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Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County
Type
Type	Unicameral
Term limits	2 consecutive four-year terms
Leadership
Vice Mayor and Metropolitan Council President	Angie Henderson
President pro tempore	Zulfat Suara
Structure
Seats	40 Seats: 5 At-Large Seats  35 District Seats
Committees	— Budget and Finance – Charter Revision – Codes, Fair, and Farmer's Market – Convention, Tourism, and Public Entertainment Facilities – Education – Health, Hospitals, and Social Services – Parks, Library, and Arts – Personnel, Public Information, Human Relations, and Veterans – Planning, Zoning, and Historical – Public Safety, Beer, and Regulated Beverages – Public Works – Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections – Traffic, Parking, and Transportation
Length of term	Four (4) Years
Elections
Last election	August 1, 2023
Next general election	August 1, 2027
Website
https://www.nashville.gov/Metro-Council.aspx

The Metropolitan Council (officially the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County) is the legislative body of the consolidated city-county government of Nashville, Tennessee and Davidson County.

Membership

The Council has 40 members, 35 of which are district council representatives, and five of which are council members at-large. If an at-large member resigns or dies before serving a full four-year term, the member's seat remains vacant until the next election. If a district council members resigns or dies more than eight months before the end of their four-year term, a special election is held to fill the seat. At-large council members are elected by the entirety of the area the metropolitan government encompasses. The Metropolitan Council is the 3rd largest in the United States, behind the Chicago City Council and the New York City Council. The Historic Metro Courthouse, 1 Public Square, is where the Council meets.

Under the Metropolitan Charter, members must be over the age of 25 and have lived within Davidson County for a year at the beginning of their terms. Members must also have lived in the district they represent for six months, and they must continue to reside in that district for the duration of their terms. In 2019, according to The Tennessean, annual salaries for council members increased for the first time since 2005 from $15,000 to $23,100. The members elected by districts represent 15,000 to 17,000 residents each, and all Metro Council members serve part-time. According to the Charter as currently amended, members are elected to no more than two terms consecutively, not including any partial term to which they may have been elected. However, district member and at-large member are considered to be separate offices for the purposes of this provision.

In the 2015 municipal elections, two amendments to the Metropolitan Nashville Charter which would have increased term limits for members of the Council, both at large and district-wide to three consecutive terms, as well as reducing the size of the council to 27 members, were proposed. Both amendments failed with Davidson County voters.

President of the Council

The popularly elected vice mayor is the President of the Metropolitan Council and serves as its presiding officer, but is not a member of the Metro Council and does not vote except to break ties. The vice mayor, a part-time position, is paid $25,230 annually.

Members elect a president pro tempore to serve in the absence of the Vice Mayor, and a deputy president pro tempore once the president pro tempore becomes presiding officer due to the Vice Mayor's death or resignation. Members of the Metro Council who act as presiding officer during the Vice Mayor's absence retain their right to vote on all resolutions and ordinances.

Angie Henderson is the incumbent vice mayor. Zulfat Suara is the president pro tempore.

Operations

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Two-thirds of the Metropolitan Council are required to constitute a quorum before the business of the council can be conducted. The council holds regular meetings each first and third Tuesday of each month. In addition, with 48 hours' written notice, a special meeting may be called by the mayor or the vice mayor. It may also be requested by the majority of the council, which would require 21 votes in favor of the meeting. Meetings are broadcast live on Metro 3 and are archived on the Nashville government website.

The mayor may veto resolutions and ordinances passed by the Metropolitan Council, but the veto can be overridden with a two-thirds majority of the Council. With three-fourths of the entire council in favor, and not subject to veto, investigations may be conducted by the whole council or its committees.

Committees

Size reduction

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In 2005, mayor Bill Purcell called for cutting the number of legislators in the council down to 20 in a proposal in which fifteen seats would be elected by districts and five seats would remain at-large. In 2006 the Metro Charter Review Commission scheduled a public hearing on the council's size. In a poll by The Tennessean, 21 councillors favored keeping the council as it is, and nine favored a reduction in the size of the council.

Dissidents said that if the size of the council were to be reduced, being elected could become a matter of who can raise the most money, and special interests may get involved. Other concerns voiced included council members not being able to get in contact with their constituents, the council becoming less ethnically diverse, and council membership changing from a part-time to a full-time job. Councilwoman Amanda McClendon said a reduction in size may make it easier to pass legislation.

