How do you plan to effectively address and improve the aging infrastructure in Davidson County?
While big ticket items often get the most attention, our aging and overburdened road, sewer, waste management, and stormwater systems are at capacity. The disrepair of these vital infrastructures presents a threat to our overall quality of life, and economic prosperity. From maintaining our roadways and bridges, to building high-speed broadband and mass transit, good infrastructure is the foundation of our economy and our public safety. It’s past time to address deferred maintenance and update our systems. For years, we’ve avoided significant investment in technological and environmental efficiencies to our detriment. As mayor, I will prioritize Smart City policies for infrastructure, broadband, public safety, resiliency, energy efficiency, healthier communities, transportation, and data analytics to save money, to increase efficiency, and to improve the quality of life for Nashvillians.
Would you commit to supporting a dedicated funding referendum during your first term as Mayor of Metro Nashville-Davidson County?
We should start by making sure we’re maximizing all of the options already at our disposal. I will prioritize gaining community support as we work closely with Metro Planning, NDOT, GNRC, TDOT, and the Federal Highway and Transit departments to identify and implement local and regional transit and infrastructure solutions. Right now, we have access to significant transit funding, between the state’s recent transportation bill and the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill- so before we have any kind of referendum, we need to know what we’re asking the voters to support and make sure that we’re getting the best possible deal for Nashvillians. I will also establish a database to track grant opportunities for transit so we can take advantage of every resource Nashville needs to move past studying this issue, implement what we’ve learned, and aggressively move us towards useful transit and multimodal connectivity.
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?
I’ll implement a three-step approach to our affordable housing crisis to build partnerships between government entities, private developers, and community organizations. First, we’ll conduct a comprehensive assessment of Metro’s unused parcels and evaluate them for developmental viability. Next, developers will operate under agreements that stipulate prices, rents, and living conditions for affordable housing while also being incentivized through tools already in place under Metro’s PILOT program. Finally my office will coordinate with housing management specialists and community organizations to establish effective management practices. Additionally, I will ensure our unhoused citizens receive the care they need by expanding mental health programs at Nashville General Hospital, partnering with the Mental Health Collaborative to redirect certain 911 calls towards specially trained professionals, and collaborating with organizations like the Sexual Assault Center to provide resources to more people escaping domestic violence. Homelessness is inextricably linked with Nashville’s affordability problems.
How do you propose to effectively reverse the rising juvenile crime trend in Davidson County?
Research shows that the less time juvenile offenders spend in courtrooms, the lower their risk of recidivism. As such early intervention and mental health support programs improve outcomes and provide effective support for struggling youth. As mayor, I will work with the council to fully fund these programs and will work with the Davidson County Juvenile Court (DCJC) to identify opportunities for improvement and expansion. Additionally, I will use the mayor’s office to increase cross-departmental communication in programs that involve MNPD, MNPS, DCJC (such as Chief Drake’s PAL program), and will work with other community partners to ensure that we are reaching every single youth who needs our help.
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?
One of the most important things we can do to ensure equity for Metro students and families is to prioritize more community school coordinators. Community Achieves is an MNPS initiative that focuses on college and career readiness, family engagement, health and wellness, social services and adult development. Community school coordinators work directly with Community Achieves and their partners, in conjunction with an individual school site and their staff, to provide wraparound programs and services for students, families, and for the community surrounding the school-effectively turning it into a neighborhood hub. Some of our schools are doing really well and others are under-funded, under-served, and also, under-fire from our state legislature. MNPS teachers, staff, students, families, and neighborhoods deserve better. Every child in Davidson County deserves access to a high quality public education, regardless of where they live, the color of their skin, or how much money their parents earn.
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?
Workforce development for students and employees to learn and build new skills, allowing them to access jobs is one of my top priorities. The Nashville Career Readiness Partnership was
started to provide training and hiring assistance for local residents looking to enter the construction industry, and has expanded to include residents interested in hospitality and healthcare. As mayor, my goal will be to expand on the success of this public investment plan, through partnership with community organizations and employers, to increase the number of participants and opportunities for workforce development. I also support increasing funds for early childhood education, as data clearly shows that improves overall community health.
How will you strategically support the growth, development, and sustainability of small, medium, and large businesses?
Nashville’s economy will continue to grow for the foreseeable future, so we need to manage this growth to benefit ALL Nashvillians. As such we must prioritize local businesses over multinational corporations seeking to benefit from our low cost of labor and tax advantages.
Companies already want to move here – we don’t need to spend resources trying to lure them. My administration will ensure that local businesses and entrepreneurs are aware of local, state and federal grant and tax opportunities, which is something I worked on with the mayor’s office while Chair of the Davidson County Delegation. My approach to economic development will be holistic, because I know that making housing more affordable, expanding access to childcare, and improving our schools is crucial for long term economic growth.
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?
Nashville has risen to become a national model for economic development success. Simultaneously, Davidson County residents just got hit with a 34% property tax increase, while many out- of-town developers won’t pay property taxes for several more decades. Meanwhile, much of the economic benefits generated by our downtown tourist district are being recaptured to cover long term debt, instead of being directly invested back into our neighborhoods. Moving forward, our economic development plans should be equitable, focused on providing for and investing in the people who live here. As mayor, above all else, my economic approach will always be informed by consideration of one fundamental question: are we building a place to visit, or a place to live? We need to do both, but for too long we’ve been focused on tourism and out-of-town developers. My administration will put Nashville residents first in every decision we make.
