The Metro Council approved its $3.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2026 on Tuesday evening, but not without hefty debate and the passage of additional amendments.
Councilmembers also passed the FY 2026 tax levy, which could result in a property tax increase for some areas due to Davidson County’s recent reappraisals.
Vivian Wilhoite tours county as the tax assessor’s office prepares new appraisals
The council voted in favor of a substitute budget put forth by Councilmember and Budget and Finance Chair Delishia Porterfield rather than Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s original proposal. The Porterfield plan most notably includes an allocation of $8.2 million for a 2 percent across-the-board pay increase for Metro employees, straying from the mayor’s original recommendation of 1 percent.
The budget includes a 13 percent increase in allocations for Metro Nashville Public Schools, compensating for a loss of state and federal funds — some of which were targeted for pandemic-era programs that have since ended.
Funding for food assistance, after-school programs, research into public-private housing partnerships, maternal health and doula programming, court-appointed special advocates and flexibility for the new Office of Youth Safety to access unused funds was also included in the substitute budget.
MNPS Chair Freda Player and board member Zach Young, a former Metro councilmember, spoke during the public comment period at Tuesday night’s meeting, urging the council to approve Porterfield’s budget.
“If you choose not to support Chair Porterfield’s budget, you are choosing to eliminate and cut programs and services that are greatly helping students at MNPS right now,” Young said. “At a time when we are finally seeing meaningful progress on student outcomes, we simply cannot afford to scale back.”
Amendments added to budget plan include:
$122,400 for a domestic violence dispossession detective at the Metro Nashville Police Department
An additional $87,000 in funds for the Metro Office of Family Safety to continue a mobile app for the Sexual Assault Center Safe Bar Program
$50,000 for Music City Construction Careers, an organization that helps build pathways in trade careers for Nashville residents
$25,000 allocation for a grant to Neighbor to Neighbor, which was removed from this year’s budget
$20,000 toward Metro Animal Care and Control for spay and neuter services
District 16 Councilmember Ginny Welsch withdrew four amendments that would have reallocated a significant amount of MNPD funds toward other departments like the Eviction Right to Counsel. Councilmember At-Large Burkley Allen withdrew an amendment that would have allocated an extra $3 million for the Barnes Housing Fund.
While both the budget and tax levy passed, several members of the council continued to express their concern on what a tax hike could mean for property owners.
District 26 Councilmember Courtney Johnston, along with councilmembers Thom Druffel and Tonya Hancock, proposed an alternate substitute budget. The proposal would have resulted in a lower property tax increase, a 2.5 percent raise in Metro employee pay and significant cuts to MNPS and other departments. Johnston withdrew the proposal Tuesday night due to lack of council support.
"Our employees are our most important asset, and their compensation shouldn't be toyed with, like it was with the mayor's false promises and political jockeying,” Johnston said.
“The mayor’s proposed tax increase is incredibly steep and far too burdensome, especially for our hardworking families, elderly residents and our small businesses.”
Jason Weakley, chair of the Davidson County Republican Party, spoke out against the tax increase during public comment, telling the council to vote against both Porterfield's and O’Connell’s proposals.
“Relentless property tax hikes, one of the most regressive forms of taxation, makes Nashville unaffordable,” Weakley said. “And families, seniors and homeowners and renters are being pushed out of town to neighboring counties.”
District 35 Councilmember Jason Spain said he took no issue with the way money was allocated in the budget, but disapproved of the potential financial impact on taxpayers.
Special work sessions and meetings dot the calendar as Metro Council approaches its June 30 budget deadline
"A tax increase of this magnitude for my constituents is simply too much to ask," Spain said.
Councilmember Joy Styles voted in favor of Porterfield’s substitute budget, but noted her discontent with this year’s budget process, saying it was among the worst in her six years on council.
“We didn’t get time to digest," Styles said. "We really didn’t. ... But how we broke it down, how things were given to us, it was very shady. I don’t like it.”
O’Connell conveyed his support for Porterfield’s budget in a statement on Tuesday night.
"We're moving forward with a common-sense, balanced budget that delivers on the quality schools, reliable services, and safety we all deserve,” he said.
“School performance is up, we're clearing snow faster, responding to emergency calls faster, and better supporting expecting and new parents so newborns get the health care they need to not just survive but thrive in their first year of life. Crime is down. People want to be here, and we want to make it easier to stay. That's much of the work we're going to be leaning into even harder starting today.”
Porterfield said in a news release the budget "reflects what we heard from our community."
“From ensuring Metro employees are valued, to increasing food and housing stability — it is a budget that speaks to the lived experiences and needs of our residents. And we did it without reducing vital services.”
The budget passed 32-6, with two members abstaining. The tax levy passed 29-9, with two members also having abstained.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
