Mayor John Cooper to unveil next year’s budget amid COVID-19 pandemic

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville Mayor John Cooper will unveil next year's budget later this afternoon. The city’s budget shortfall is $300 million following the deadly March tornadoes and current COVID-19 pandemic.

The one big item that people want to know about is whether Mayor Cooper will move forward with a property tax hike to get the city in better financial footing. Up until this point, he hasn't mentioned how high that tax increase could be.

Other council members weren’t on board with tax increases in the past few years, but some we've spoken with say it might be the only solution.

Here’s what we know the Mayor has asked for up to this point:

• He’s asking Metro Schools to cut $100 million from its budget.
• He's also asked all parts of Metro’s government to find ways to save money.
• His goal is to avoid any city employee layoffs

Mayor Cooper will present his budget at 3:30 p.m. NewsChannel 5 will stream it live. To keep with social distancing protocols, the meeting with council will happen virtually.