NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Metro Council approved a $3.8 billion budget for Nashville on Tuesday, maintaining the current property tax rate despite some residents' calls for relief.
Council members chose Budget Chair Porterfield's substitute budget over Mayor Freddie O'Connell's original proposal, though both featured the same combined property tax rate of 2.814.
The approved budget includes increased funding for Metro Schools, fire and police departments, with most of the funding coming from property taxes.
"We're treated as a piggy bank that's bottomless, and we're not, you know, our wages are not really going up. So, if everyone's hitting us, and then our government's hitting us, we're, you know, people are tapped out. So, we're just asking for some relief," said Jason Weakley, chair of GOP Nashville.
Porterfield's budget allocates an additional $8.2 million for city worker wages compared to the mayor's proposal. It also provides an extra $150,000 to the public library system for Nashville After Zone Alliance programs and an additional $75,000 for the Oasis Center.
Mayor O'Connell expressed support for the approved budget in a statement:
"We're moving forward with a common-sense, balanced budget that delivers on the quality schools, reliable services, and safety we all deserve. School performance is up, we're clearing snow faster, responding to emergency calls faster, and better supporting expecting and new parents so newborns get the health care they need to not just survive but thrive in their first year of life. Crime is down. People want to be here, and we want to make it easier to stay. That's much of the work we're going to be leaning into even harder starting today. I'm grateful for the thoughtful work of Chair Porterfield and the Metro Council in passing a fiscally responsible budget that improves the core government services we all rely on."
The new fiscal year begins July 1.
Key Investments in the FY2026 Substitute Budget Include:
Employee Compensation
Maternal Health & Equity
Food Assistance & Community Services
Youth & Education
Affordable Housing Innovation
Parks & Cultural Investment
Community Safety & Access
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For more information on the FY2026 budget, residents can visit Nashville.gov/Finance.
This story was reported on-air by Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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