The mayor has had her hearings conversations with each department of Metro Government and after the mayor prepares her budget she will present it to the Council and then the Council will have their hearings.
In May of each year, the Metro Council Budget & Finance Committee
holds a series of afternoon and evening sessions at which Metro
department heads present their department’s proposed budget. This is an
opportunity for Council Members to ask questions of department heads
regarding budgetary matters. These hearings are open to the public, but
are not “public hearings” where members of the public can speak. The
public will have the opportunity to address the Council regarding the
proposed Fiscal Year 2016-2017 budget at the June 7, 2016 Council
Meeting.
The mayor has already stated that she will not request a tax increase this year, nevertheless, the budget hearings and process are important. Department heads never say they have all the funding they need. They always want more. If one is going to be well grounded in opposing the next tax increase, they should have a good understanding of the funding level of current departments and know what they do and know where cuts could be made. Watching the budget hearings also gives you a good idea which Council member are working hard and which are just filling a seat.
I have highlighted those session that I think should be of most interest and provide the most insight of how Metro spends your money. I really do not expect the Council to ask hard questions of these departments, but they should.
Here is the FY2017 Metro Council Budget hearings schedule:
Day 1, May 9, 2016, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
- 4:00 p.m. Trustee
- 4:15 p.m. Assessor of Property
- 4:30 p.m. Register of Deeds
- 4:45 p.m. County Clerk
- 5:00 p.m. Metro Water Services (Since metro water operates off their own funds, they get very little oversight and scrutiny.)
- 5:15 p.m. Human Resources and Benefit Board
- 5:30 p.m. ITS & Metro 3
- 5:45 p.m. Election Commission
- 4:00 p.m. Mayor's Office
- 4:15 p.m. Finance
- 4:30 p.m. Internal Audit
- 4:45 p.m. Metro Legal
- 5:00 p.m. Health
- 5:15 p.m. Social Services
- 5:30 p.m. Metro Action Commission
- 5:45 p.m. Human Relations Commission (This department serves no purpose except to enforce political correctness, normalize homosexuality among youth, and advance a liberal agenda.)
- 6:00 p.m. Hospital Authority (There is no need or requirement that Metro have charity hospital. We should get out of the hospital business.)
Day 3 May ll, 2016. 4:00 PM - 6:15 PM
- 4:00 p.m. Municipal Auditorium (If Municipal Auditorium cannot break even, we need to sell this valuable piece of downtown property.)
- 4:15 p.m. Sports Authority
- 4:30 p.m. Chamber of Commerce
- 4:45 p.m. Convention Center
- 5:00 p.m. Planning Commission
- 5:15 p.m. Historical Commission
- 5:30 p.m. Codes Administration
- 5:45 p.m. Fairgrounds (It will be interesting to see if Mayor Barry continues the effort of Mayor Dean to abolish the Fair Grounds and dispose of the property. There is also the issue of gun shows at the Fair Grounds.)
- 6:00 p.m. Farmers Market (Farmers Market continues to be money pit and cannot cover their operating cost. Unless they can do so soon, I think it is time for major changes at the Farmers Market, including perhaps moving it to the Fair Grounds and making it a real farmers market. )
- 4:00 p.m. Emergency Management
- 4:15 p.m. Fire & EMS
- 4:30 p.m. Emergency Communications
- 4:45 p.m. Sheriff's Office
- 5:15 p.m. Police
- 5:30 p.m. Beer Board
- 5:45 p.m. Office of Family Safety
Day 6 May 19.2016, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
- 4:00 p.m. Library
- 4:15 p.m. Parks and Recreation
- 4:30 p.m. Arts Commission
- 4:45 p.m. Public Works
- 5:15 p.m. Metro Transit Authority
- 3:30 p.m. Community Education
- 3:45 p.m. Board of Education
or you can attend the hearings in person at Metropolitan Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Council Chambers, Nashville, TN.
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