How do you plan to effectively address and improve the aging infrastructure in Davidson County?
When I am Mayor, I will work to create a public transportation package, centered around building up our Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), to not only combat this inequity but also reduce Nashville’s worsening traffic. To start, I support funding for a WeGo bus-only lane on Murfreesboro Pike to both encourage public transit and fight against traffic. In the long run, I will invest in a light rail system, more bus-only lanes, and more bus hubs to create a public transportation plan where MTA is a central part of public transportation. Improving transportation is not just about reducing traffic; it’s also about promoting equity.
Would you commit to supporting a dedicated funding referendum during your first term as Mayor of Metro Nashville-Davidson County?
I would have to look into the budget and consider all of Nashville’s needs before committing to this.
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?
First, we have to preserve existing affordable housing. To preserve housing, we can have residents who sell their land receive partial ownership of what is being developed on their land. This will allow them to build their wealth and have a place to live.
Second, we have to create new housing. There is much vacant land in Nashville. There are hundreds of acres of Metro-owned land in Bordeaux sitting empty. We can provide tax credits and streamline the permits so developers are incentivized to build affordable housing.
We also have to think about how the prices in Nashville are not going down anytime soon so we need to increase the income, salaries and buying power of residents so they can afford the increase in rent. Nashville is experiencing an economic tsunami of growth and we need to ensure that growth reaches every corner of Nashville.
How do you propose to effectively reverse the rising juvenile crime trend in Davidson County?
I will focus on the root causes of crime. It all begins with getting money into our schools, our social services, our recreation centers and our public swimming pools so kids have a place to go after school and stay out of trouble. We need to set up our kids for a pipeline to prosperity rather than a pipeline to prison.
Baltimore has successfully piloted a community-based policing program that has cut violent crime. As Mayor, I will implement a similar program to ensure Nashvillians are safe.
Finally, in order to improve police accountability and transparency, I am currently sponsoring legislation to bring back the Community Oversight Board at the municipal level. As Mayor, I will do everything I can to support the COB and make sure our police work for the people and not against them.
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?
I want to do whatever I can as Mayor to ensure that we have amazing public schools. But the reality is that the Mayor’s power over the schools comes from the budget. Since the power lies with the school board, I will establish an Office of Accountability to work with the school board to ensure our priorities align. This office can monitor the board and superintendents to hold them accountable for keeping their promises.
Outside of accountability, I believe the Mayor’s primary role is to ensure the money is there and that all the other parts of a child’s life are in place so they can focus on school. The Mayor’s role is to make sure a child has a roof over their head and access to a social worker so they are in a position to be able to pay attention in the classroom.
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?
To create good jobs I will do what I have already done; I created the Music City Center workforce development program, which provided good jobs for over 500 Nashvillians and trained another 500 people with market-relevant skills. As Mayor, I will continue to create and support workforce development and apprenticeship programs so the money from Nashville’s growth comes back into our community.
Additionally, I believe an investment in our children is an investment in our future. I have created youth programs such as Instruments in the Inner City which introduced underprivileged youth to careers in the music industry. Most underprivileged youth lack role models and don’t even know about the opportunities available to them after high school. I believe career exploration programs are vital for upward mobility because it opens the eyes of our youth.
How will you strategically support the growth, development, and sustainability of small, medium, and large businesses?
As Council Member, I have put a requirement to use small, woman and minority-owned businesses on every major project in this city. I put a 25% requirement on the $2 billion Titans Stadium and that’s $625 million coming to small and minority-owned businesses in Nashville. Through my work with the CEO of the airport, I helped increase the number of minority-owned vendors in the airport from 1/10 of vendors to nearly 1/2 of all vendors. I have experience with all types of businesses in Nashville, from mom-and-pop shops on Jefferson Street to million-dollar CEOs like Doug Kreulen. As Mayor, I will capitalize on these relationships to hear their needs and get things done.
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?
Yes, I believe Davidson County’s growth is ultimately beneficial. However, I believe we have to be more intentional about our growth. Our growth has mainly benefited certain parts of the city while leaving other blocks forgotten or even more difficult to live on. We need the money generated from tourism and development to go back to funding our sidewalks and public schools in our neighborhoods.
This is why I have added requirements for contracts to go to local, minority and women-owned businesses for every project involving public dollars in this city from the Titans Stadium to the airport renovation. We can have Amazon and Oracle and all these other big companies moving into Nashville pay payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOTs) to fund our sidewalks and schools. This is how I will fight to ensure Nashville’s growth reaches every corner of Davidson County.
