The Competing Nashville budget proposals.

There are five budget proposals that may be presented to the Council.  Here they are:

• The Mendez  32% tax increase proposal:  At-large council member Bob Mendes, the council's budget committee chair, has proposed a budget that is very close to the mayor's budget.  It just shifts a little money here and there.  It raises taxes 32% or a $1.00 increase in the tax rate.
• The Mendez 34% tax increase proposal: This proposed would increase the property tax rate $1.066. It would provide funding for step increases and 1% cost-of-living adjustments for city employees and $7.6 million more for Nashville schools as well as $4.9 million to bring minimum wage for the school district to $15 an hour.
• The Emily Benedict proposal: It would increase the tax rate about $1.16 to include restoring raises for school employees and boosting funding for Nashville General Hospital and some grant funding.
• The Freddie O'Connell proposal: Under this proposal, the city would borrow money from the federal Municipal Liquidity Facility program and the tax increase would only be $0.37 per $100 of assessed value.  However, city officials say Nashville is not eligible to borrow from this fund.
• The Steve Glover proposal: Taxes would increase about 20%.

For more on this, follow this link. If none of the budget proposals can get the support of at least 21 members of the Metro Council, Mayor Cooper's budget is adopted by default even if no one votes for it.

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