June 07, 2005

Tax Proposals Voted On

Metro Council passes the Mayor's budget and all sales tax proposals on first reading tonight.

More: The Metro Council passed three budget related bills with voice votes tonight. Those bills were the mayor's proposed budget (BL2005-663), the proposed property tax increase (BL2005-664), and the proposed wheel tax increase (BL2005-666). The proposed sales tax increase was not singled out for a roll call vote and was passed with most of the first reading calendar on a voice vote.

Councilman Jim Gotto made the motion that these bills be recorded on a roll call vote and discussion ensued. It was made clear that if the mayor's budget proposal didn't pass, it would automatically go into law (according to the Metro Charter). Several council members encouraged their colleagues to vote yes for all of the resolutions so that they can "keep all the options on the table." However, Councilman Charlie Tygard assailed the mayor's office for not responding the Council's request for giving them a proposed no-tax increase budget in addition to the current budget proposal. He encouraged other council members to at the very least abstain in protest over the fact that their requests aren't being taken seriously.

Of course, as expected, the bills did pass on the first reading...

-The mayor's proposed budget BL2005-663 - 23 yes, 2 no, 14 abstaining
-Property tax increase BL2005-664 - 20 yes, 1 no, 18 abstaining
-Wheel tax increase BL2005-666 - 16 yes, 5 no, 18 abstaining

I have also organized the votes for everyone to see how each council member voted. Click here to see the list.

This bill was appropriately numbered "666"

Ben Cunningham and others associated with Tennessee Tax Revolt showed up to protest the proposed taxes.

There were even a few "horn honkers" circling the building...and yes, you could hear them inside.

Comments:

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Thanks for being the only Nashville area blogger I've been able to find who tried to rally the troops last night.

The rest of the local media gave the Council and Bill Hands-In-My-Purse-cell a complete pass. The City Paper apparently felt a fight over the naming of a building was bigger news. Phil Valentine, who could have made a difference in the turnout last night, has apparently gotten too big to give purely local issues much attention. Even Bill Hobbs, who can normally be counted on to point out the gaps in local news coverage, was too busy having coffee and promoting the Tennessee blogoshpere to mention that the Metro Council would be taking the first step towards burrowing deeper into Nashville residents' pockets last night.

The article in the Tennessean this morning demonstrates - loudly and clearly - what a missed opportunity this was. Thanks to a complete lack of coverage everywhere but here and thanks to Nashvillians' tendency to grumble around the water cooler rather than putting pressure on elected officials to represent the people who elected them, the opposition to the proposed Metro tax increases looks like a small group of anti-tax zealots who can safely be ignored. Expect even less in the way of mainstream media coverage next time.

Memo to everyone opposing more Metro taxes who wasn't downtown last night: Please don't complain around me about how Metro is taking and spending your money. If you show up to let the Council know how you feel when the bills come up for second reading, then I'll be willing to listen to you.

Posted by: CBW at June 8, 2005 08:15 AM

Thanks for the details, Blake. They were exactly what I was looking for. I've passed them on, with your URL, to the neighborhood e-list.

Posted by: KayBrooks at June 8, 2005 09:01 AM