Metro Budget & Property Reappraisal Information

Written By Old Hickory Village Neighborhood Association

Council Member Erin Evans, representing our neighboring District 12 of Hermitage, attended May’s Old Hickory community meeting to brief our neighbors on Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposed budget and the recent round of property reappraisals.

In addition to the background provided below, Evans provided the following resources to stay in the know about the proposed budget:

Speaking on property reappraisals, Evans stated most cities undergo this process every three to five years. Nashville currently reappraises property every four years, but there are talks to lower this to three years so that the percentage increase will not be as jarring as the city continues to grow.

If you believe your property was appraised too highly, you can make an appointment for a Formal Appeal with the Metro Board of Equalization until Friday, June 27, 2025. If you already filed an Informal Review, it is recommended that you still schedule a Formal Appeal to be safe; you can cancel that Appeal if your Informal Review is accepted by Friday, June 6.

As this relates to the Mayor’s proposed budget, O’Connell is recommending a 2.814 tax rate. This is lower than the 3.254 rate it’s been since 2011, but a record-setting property value increase translates to high taxes for many.

Evans explained that one driver of this tax increase is to provide higher pay for city employees as their wages have stagnated behind inflation, especially compared to the private sector. WPLN outlined the following budget details:

  • Metro Schools increased by 13%, including $64.5 million intended to backfill the elimination of federal dollars

  • the addition of nurses in all city schools, and more school resource officers

  • $49 million more for first responder agencies

  • $45 million toward affordable housing, coordinated with the new Unified Housing Strategy

  • increased transit funding to run WeGo buses more often and to add security at transit facilities

  • creation of a standalone Department of Waste Services

  • an uptick in Metro Parks spending

  • health funding for Nashville Strong Babies and HIV prevention

  • hiring of nighttime Metro Codes inspectors, as sought by some councilmembers

City Council has the opportunity to draft a substitute budget to make adjustments to areas where they disagree with the Mayor’s proposed plan. If a new budget cannot be agreed upon by Tuesday, June 17th, the Mayor’s proposal automatically goes into effect.

One primary concern shared amongst General Services District council members, including Erin Evans and Jeff Eslick, is our tax rate compared to the Urban Services District. The General Services District does not have services such as trash collection and street lights provided by the city, but this initial proposed budget has General Services paying only $0.03 less than Urban Services.

Council members will attend budget hearings with each department to gauge how much each department should receive under a new budget. Additionally, an upcoming pay study for Metro employees will likely play a significant role in any budget changes.

Please contact Councilman Eslick and our at-large council members with specific requests and concerns. Every council member gets a “wish list” in budget negotiations to represent their constituents’ needs. In order for District 11 to be properly represented, our council must know what Old Hickory needs most.

Old Hickory Village Neighborhood Association
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