NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — You may be seeing more from a group advocating against Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell's upcoming transportation referendum.
The group calling itself "The Committee to Stop an UnFair Tax" has started running ads on social media.
In November, voters will decide whether to approve a sales tax increase that would increase bus service, build more sidewalks, and upgrade hundreds of traffic lights in Nashville.
The Mayor's office says a typical household would pay about 70 dollars more in sales tax each year to fund it.
Opponents of the plan say the tax unfairly impacts the poorest people in Nashville.
"If you're a lower income person, you're spending most of your paycheck on rent, gasoline, etc, so a bigger portion of what your paycheck is going to, will go to pay the tax," said former Metro councilwoman Emily Evans, who is one of the leaders spearheading the anti-referendum movement. "If you're a higher income, you're paying for those things, but also doing other things that don't pay the sales tax, like saving money or investing."
Mayor Freddie O'Connell said Monday there are benefits to the referendum that will specifically impact folks with lower incomes.
"Ultimately, the way the program is going to offer free or reduced fares in a way we've never been able to do as a system, we think this is a high impact, low-cost program that will benefit tens if not hundreds of thousands of Nashvillians and this is going to be one of our key affordability tools," O'Connell said.
Nashville voters will decide the transit referendum on the same day they vote for president -- Tuesday, November 5th.
Music lessons for just 50 cents! A Nashville music school has been providing that to area students for over 40 years including for the city's current mayor. As a child, I always wanted to take piano lessons. I was able to for about 6 months but had to stop due to family finances. I would have loved to have had access to a program like this at the W. O. Smith Music School.
- Lelan Statom
