After eight years in the Senate, Jeff Yarbro wants to now be Nashville mayor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A sitting Tennessee senator, Jeff Yarbro said that he wanted his next political stop to be mayor of Nashville.

He said he's helped pass more than 75 pieces of legislation in the General Assembly. He has been in the senate for the last eight years.

NewsChannel 5 sent every person running for mayor a questionnaire with the same questions. We have not edited these answers from the candidates, meaning these responses are straight from them.

Nashville’s violent crime rate outpaces the national average as well as that of similar-sized cities. As Mayor, how would you work with MNPD to ensure Nashvillians can feel safe in our city? 

Public safety is a fundamental requirement for a successful city. If Nashville gets everything else right but fails to keep people safe, the city’s future will be at risk. The next Mayor must work with MNPD to implement place-based policing, violence interruption, and non-policing investments and interventions that concentrate on the primary drivers of criminal conduct and violence, which are proven to work.

We also need to ensure we’re hiring sufficient police officers and increasing salaries to avoid staffing shortages and turnover. We must focus on the training, transparency, and accountability measures essential to build and support community trust. But we can’t focus solely on policing when it comes to thinking of solutions to address crime. Part of the city’s charge when it comes to safety is responding quickly in communities that are neglected and developing conditions that allow crime to arise in the first place.

We’ve seen multiple neighborhoods grapple with the proliferation of homeless encampments that pose threats to public safety and sanitation. How would you balance compassionate treatment of the unhoused with the desire of citizens to live in clean, safe neighborhoods? 

Addressing Nashville’s homelessness population requires a comprehensive approach that tackles the immediate needs of these vulnerable individuals and the underlying systemic issues that contribute to their displacement. As Mayor, I would work to expand and enhance shelter options. I will ensure that the shelters are safe and staffed with compassionate people who understand the challenges the homeless face. And, it's crucial to provide comprehensive support services that go beyond shelter. I would prioritize funding for mental health services, substance abuse treatment, job training, and educational programs. By addressing specific needs, we can help people regain stability and build brighter futures.

Metro Nashville government has been involved in a series of spats with the Republican-controlled state legislature that could have far-reaching effects on how the city functions. How will you work with the state legislature and preserve the will of Metro Nashville’s voters? 

The ongoing conflicts between Nashville's Metropolitan Government and the Tennessee General Assembly are unsustainable. It is crucial for the next Mayor of Nashville to prioritize the city's autonomy and develop a strategy to prevent and navigate conflicts. This strategy should include consistent communication with state leaders, developing collaborative solutions, and forging coalitions within Nashville and across the state.

By working together to actively lobby against laws that negatively impact our community, we can build a brighter future for all Nashville residents. Regardless of what laws and policies are enacted at the state level, the next Mayor must bring the full resources of the city to bear to ensure Nashville is a genuinely welcoming community where all of our residents feel safe, secure, and supported in living full lives and providing a better future for their families.

For the first time ever in Vanderbilt’s annual poll, a majority of Nashvillians said our city is moving in the wrong direction. How do you think we can get Nashville on the right track? 

There are many cities and communities that are genuinely going in the wrong direction, but I don’t think Nashville’s one of them. Most cities in the nation would gladly trade places with Nashville, because our problems largely arise from a growing economy, increasing population, and rapid development. And most of us in Nashville love this city enough that we wouldn’t want to live elsewhere.

But it’s easy to see for any longtime resident that the growth is getting away from us — it makes folks worry we won’t be able to recognize the city we’re becoming. We know other cities manage to construct buildings without closing roads and sidewalks, and we believe Nashville should be able to do that too. The answer isn’t to slam on the brakes, because real leadership isn’t about stopping the future but shaping it. As a city, we have to recommit to ensuring that we grow in a way that’s smart, sustainable, and equitable — and insist upon development that enhances rather than detracts from our quality of life.

As Nashville has grown, so has the cost of living. What strategies would you employ to make our city affordable for working families?

