Budget & Finance Committee actions: votes at a glance

The Budget & Finance Committee processed a lengthy consent calendar and multiple non-consent items on April 14. Below are the key motions, outcomes and vote tallies recorded in committee.

Consent agenda: the committee approved a multi-item consent agenda (including engineering agreements with CSX, grant amendments for juvenile court programs, a Summer Jobs Connect grant, library property purchase, transportation and pavement projects, and purchasing agreements) by voice vote; the clerk recorded the consent vote as 10 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting.

Selected non-consent outcomes (titles condensed): - RS2025-11-38 (appointment of hearing officers to the Independent Metropolitan Board of Equalization): motion carried 10 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting. - RS2025-11-40 (authorization to issue up to $700,000,000 water and sewer revenue refunding and improvement bonds): motion carried 10 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting. Finance staff said refundings will meet the department’s debt-policy savings threshold and that the city can withdraw the deal if market conditions are unfavorable when bonds are priced. - RS2025-11-41 (issuance of approximately $61,000,000 in federally taxable general-obligation refunding bonds): motion carried 9 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting; finance staff said the action replaces existing debt and is not an increase in net principal outstanding. - RS2025-11-42 (intergovernmental agreement with East Bank Development Authority): deferred one meeting; motion to defer carried 9 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting. - RS2025-11-47 (grant of surplus parcels to The Housing Fund/Community Land Trust): motion carried 7 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting. Housing staff described title-clearing challenges and said the housing division is developing a land-bank approach to clear titles and assess parcel feasibility before future regrants. - RS2025-11-48 (appropriation of $110,000 from the Community Safety Fund to Nashville Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition): motion carried 8 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting. Metro Nashville Police said they would provide data on annual human-trafficking rescues to the committee at a subsequent public-safety meeting. - RS2025-11-51 (settlement payment of $175,000 to resolve a liability claim): motion carried 8 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting. Department of Law explained the settlement reflects a close foreseeability call under the Governmental Tort Liability Act and is within the statutory cap. - RS2025-11-53 (amendment to contract for clinical personnel with the Mental Health Cooperative): withdrawn by the sponsor and not acted on. - RS2025-11-62 (amendment to agreement with Urban Tree/river-compact partners relating to planting and term extension): amendment and resolution passed as amended; amendment passed 8 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting; final resolution passed 8 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting. - RS2025-11-66 (section 1983 class-action compromise for property owners, total settlement $1,900,250.09 with $1,445,250.09 refunded to claimants and attorney fees): motion carried 8 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting. - BO2025-7-70 (amendments to Metro Code Chapter 2.4 concerning the Department of Law; bills on second reading): amendment and final passage recorded as 8 in favor, 0 against, 0 not voting.

Withdrawn items and deferrals: sponsors withdrew one lease amendment and withdrew the RS2025-11-53 contract amendment; RS2025-11-42 (East Bank Development Authority agreement) was deferred one meeting.

What to watch next: several approved items require follow-up by departments (finance for bond closings and savings calculations; housing for land-bank enabling legislation and parcel due diligence; Metro Police for trafficking counts). Several multi-year contracts and bond issuances will return as budget- or council-level items for final approval or closing procedures.