In 2023, the state government enacted a law reducing the size of the Metro Council from 40 members to 20. The move was widely opposed by Nashville residents and leaders. In April 2023, a court issued an injunction against the change, indicating that it unconstitutionally changed election procedures during the campaign.

Current membership, 2023–2027

Historical membership

References

1. Johnson, J. Edward (2016). "Council sizes throughout the United States" (PDF). Columbus, Ohio: The City of Columbus Charter Review Committee.
2. ^ Garrison, Joey (20 June 2017). "Nashville council passes $2.2B Metro budget, pay increase for council members". Tennessean. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
3. "Metropolitan Nashville Council Members".
4. "Nashville > Metro Council > Council Committees". www.nashville.gov. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
5. Brown, Melissa; Stephenson, Cassandra. "Gov. Lee signs bill to slash Nashville council in half". The Tennessean. Nashville. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
6. West, Emily (2023-04-10). "Judge temporarily halts plan to shrink Metro Council". News Channel 5 Nashville (WTVF). Retrieved 2023-04-10.

1. The Vice Mayor is not a voting member of the Metro Council. They preside over the meetings and cast tie-breaking votes.
2. Shulman was first elected vice mayor in a special election on May 24, 2018
3. Briley resigned to become Mayor following Megan Barry's resignation on March 6, 2018. Pro tem Sheri Weiner and then Councilmember at-large Burkeley Allen served as interim vice mayor until Jim Shulman was elected on May 24, 2018.
4. Gentry was first elected in a special election on September 17, 2002, following Steine's resignation. Gentry served as interim vice mayor until his election.
5. Steine resigned on April 30, 2002
6. Glover resigned on March 1, 2022, leaving the seat vacant until the 2023 elections
7. Shulman was elected vice mayor on May 24, 2018
8. Dread was first elected to succeed Gentry on December 20, 2002
9. Gentry was elected Vice Mayor on September 17, 2002. Adam Dread was elected to succeed him on December 20, 2002.
10. Nick Leonardo was elected on August 4, 2016, to succeed Loniel Greene following his resignation. Hall was elected on June 18, 2018, to succeed Leonardo following his resignation.
11. Hunt was first elected in a special election on August 15, 2006, following the death of Chester Hughes on December 20, 2004.
12. Hughes died on December 20, 2004. The seat remained vacant until Walter Hunt was elected on August 15, 2006.
13. Hollin was first elected in a recall election to replace Pam Murray on November 16, 2009
14. Hagar was first elected in a special election in August 2014, following Darren Jernigan's resignation in January 2014
15. LaLonde was first elected in a special election on May 4, 2009, following Keith Durbin's resignation on January 5, 2009.
16. Evans was first elected in a special election on August 15, 2006, following Chris Whitson's resignation on August 15, 2005.
17. Arriola resigned on May 1, 2003
18. Alexander resigned on July 1, 2006
19. Porterfield was first elected in a special election on March 19, 2019, following Karen Johnson's resignation on August 31, 2018, to become Register of Deeds
20. Hodge was first elected in a special election on September 10, 2006, following Michael Kerstetter's resignation on April 6, 2006.
21. Lee was first elected in a special election on September 19, 2017
22. Duvall was first elected in a special election on September 19, 2006, following Tommy Bradley's resignation on March 15, 2006.
23. Tygard was first elected in a special election on November 19, 2002
24. Lineweaver resigned after being elected Juvenile Court Clerk on August 31, 2002. Charlie Tygard was elected to succeed him on November 19, 2002.

External links

• Metropolitan Council main page
• Metropolitan Council rules and procedures
• The Metro Charter
• A Nashville City Paper article on 2003 council member salary raises
• A The Tennessean article on the council meeting on council size changes
• Cass, Michael (16 April 2006). "Council shrinks on its own". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. pp. B1, B6 – via Newspapers.com. - An article from The Tennessean on member resignations
• Metro Council, 1999–2003
• Metro Council, 1995–1999

• Tennessee city councils
• Davidson County, Tennessee
• Government of Nashville, Tennessee
• County governing bodies in the United States