[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6198669,"mediaKeyId","3842805-57be6d727c1d12ebea3bc205baf53cd0","parentId",3842805,"title","Committee approves pay-plan increases for general employees, police, fire and health; several grants and resolutions pass on consent","audioSeconds",4435,"startMs",1057000,"endMs",5492000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842805-57be6d727c1d12ebea3bc205baf53cd0&start=1057&end=5492","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842805-57be6d727c1d12ebea3bc205baf53cd0/thumbnail_1057000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6198669/Tennessee/Committee-approves-pay-plan-increases-for-general-employees-police-fire-and-health-several-grants-and-resolutions-pass-on-consent","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6198669-25ebfded63ecb9d2d1785845487f6ff9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436861&Signature=BImQyA5nkZYosmmBltLMOIe~~nht8ccU1jiXSRrsyLTB~Aq3pxwffSnhK~wk~EI5N~xyYAJ2S0DIse3ZMVhDlsCVu-F5lunk6jE4otkc7L9cxViD79JJ-5dP9EO-vdwx7xoajSlkznPtMWcBNPjrXWfiRSvahAwAC0r2qnYNFkh-~psZNO9O~PDeyz223z97IuMQDvN5qoc1MG-fol0KdCyg2n9pQsWV~Y2cHKTndWn7T83LP32pc5QAJYp7TDApBrTqX6T1k-JaSaH6fsTsbGdgNtZu8nUrt~H-L1KK2~2nwkTj5AIvtk2MTgGTPqpuTY-DbasGCaMv~VR7nWyp9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Nashville, TN","date","2025-06-17T04:29:59.04Z","article","The Metro Nashville Council Budget & Finance Committee approved new pay plans effective July 1, 2025, for three groups of employees and passed a number of grant acceptances and routine resolutions on the consent agenda.

Pay plans approved:
- RS 2025-1258: A new pay plan for general employees (excluding Board of Health, Board of Education, Police and Fire) was amended to include an additional 1% across-the-board increase; the committee recorded the amendment and then passed the resolution (vote recorded at 9 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 not voting on the amendment; final resolution recorded as 9 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 not voting). HR Director Shannon Hall told the committee that total market and graded adjustments vary by pay grade and that employees will see a range of increases depending on market adjustments and the across-the-board increment.
- RS 2025-1259: A new pay plan for Metropolitan Departments of Police and Fire was similarly amended to add the 1% across-the-board increment; committee votes on the amendment and final resolution were recorded in committee (both passed; committee reported 9 in favor, 0 opposed for the amendment and final motion).
- RS 2025-1260: A new pay plan for the Metropolitan Board of Health was amended with 1% across-the-board and the resolution passed (committee recorded 9 in favor, 0 opposed for amendment and passage).

Consent-item highlights (passed on the consent agenda unless removed): The committee approved dozens of routine grant acceptances and cooperative purchasing agreements, including but not limited to:
- RS 2025-1296 through RS 2025-1316: grant acceptances and appropriations for the Office of the Mayor, Juvenile Court (Safe Baby Court), Metro Juvenile and Community Correction grants, Davis County Human Relations appropriation from Community Foundation grants, cooperative purchasing master agreements, amendments to viral hepatitis programming and parks-related in-kind grants, and other routine resolutions described in the consent list.
- BL 2025-848 and BL 2025-849 (bills on second reading listed on the consent agenda): BL 2025-848 authorizes an EMS training agreement for Ascension Saint Thomas School of EMS students; BL 2025-849 authorizes amendment 3 to a contract for Digitech Computer LLC for emergency medical billing and collection services. Both were on the consent agenda and passed as part of the consent routine.

Other committee actions and appropriations:
- RS 2025-1300: Committee approved appropriating $17,810,300 from the general fund reserve for equipment and building repairs across multiple departments (committee vote recorded 9 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 not voting).
- RS 2025-132? (late-file and other grant amendments): The committee approved several late-file grant amendments and appropriations for the Barnes Fund and AfterZone Alliance grants as presented in the meeting.

Why it matters: Pay-plan changes affect thousands of city employees and were described by HR as a combination of across-the-board increases plus market-adjusted changes targeted at specific job ranges. Consent resolutions fund multiple ongoing services and nonprofit grants in areas such as youth programming, public health, parks, and victim services.

