How do you plan to effectively address and improve the aging infrastructure in Davidson County?
Alice Rolli knows that to address our aging Infrastructure we must capture the cost of growth at the site of growth. That means looking at impact fees, bringing a conservative perspective to resetting the state austerity measures for local option sales tax (circa 2002), and closing loopholes that have enabled corporations and others to operate in Nashville without contributing to the costs of growth. Alice believes we must be clear-eyed in our planning for the cost of infrastructure and stop the 20-year trend of kicking the can down the road which has contributed to the city having more debt than the entire state of Tennessee and which has contributed to the city’s net debt position rating it – in spite of a recent credit rating increase – a ‚”sinkhole city.” To change this will take electing a very different kind of leader unburdened by the idea of protecting the status quo.
Would you commit to supporting a dedicated funding referendum during your first term as Mayor of Metro Nashville-Davidson County?
Yes. Alice Rolli has committed to support a dedicated transit funding referendum because Davidson County residents, as the only metro region in the top 25 markets without dedicated funding, are currently paying more for infrastructure projects due to our inability to effectively leverage state and federal dollars.
The Rolli Administration will work diligently and quickly to ensure public participation to bring a ballot referendum to the voters of Davidson County that, like Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE act, is compliant with Alice Rolli’s signing of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. Alice Rolli is the only candidate in the race to have signed this important pledge and it does not mean that we cannot adjust tax allocation – as our state did with the IMPROVE act – but it means that we MUST keep the taxpayer, and our total burden on our Davidson County residents, at the table in every decision related to taxes and not raise taxes.
In light of the current housing and infrastructure challenges, what sustainable strategies will you implement to ensure the long-term affordability of Nashville as a place to live, work, and thrive?
For all the talk of affordability, we forget that when we cannot run our city government within our considerable means, we burden every resident and business by raising taxes. Too many in city hall forget that every program they dream up has a cost – and that cost is born by our residents. Alice Rolli will not raise property taxes.
Second, it is concerning that 47% of our housing supply is rented. This is significantly higher than the national average of 34% and puts plainly what many longtime Nashvillians feel – that Nashville is a place for developers.
The Rolli administration will re-examine the entire metro zoning and permitting process. Both sides, developers and neighborhood leaders – are frustrated that the ‚”SP” process has overtaken any of the traditional community plans or community plan amendments. The volume of building permits has overwhelmed the existing systems.
How do you propose to effectively reverse the rising juvenile crime trend in Davidson County?
Our failures to hold our education system accountable is now creating the predicted downstream consequences. According to state data, the majority of female inmates test at a third grade reading level and the majority of male inmates test at a first grade reading level. Our failure to act with urgency, and accountability, for our school system is dooming our city to failure. So first and foremost, we must hold ourselves accountable to delivering on this fundamental civil right – all kids must be taught to read and we cannot continue accepting any excuse otherwise.
Second, we cannot make more land or time. Bringing after school services to school sites is critical – most juvenile crime is committed from 3 – 7 pm. Keep school sites open longer, and allow nonprofits to run comprehensive programming on site.
Third, we must invest in programming that helps reduce the number of victims in our city and to reset from a Criminal Justice System to a Victims’ Justice System. We are not helping anyone when we accept a ‚”catch and release” approach – sometimes when an individual is committing crimes repeatedly they are telling us they need an intervention which may mean time in jail. We cannot operate in an idealized world that believes no one should be held accountable. Without accountability there is no way to set serious intervention to improve prospects.
In addition to meeting the budget requests of Metro Nashville Public Schools, what measures can you take as mayor to enhance the success and achievement of K-12 students?
Our city’s economic development policy is our education policy – and for our kids to gain access to the maximum wage jobs coming to our city – we must act with greater urgency.
The Rolli Administration will look at four key metrics in assessing the performance of our schools and their accountability to students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers:
1. Literacy rates;
2. Parent assessment and waiting lists for schools:
3. Teacher and Staff Satisfaction Rates, Retention, Transfers;
4. Days Open and Attendance Rates;
5. Percent of overall MNPS funding spent at the school site vs. central office.
Today we have 19 schools in the bottom 5% of the state – and 11 of those schools have been so designated since 2015. Parents and kids can’t wait and need urgent action and accountability to improve outcomes and realize the potential for Nashville schools to produce the best results for all kids.
In your vision for Nashville’s future, what specific investments and initiatives do you believe are necessary to empower residents with the skills, resources, and equitable opportunities needed for significant upward economic mobility?
The Rolli administration’s economic development plan is based on what is good for the residents of Nashville. That means raising median family incomes across the county – and in particular among areas of the county that are not keeping pace with the region’s economic growth.
We will hold ourselves accountable to the taxpayers and residents of the city – and we will reverse the policies of the period of 1989 – 2021 where the real median income for Davidson County was effectively erased by taxes and cost of living. Ribbon cutting economic development has failed the citizens of Nashville.
By creating a clear north star for city government – of increasing median household incomes across the county – and asking every department, every day, how to align themselves with that mission – we will reset the compact between the citizens of Nashville and our city government.
How will you strategically support the growth, development, and sustainability of small, medium, and large businesses?
Recent research by TSU economist Dr. Achintya Ray shows that Davidson County residents are the most taxed in the State of Tennessee, and yet, the citizens of Nashville do not reap adequate returns. We know Nashville schools lag neighboring counties. Poor infrastructure and rising crimes provide stark examples for how Nashville is not the primary beneficiary of the growth engine of the Nashville region.
How do we reverse the trend? First, we reset our approach to economic development. The work of economic development is the work of the transportation department – that roads are ready for commuters and for customers. The work of economic development is the work of public safety – that employees and patrons feel safe walking to their cars.
The work of economic development is the work of education. Our high schools, TCATs, and colleges, are aligning coursework to prepare graduates with in-demand fields.
From your perspective, do you believe that the continued growth in Davidson County is ultimately beneficial? If so, how do you plan to manage and maximize its positive impacts?
Alice Rolli has operated and scaled many rapidly growing companies. The Rolli Administration will aggressively focus on the critical few – education, public safety, infrastructure – and will operate with principled neutrality in never getting the city or the city government enmeshed in social agendas that do not benefit our residents. Alice will not be competing with mayors of other cities to be ranked the ‚”most” of anything – she will be operating, faithfully and exclusively, in the best interests of the citizens of Nashville. She has already demonstrated this restraint in her decision to not participate in social-issue endorsements that are the realm of national and state governance and do not belong in the Mayor’s office. This maturity and restraint is borne by her decades operating in private business and executive state and federal legislative levels.
A city that is well managed and focused will be a much better city in which to live, work, and play. Alice Rolli will bring the needed focus, perspective, and relationships to do just that.
