Appeals court says Metro Council has to shrink its size

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled that Metro Council will have to shrink its size.

This comes from a law two years ago, when the state legislature made a law that no city government bodies could have more than 20 members.
However, that specifically targeted Nashville, because it's the only Tennessee city with more than 20 members. However, other county governments, which the bill didn't affect, does have more members than 20.

Two judges on the Tennessee Court of Appeals supported the law, while a third judge dissented.

Metro sued the state in 2023 after lawmakers passed a bill that would cut the Metro Council from 40 seats to 20.

The new law would prohibit any city in Tennessee from having a governing body with more than 20 members. The bill specifically targeted Nashville — the only city with a council that size. Nashville has the third-largest city legislative body in the United States, just behind Chicago and New York City. Republicans argued that it's wasteful and want to rein that in.

This ruling reverses a lower court ruling that said the law violated the "home rule amendment," which said laws can't be passed targeting a certain city or town.

"We are understandably disappointed and concerned about the ruling’s implications on local sovereignty," said Allison Bussell, associate director of Metro Legal. "But we are also encouraged by Judge Armstrong’s compelling dissent. We are digesting the ruling and considering our options."

An appeal in this case could happen. That would be taking it to the Tennessee Supreme Court.

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