Taper: The committee approved the pay plans and the majority of consent items and sent the items forward according to the council calendar.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","06/16/25 Metropolitan Council Committee: Budget & Finance","oneSentenceSummary","The Budget & Finance Committee approved new pay plans for general employees, police, fire and health employees and passed multiple grant acceptances and routine resolutions on the consent agenda.","taxTitle","Budget & Finance Meetings, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee","taxId",69310,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6198674,"Committee adopts Porterfield budget substitute with several targeted amendments; cuts proposed to multiple departments",4278,1117000,5395000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842805-57be6d727c1d12ebea3bc205baf53cd0&start=1117&end=5395","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842805-57be6d727c1d12ebea3bc205baf53cd0/thumbnail_1117000.jpg","/articles/6198674/Tennessee/Committee-adopts-Porterfield-budget-substitute-with-several-targeted-amendments-cuts-proposed-to-multiple-departments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6198674-246deb03d959a1422ae127a18fc7fa29/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436861&Signature=Ne5O35kfurs-9tODKmVtlcIm-Qg1OsI7rSL9c~H18wp3XLjcgZzJ8oqpqiPc3DawhAVUmAdtFx-6ZjMcvA2AF18WT9eRq1IOmsCVwnx7d784ca2avsmekwEYLH6OdwzxLgrM1e8ECCctVhFoqyPjokUQMWcltxKSh1YTg~TvK-0OvKkGB8jGNtHGTU5piN9AMc8qXF~0kxzvDrjo~W6TAwZSE4uX6I0RGEkfebU4mIb4Zgn7C4igU0mt1FW4vSA-Iu-tGi7RDZf6y8Pdfet-hHRyN8ifn08bN3fggn1xE1Ht6cCO4XlehqM95zTWhqmg~heGtQta1DdZ-hsfDJxuEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Metro Nashville Council Budget & Finance Committee voted to approve Chair Sharon Porterfield’s substitute fiscal-year 2026 budget ordinance (BL 2025-833) with a set of committee amendments after an extended discussion that produced both additions and cuts across departments.

Key votes and outcome: The committee approved the chair substitute as amended by a recorded committee vote of 7 in favor, 2 opposed and 1 not voting. The final motion was presented and discussed in the committee meeting; the committee debated a sequence of amendments before taking the final vote.

Major changes in the chair substitute described on the record included:
- An additional 1% across-the-board pay increase to match the civil service recommendation, bringing certain pay-plan increases in line with civil service guidance (the chair said the extra 1% cost was roughly $8.2 million).
- Program and small-grant allocations added in the substitute included roughly $200,000 for social services food expansion (of which $175,000 was described as direct to social services and $25,000 to a Southeast Nashville branch emergency food program); $75,000 for juvenile court court-appointed special advocates (CASA); $60,000 for a city museum study; $25,000 for Sister Cities programming targeted at students; $150,000 for the Nashville AfterZone Alliance (NAZA); $88,000 to support Shelby Golf Course staffing; $250,000 for maternal health/doula programming via the Health Department’s Strong Baby initiative; $75,000 to Oasis Center emergency youth shelters; and $100,000 to explore public–private approaches to housing partnerships.

Amendments that passed during committee consideration (selected):
- Amendment (Councilmember Risa Sepulveda) adding $50,000 to the MC3 pre-apprenticeship program passed (8 in favor, 0 opposed, 3 not voting). The sponsor described MC3’s application and placement outcomes and said program continuity is at risk if federal funds lapse.
- Amendment (Councilmember Gadd) to provide $112,400 to MMPD for a domestic-violence detective (funding to be drawn from the self-insured liability fund) passed (9 in favor, 0 opposed, 2 not voting). Finance and MMPD both cautioned that the self-insured fund is depleted relative to actuarial targets and that the full-year cost to MNPD would be higher than the appropriation.
- Amendment (Councilmember Toombs) to provide $25,000 to Neighbor to Neighbor from judgments & losses passed (8 in favor, 0 opposed, 2 not voting). The organization’s new executive director and board chair addressed prior deliverable concerns and pledged improved reporting.
- Two late-file amendments were approved: a $20,000 appropriation to Pet Community Center for spay/neuter services (late-file, moved by Councilmember Styles; recorded as 6 in favor, 0 opposed, 4 not voting) and a late-file $87,000 allocation (split between self-insured liability and judgments & losses) to expand the Safe Bar program (motion by Councilmember Evan Siegel; recorded as 5 in favor, 0 opposed, 4 not voting).

Amendments that failed or were withdrawn included several proposed transfers from MNPD to neighborhood and community programs (a $75,000 transfer to Neighbor to Neighbor failed 2–6–2), a proposed $15,000 transfer supporting the Tennessee Justice Center (failed 1–7–3), and other larger transfers from public-safety budgets that the police department and finance warned would require eliminating sworn positions.

Department impacts noted on the record: MNPS representatives warned the committee that larger reductions would threaten a 3% cost-of-living increase, summer programming and high-impact tutoring, and could force cuts to instructional materials and school safety investments. The Metro Fire Department warned that cuts would reduce ambulance availability and building-inspection capacity. MMPD said a $4.2 million reduction to their proposed budget equaled roughly 31 sworn FTEs and could delay opening the Ninth Precinct; Deputy Chief Chris Gilder said the department’s budgets are mostly salary and that reductions would require eliminating positions.

