Nashville Metro Council considered the first reading of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget and issues including grant acceptances at its latest meeting.
BL2022-1248, a bill on first reading, was the ordinance setting the Fiscal Year 2023 budget and is on the agenda. The full proposal can be viewed on the Metro Council website. It was referred to the Budget and Finance Committee.
Several measures passed easily and without controversy.
RS2022-1525, sponsored by councilmembers Burkley Allen and Ginny Welsch, accepted “a grant from the State of Tennessee, Department of Correction, to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the State Trial Courts, for the expenses of housing and treating non-violent felony offenders with co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders.”
RS2022-1529 is a resolution that accepted “a grant from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Health, to partner with agencies and implement activities that address the community’s challenges related to drug overdose deaths.”
It was sponsored by councilmembers Burkley Allen, Erin Evans, and Ginny Welsch.
RS2022-1531, sponsored by councilmembers Burkley Allen, Erin Evans, Ginny Welsch, Joy Styles, and Jennifer Gamble, approved “amendment three to a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Health, to add additional Epidemiology & Laboratory Capacity (ELC) enhanced detection for COVID response.”
The grant is for over $5.2 million and the source of the funds is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
RS2022-1532 approved amendment grant seven “to a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Health, to improve the health of those residing in or visiting Davidson County through targeted strategies to prevent and control the use of tobacco products.”
It accepted $140,000 in grants from the Tennessee Department of Health. It was sponsored by councilmembers Burkley Allen and Erin Evans.
BL2022-1250, an ordinance on first reading, was referred to the Public Facilities, Arts, and Culture as well as the Budget and Finance committees. It amends Title 2 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws in order to create a Nashville Entertainment Commission. It is sponsored by councilmembers Joy Styles, Ginny Welsch, Kyonzte Toombs, and Robert Swope.
The purpose of the commission is to promote Nashville-based production of various entertainment mediums like television, music videos, and video games, and to market the city to various entities. It additionally calls for the commission to “promote gender and racial equity in the entertainment industry.”
The commission would have “15 members. Six members shall be appointed by the metropolitan council, four members shall be appointed by the mayor, and five members shall be nominated by members of the public and selected by the metropolitan council. All members of the commission, including those members nominated by the public, shall hold occupations in either the film industry, music industry, and/or entertainment industry.”
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “Nashville City Hall” by euthman. CC BY-SA 2.0.
