Metropolitan Council (Nashville)

For other uses, see Metropolitan council (disambiguation).

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

The Council has 40 members, 35 of which are district council representatives, and five of which are council members at-large. If a member resigns or dies before serving a full four-year term, the member's seat remains vacant until the next election. At-large council members are elected by the entirety of the area the metropolitan government encompasses. One national survey of city councils lists Nashville's as the third largest, behind Chicago and New York City.^{[citation needed]} [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 2001, the Nashville City Paper reported that city council members received $6,900 annually, although a recently passed state law would allow a pay raise beginning in 2003. By 2005, according to The Tennessean, members were being paid an annual salary of $15,000. The members elected by districts represent 15,000 to 17,000 residents each, and all Metro Council members serve part time.

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, but may also have adjourned meetings of regular meetings on week day or hour it may fix. 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.

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. 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 that act as presiding officer during the Vice Mayor's absence retain their right to vote on all resolutions and ordinances. Presidents of the Metropolitan Council receive the same annual salary as the Vice Mayor, $4,200. Diane Neighbors is the incumbent vice mayor.

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.

Current membership, 2007-2011

Council members District Name 1st Lonnell Matthews, Jr 2nd Frank Harrison 3rd Walter Hunt 4th Michael Craddock 5th Jamie Hollin 6th Mike Jameson 7th Erik Cole 8th Jason Hart 9th Jim Forkum 10th Rip Ryman 11th Darren Jernigan 12th Jim Gotto 13th Carl Burch 14th Bruce Stanley 15th Phil Claiborne 16th Anna Page 17th Sandra Moore 18th Kristine LaLonde 19th Erica Gilmore 20th Buddy Baker 21st Edith Langman 22nd Eric Crafton 23rd Emily Evans 24th Jason Holleman 25th Sean McGuire 26th Greg Adkins 27th Randy Foster 28th Duane Dominy 29th Vivian Wilhoite 30th Jim Hodge 31st Parker Toler 32nd Sam Coleman 33rd Robert Duvall 34th Carter Todd 35th Bo Mitchell

Council members at large Tim Garrett Megan Barry Charlie Tygard Jerry Maynard Ronnie Stiene Vice mayor Diane Neighbors

Membership, 2003-2007

Council members District Name 1st Brenda Gilmore 2nd Jamie Isabel 3rd Chester Hughes* 4th Michael Craddock 5th Pam Murray 6th Mike Jameson 7th Erik Cole 8th Jason Hart 9th Jim Forkum 10th Rip Ryman 11th Feller Brown 12th Jim Gotto 13th Carl Burch 14th Harold White 15th J.B. Loring 16th Amanda McClendon* 17th Ronnie Greer 18th Ginger Hausser 19th Ludye Wallace 20th Billy Joe Walls 21st Edward Whitmore 22nd Eric Crafton 23rd C. Whitson* 24th John Summers 25th Jim Shulman 26th Greg Adkins 27th Randy Foster 28th Jason Alexander 29th Vivian Wilhoite 30th Michael Kerstetter* 31st Parker Toler 32nd Sam Coleman 33rd Tommy Bradley* 34th Lynn Williams 35th Charles Tygard

Council members at large Buck Dozier Diane Neighbors Carolyn Baldwin Tucker David Briley Adam Dread Vice mayor Howard Gentry

* Member resigned or died before the next election date. On December 18, 2004, Chester Hughes died from brain cancer. C. Whitson and Tommy Bradley resigned on September 20, 2005 and March 16, 2006, respectively. Michael Kersetter resigned April 5, 2006 to run for a seat on the Metro school board. Chester Hughes was replaced by Walter Hunt. Jim Hodge replaced Michael Kerstetter. Robert Duvall replaced Tommy Bradley. Emily Evans replaced C. Whitson. On September 1, 2006, Amanda McClendon became a Judge of the Second Circuit Court for the 20th Judicial District and was replaced by Anna Page.

Membership, 1999-2003

Council members District Name 1st Brenda Gilmore 2nd Melvin Black 3rd Ron Nollner 4th Don Majors 5th Lawrence Hall, Jr. 6th Eileen Beehan 7th Earl Campbell 8th Lawrence Hart 9th James Dillard 10th Bettye Balthrop 11th Phil Ponder 12th Tony Derryberry 13th Bruce Stanley 14th Harold White 15th J.B. Loring 16th Amanda McClendon 17th Ronnie Greer 18th Ginger Hausser 19th Ludye Wallace 20th Morris Haddox 21st Edward Whitmore 22nd Norma Hand 23rd Bob Bogen 24th John Summers 25th Jim Shulman 26th Michelle Arriola 27th Janis Sontany 28th Jason Alexander 29th Saletta Holloway 30th Michael Kerstetter 31st Don Knoch 32nd Craig Jenkins 33rd Ron Turner 34th Lynn Williams 35th Vic Lineweaver

Council members at large Chris Ferrell Leo Waters David Briley Carolyn Baldwin Tucker Adam Dread* Vice mayor Ronnie Steine** Howard Gentry

**Ronnie Steine resigned in 2002, and Howard Gentry became the interim vice mayor until later being elected vice mayor in 2003.

Membership, 1995-1999

Council members District Name 1st Regina Patton 2nd Melvin Black 3rd Ron Nollner 4th Don Majors 5th Frank Harrison 6th Eileen Beehan 7th Earl Campbell 8th Lawrence Hart 9th James Dillard 10th Tim Garrett 11th Mike Wooden 12th Phil Ponder 13th Charles O. French 14th James Bruce Stanley 15th Roy Dale 16th Jerry Wayne Graves 17th Mansfield Douglas 18th Stewart Clifton 19th Julius Sloss 20th Morris Haddox 21st Willis McCallister 22nd John Aaron Holt 23rd Eric Crafton 24th Horace Johns 25th David Kleinfelter 26th Michelle Arriola 27th Janis Sontany 28th Durward Hall 29th Saletta Holloway 30th Leroy Hollis 31st Tom Alexander 32nd Craig Jenkins 33rd Ron Turner 34th Charles Fentress 35th Vic Lineweaver

Council members at large Vic Varallo Leo Waters George Armistead Chris Ferrell Leo Waters Vice mayor Jay West

External links

• Metropolitan Council main page
• Metropolitan Council rules and procedures
• An article in The Tennessean about incumbent mayor Howard Gentry casting a tie-breaking vote.
• The Metro Charter
• A The Tennessean article on Bill Purcell's proposal
• A Nashville City Paper article on 2003 council member salary raises
• A The Tennessean article on the council meeting on council size changes
• An article on The Tennessean's council member poll
• An article from The Tennessean on member resignations
• Metro Council, 1999-2003
• Metro Council, 1995-1999