Law to shrink the size of Nashville’s city council declared unconstitutional

The Tennessee General Assembly cannot unilaterally shrink the size of Nashville’s Metro Council, a panel of judges ruled 2-1 Monday, finding a 2023 law violated a state constitutional amendment protecting local sovereignty. The state has 30 days to appeal the ruling. The decision continues the city’s undefeated record in its fight to retain local control of Nashville after the General Assembly passed a handful of bills attempting to take over various aspects of the city’s governance in 2023. Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. “I’m pleased with the court’s decision to allow Nashville to have the authority to choose the size of its Metropolitan Council,” Mayor Freddie O’Connell said in a written statement. “I’m grateful to Director of Law Wally Dietz and his team for their excellent work throughout this litigation. The Metro Charter gives Nashvillians the right to determine the size of our Metro Council, and as recently as 2015, we decisively concluded we prefer 40 members.” Associate Metro Law Director for Litigation Allison Bussell said the ruling “meaningfully preserves the will of Nashville voters.” Madison County Judge Joseph T. Howell disagreed and wrote that because the other two metropolitan...