest on General Debt | $155,998,490
Miscellaneous Expenditure | $211,309,108
Utility Expenditure | $1,652,815,446
Liquor Store Expenditure | $0
Employee Retirement Trust Expenditure | $206,558,966
Intergovernmental Expenditures | $0

#### Historical total revenue and expenditure

To see the historical total revenue or expenditures as a rounded amount in this city, hover over the bars.[10]

### Nashville, Tennessee salaries and pensions over $95,000

Below is a map of the nationwide salaries and pensions in this city over $95,000. To search a different ZIP code, enter it in the search bar within the map.

## Contact information

Mayor's office
Historic Metro Courthouse, Suite 100
1 Public Square
Nashville, TN 37201
Phone: 615-862-6000

City Clerk's office
Historic Metro Courthouse, Suite 205
1 Public Square
Nashville, TN 37201
Phone: 615-862-6770

Click here for city council contact information.

## Ballot measures

See also: Davidson County, Tennessee ballot measures

The city of Nashville is in Davidson County. A list of ballot measures in Davidson County is available here.

## Noteworthy events

### 2020: Events and activity following the death of George Floyd

See also: Events following the death of George Floyd and responses in select cities from May 29-31, 2020

During the weekend of May 29-31, 2020, demonstrations and protests took place in cities nationwide, including Nashville, following the death of George Floyd. Events in Nashville, Tennessee, began on Saturday, May 30, 2020, downtown and at Capitol Hill.[13] The same day, Mayor John Cooper (D) declared a state of emergency, issued a curfew, and requested that Gov. Bill Lee (R) deploy the Tennessee National Guard to the city.[14]

### 2015: Study on city's nondiscrimination laws

See also: Employment nondiscrimination laws in Tennessee

In July 2015, the Movement Advancement Project described Nashville, Tennessee, as a city or county that did not prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity via ordinances that apply to public and private employers. At that time, a total of 71 of America's largest 100 cities prohibited private employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, while 69 of those cities also prohibited discrimination based on gender identity. This did not include those jurisdictions that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity for government employees.[15]

Nondiscrimination laws can cover a variety of areas, including public employment, private employment, housing, and public accommodations. Such laws may be enacted at the state, county, or city level.

## See also

|  Suggest a link

|

* Cities in Tennessee
* Davidson County, Tennessee
* Largest cities in the United States by population

## External links

* City of Nashville
* Office of the Mayor
* City Council
* Nashville City Charter and Code

## Footnotes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 City of Nashville, "A Short History of the Creation of Metropolitan Government for Nashville-Davidson County," accessed September 22, 2014 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name "Nash" defined multiple times with different content
2. ↑ U.S. Census, "State and County Quick Facts," accessed September 22, 2014
3. ↑ Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County, "City Charter, Article 5. - The Metropolitan County Mayor and Vice Mayor," accessed May 28, 2019
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 City of Nashville, "Metropolitan Council Office," accessed September 15, 2014
5. ↑ Tennessean, "Metro Council picks Sam Coleman to replace former Nashville judge Casey Moreland," May 16, 2017
6. ↑ City of Nashville, "Davidson County Election Commission," accessed December 4, 2014
7. ↑ City of Nashville Election Commission, "Official general election results," accessed September 15, 2015
8. ↑ Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
9. ↑ City of Nashville, "Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-2021," accessed August 26, 2021
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Fiscally Standardized Cities database," accessed June 4, 2021
11. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
12. ↑ Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Fiscally Standardized Cities," accessed May 26, 2021
13. ↑ WKRN, "Nashville ‘I Will Breathe’: Protesters march to Capitol Hill for George Floyd," May 30, 2020
14. ↑ WBIR, "Curfew established, National Guard mobilized as protests continue in Nashville," May 31, 2020
15. ↑ Movement Advancement Project, "Local Employment Non-Discrimination Ordinances," accessed July 7, 2015

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