Committee and fiscal context: Finance staff repeatedly cautioned that drawing from the self-insured liability fund and judgments & losses will reduce reserves that are held for actuarial liabilities; Mary Jo Wiggins of finance reported the self-insured liability fund balance was about $11.4 million as of June 10 and said further depletion was not ideal. Administration officials warned that cuts to the budget sustainability reserves could affect the city’s bond ratings and lead to higher borrowing costs in future years.

What happens next: The substitute budget, as amended in committee, moves forward in the council process. Because the committee adopted the substitute with amendments, the revised ordinance will be before the full council for third reading and final passage according to the council calendar.

","After hours of debate and several amendments, the Budget & Finance Committee approved Chair Porterfield's substitute budget with changes that shift small sums toward programs and trim proposed increases across many departments.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6198678,"Educators, parents and union organizers urge council to protect MNPS funding",542,63000,605000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842805-57be6d727c1d12ebea3bc205baf53cd0&start=63&end=605","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842805-57be6d727c1d12ebea3bc205baf53cd0/thumbnail_63000.jpg","/articles/6198678/Tennessee/Educators-parents-and-union-organizers-urge-council-to-protect-MNPS-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6198678-b3ef6912582032c8ea6410f27f28e9c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436861&Signature=GVta~cCcdBSeMVCVt5oNjBSjZ5z6BFreVSe~fI9EV2fx8Mjv1iqdTrK-i9sHYKHM-sGM1V2w-vwsS~gVNUBgsV9zHLrRjs7xQbIhF-mr5bJgqO0Fuf--Ha86HM-z~imZcBUQ6mYxNVcKOG2Fq5MYAuflJIMZroD30rXnCL-eXOKGrGA4SL5jV4iYSqW88fR0FJoK1wbm86TdcEeX-1LL1PtbrfapPeCAFGBJj1bv1~aABv4OJN8~PJ6mER3jSua9PK2n69mUajBFlnZfHdLXEDX9MGqeE5qT9uk-ktS8Xwwonc22yyYNobkxg5~-FiPX002RlXqW2L3nk1qJaA5dKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several educators, school board members and union organizers urged the Metro Nashville Council Budget & Finance Committee to approve Councilmember Sharon Porterfield's substitute budget and to avoid proposed cuts to Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS).

At the committee meeting, multiple speakers said cuts in the substitute budget would reduce class supports and jeopardize recovery programs established after the pandemic. Zach Young, who said he serves on the Metro Nashville Board of Public Education, thanked Chair Porterfield for assembling the substitute and urged councilmembers to “do what's right for our students and support the chair substitute budget.”

Erin O'Hara-Block, who said she serves on the Metro Nashville Board of Education, told the committee that the investments in MNPS over recent years contributed to “historic gains” in graduation and student achievement. She said evidence-based approaches funded by the city — including high-impact tutoring, summer learning and educator pay — are producing measurable results and that continued funding is needed to stay on that trajectory.

A new teacher, Brooke Leisure, said a proposed $54,400,000 cut to the MNPS budget would be “a direct hit to our classrooms,” with larger class sizes, fewer support staff and more teacher burnout. Tamika White, who identified herself as a resident in Councilmember Sean Parker’s district, said cuts would eliminate the 3% cost of living adjustment and “jeopardize promising scholar programs.”

Dr. Stacy Elliott, a union organizer for the Metropolitan Nashville Education Association (MNEA) and a resident of District 16, criticized state funding formulas and said cutting Metro contributions would be “a deranged form of self-sabotage.” Elliott urged improved ongoing budget transparency from MNPS leadership so the public can see a line-by-line accounting of district spending.

Why it matters: Councilmembers heard public comment immediately before the committee considered the citywide budget substitute. Speakers described the local impact of proposed reductions on classrooms and student recovery programs and asked the council to maintain or increase school funding to preserve recent academic gains.

What the speakers asked for: Speakers repeatedly asked the Budget & Finance Committee to (1) approve Chair Porterfield’s substitute budget as presented; (2) preserve teacher pay increases and the 3% cost-of-living adjustment; and (3) continue funding for high-impact tutoring, summer programming and promising scholar initiatives.

Committee context: The public-comment appeals were followed by an extended committee debate on the chair substitute budget and numerous amendments. Several of the items speakers mentioned—teacher pay, summer learning, tutoring and the promising scholars program—were explicitly discussed when the committee reviewed the substitute budget.

Taper: The committee proceeded directly from public comment to budget deliberations and votes.

","Several Metro Nashville educators, school board members and union organizers urged the Budget & Finance Committee to approve Chair Porterfield's substitute budget, arguing cuts would harm students and push teachers from the district.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves pay-plan increases for general employees, police, fire and health; several grants and resolutions pass on consent

Committee adopts Porterfield budget substitute with several targeted amendments; cuts proposed to multiple departments

Educators, parents and union organizers urge council to protect MNPS funding