Metro government is dealing with a massive budget shortfall, but one councilman says there is a person who could have put the budget back together again: former Mayor Megan Barry.
The council has been debating whether or not to raise property taxes as it looks to close a budget shortfall. Mayor David Briley broke the bad news while he was still interim mayor, that this year's budget included no raises for city employees. That news triggered some calls for a property tax increase, something Mayor Briley has pushed back against.
Metro Councilman Freddie O'Connell says the council has two paths ahead of them:
"The (Briley) administration feels that we haven’t had enough of a conversation about why we would need to consider increasing property taxes. Some in Council, however, feel that the next three fiscal years would be too tight without it" the District 19 council member said. "With either option, I suspect Mayor Barry would’ve had an easier time convincing the public and Council of the path were she still in office with remarkable popularity.”
Mayor Barry's term, of course, came to a premature end earlier this year after she pleaded guilty in a case connected to an extramarital affair with her head of security.
