Town council and Downtown Strong meet to review MSD spending, board appointments and intern proposal

Town of Nashville council members and the Downtown Strong municipal service district (MSD) advisory board met in a joint work session to review MSD funding, recent board appointments and a proposed 300‑hour intern to help implement the downtown streetscape plan.

The advisory board summarized the MSD’s purpose and recent spending and asked for clearer expectations and more frequent joint meetings. "We pay for our own Christmas decorations, our flowerpots, our power washing," Downtown Strong member Amy Deasley said, arguing that businesses inside the MSD bear costs she said are not shared by other areas of the town. Sean, a Downtown Strong member who presented the packet, reviewed the MSD’s purpose and boundaries and described the board’s request for clearer communication with council.

The discussion followed an informational review of MSD finances. According to the materials presented, the MSD receives a small tax assessed within the district and a recently added Nashville Junction area now brings in about $40,000 a year. The packet also reported year‑to‑date MSD revenue of $48,666 and budgeted MSD expenditures of $60,000 for fiscal year 2025; $12,708 of that budgeted total had been spent year to date. Mr. Sean (advisory board member) said…