Nashville can’t be a great city if it’s not a great place to live. Finding a home you can afford in a safe neighborhood you love near schools you trust shouldn’t feel like winning the lottery. There’s no silver bullet municipal ordinance that ensures affordability and livability. However, as Mayor, I will support efforts to incentivize developers to create affordable housing units and work with relevant stakeholders to assess our zoning processes to ensure we have the resources to keep up with demand while keeping costs low.

I’ll orient the Metro government around improving the day-by-day provision of city services and block-by-block investments in neighborhood communities where people live their lives. While it’s essential for every city to continue to grow, we must ensure Nashville stays a good place for our kids to grow up and a safe, affordable community where everyone can reach their full potential.

A Nashville mayor hasn’t discussed rapid-area transit in earnest since Mayor Barry’s plan was rejected by voters. What are your thoughts on what the city needs for public transit?
 
As our city continues to grow, we need to find transit solutions that reflect the changes in Nashville and keep up with the pace of our growth. As Mayor, I will be committed to supporting public transit efforts such as expanding bus routes, bolstering our bike lanes, and taking initiatives to protect pedestrians so that all Nashvillians can feel safe and have options with their transit choices.

Just under 30 percent of Nashville’s third graders are reading at grade level. Nashville has trailed significantly in education gains compared to other Middle Tennessee counties. What can a mayor do for education?

Education is one of my top priorities and an area I have decades of experience with. It’s clear that Nashville is falling behind, and a great city absolutely needs a great education system. That’s why in my years as a state senator I consistently advocated for higher funding for our public schools as well as other initiatives to bolster our educational resources. I know the ins and outs of education policy at the state-level and have also worked on a local level in Nashville to help advance our education goals.

I worked as the education policy adviser for former Mayor Karl Dean and currently serve as a co-chair of Superintendent Jesse Register's Transformational Leadership Group for high schools here in Nashville and have extensive relationships with other education leaders in our area.

As Mayor, I will continue to work with our local and state governments to advocate for increased budgets and other areas of improvement.

Education is also an equity issue - I will prioritize addressing achievement gaps and ensuring equitable distribution of resources among schools. This includes implementing strategies to attract and retain high-quality teachers in underserved areas and providing support for struggling schools.

There is a perception that downtown is more of a priority because of the revenue it generates. What policies do you propose that will serve all neighborhoods?  

While our downtown is a vibrant part of the city we all care deeply about, we do need to ensure the solutions we seek work for all Nashvillians in all of our communities and neighborhoods. That means ensuring that all of our communities have access to key public resources - this means equitable funding for schools, libraries, and other social services. And, I’m committed to making Nashville safer for bikers and pedestrians, and this means improving our bike lanes and sidewalks all across the city, not just downtown.

Nashville has faced the following in the last three years: the pandemic, a tornado, a bombing, and a mass shooting. What makes you qualified to handle these levels of crises?  

The last few years have been tough on Nashville. I’ve lived in this city throughout the good and the bad and what I’ve learned from the experience is that our city needs a compassionate yet decisive leader who can take everyone’s concerns into account when we face tough challenges. I’ve seen this city bounce back and I’m confident we have the resilience to overcome any crisis. I’ve had the honor to serve this city at both local and state levels and I know what it takes to bring our city together in times of need and come back stronger. This is a core part of why I love public service and Nashville in particular.

Come July 1, Nashville’s Community Oversight Board, as we know it, will cease operating. How will you ensure that Nashville gets the same level of community oversight that voters overwhelmingly approved? 

The state legislation preempting the authority of the Community Oversight Board instituted directly by Nashville’s voters undermines public trust at a time when both Metro and MNPD need to be building trust. The job of the next Mayor is to ensure transparency, oversight and accountability within whatever legal constraints we face. In reality, the voters shouldn’t have had to enact community oversight by referendum because the Mayor and police chief should have led the way earlier.

Now that the citizens’ initiative has been damaged by state interference, the need is even greater. First, the Mayor should be committed to adequately funding and staffing community oversight. Second, the Mayor must work with the Chief and MNPD to ensure that its internal operations are sufficiently transparent, fair, and rigorous to support the work. Third, because oversight and accountability are integral to modern, professional law enforcement in a city like Nashville, the Mayor must lead the way in ensuring that principle is embedded within the culture and budgeting of our public safety strategy.