Mayor (elected)

• Link to Mayor's Office

• Executive — Head of all departments

• Proposes Metro budget; Council may alter, but must adopt a budget by June 30

• Hires staff to initiate projects / lobby Council

• Now has:

  • Mayor's Office of Resilience, Erik Cole, Chief Resilience Officer — for emergency crises as well as longer-term crises like poverty, etc.  Includes Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee and Nashville Financial Empowerment Center (John Murphy)

  • Mayor's Office of Housing, Adriane Harris, Director, and Morgan Mansa, Director of Barnes Housing Trust Fund

  • Mayor's Office of Economic & Community Development — Matt Wiltshire (deals with incentives for development, new businesses coming in, etc); Ashford Hughes — workforce development, relates to Nashville Career Advancement Center and Nashville Construction Readiness Partnership

  • Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods and Community Engagement — To build a “more informed, active and involved citizenry and enhanced governmental response to community needs”

Metropolitan Housing Trust Fund Commission (Barnes Housing Trust Fund)

(appointed by Mayor, confirmed by Council — seven members)

• Develops plans for the Fund (type of housing to be developed, etc.)

• Presently funds non-profits only

• Developing specifics for money allocated by Mayor and Council — $10 million/yr

• Staffed by people in Mayor’s Office

Metropolitan Council

(elected — 40 members)

• Adopts operating budget by June 30 each year (or Mayor’s proposed budget becomes law)

• Adopts Capital Improvements Budget (wish list for buildings, sidewalks, other)

• Changes local laws and policy; zoning changes

• Meets twice a month, first one is zoning public hearing (1st and 3rd Tuesdays)

• Televises meetings on Comcast 3 and AT&T 99, or livestreamed on Metro Nashville Network

• Sheri Weiner, Vice-Mayor (Chair of Council) — appoints committees

• Ad-Hoc Affordable Housing Metropolitan Council Committee, Fabian Bedne, Chair

• Metropolitan Planning Commission, Burkley Allen, Chair; also serves on Metro Planning Commission

Metropolitan Planning Commission

(appointed by Mayor, confirmed by Council — ten members: developers, architects, “regular” people)

• Recommends approval, disapproval of zoning changes by Council

• Holds public hearings on zoning changes

• Adopts Community Plans to guide zoning and development

• Televises meetings on Comcast 3 and AT&T 99, or livestreamed on Metro Nashville Network

• Recommends policy changes

• Hires Executive Director of Planning Department

Metro Planning Department

(hired)

• Works with developers on their proposals

• Maintains zoning maps, other data

• Recommends actions to Commission, based on planning principles and existing Community Plans

• Executive Director, Doug Sloan

• Key Planner on Housing, Carrie Logan

Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA)

(MDHA Board of Directors is appointed by the Mayor, approved by Council — seven members: from business, real estate, government, and law, as well as one affordable housing expert, two public housing residents)

• Public Housing. Downtown Development, Neighborhood Development, Housing

• Conduit for federal housing funds, answers to US Department of HUD

• Planning the redevelopment of public housing

• Has been very separate (“quasi-governmental”)

• Mayor now exerting some control — “Memorandum of Understanding” with MDHA Board

• Executive Director, Jim Harbison

Go to NOAH Issues page

Go to Affordable Housing and Gentrification Task Force page