Petition Seeks to Remove Councilmember Rollin Horton From Office

A petition seeking to remove District 20 Metro Councilmember Rollin Horton from office has been filed following the recent passage of his extensive rezoning plan for The Nations. 

A notice of intent to obtain signatures for a recall petition was filed with the Metro clerk on Oct. 3 by Lauren Magli, a local real estate agent and resident of The Nations who was outspoken in her opposition of Horton’s rezoning legislation. The legislation increases housing density in the area, creates an urban design overlay and regulates the heights of certain residential buildings, among other elements. 

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The notice claims Horton dismissed concerns from the community to delay the zoning plan and neglected his duty as an elected official to provide adequate and transparent notification to residents of The Nations in regard to the legislation. 

“This deliberate refusal to engage with constituents on a matter of profound local impact constitutes a failure to honor the responsibilities of his office and has irrevocably broken the public’s trust, leading to a loss of confidence in his leadership,” the notice reads. 

Similar concerns about a lack of notice arose during the initial debate of the legislation, which Horton spent nearly two years refining. He hosted several publicly noticed community meetings and previously said he engaged with church groups, homeowners' associations and other organizations in regards to the plan — although many residents claimed they were not aware of it until a few weeks before the vote. 

In order to move forward, the petition must collect the signatures of at least 15 percent of the registered voters in District 20 and must be returned to the Metro clerk by Nov. 3. If enough signatures are garnered, a recall election will be held. For that election, Horton would be eligible to run for his seat along with any other qualified candidates. 

"Nashville is in a housing crisis," says Horton in a statement sent to Scene sister publication the Nashville Post. "I ran for Council to address this issue. I was elected with 74% of the vote to enact policies to make Nashville more affordable. I remain humbled by constituent support. The woman who filed the petition is immune to our housing issue because she — and good for her — lives in a home owned by her parents. The Nations neighborhood plan is a good step in furtherance of the goal, especially for those of us who don’t enjoy the luxuries in life like Ms. Magli."

This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.