# Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County

The Metropolitan Council (officially the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County) is the legislative body of the consolidated city-county government of Nashville, Tennessee and Davidson County.

## Membership

The Council has 40 members, 35 of which are district council representatives, and five of which are council members at-large. If an at-large member resigns or dies before serving a full four-year term, the member's seat remains vacant until the next election. If a district council members resigns or dies more than eight months before the end of their four-year term, a special election is held to fill the seat. At-large council members are elected by the entirety of the area the metropolitan government encompasses. The Metropolitan Council is the 3rd largest in the United States, behind the Chicago City Council and the New York City Council. The Historic Metro Courthouse, 1 Public Square, is where the Council meets.
Under the Metropolitan Charter, members must be over the age of 25 and have lived within Davidson County for a year at the beginning of their terms. Members must also have lived in the district they represent for six months, and they must continue to reside in that district for the duration of their terms. In 2019, according to The Tennessean, annual salaries for council members increased for the first time since 2005 from $15,000 to $23,100. The members elected by districts represent 15,000 to 17,000 residents each, and all Metro Council members serve part-time. According to the Charter as currently amended, members are elected to no more than two terms consecutively, not including any partial term to which they may have been elected. However, district member and at-large member are considered to be separate offices for the purposes of this provision.
In the 2015 municipal elections, two amendments to the Metropolitan Nashville Charter which would have increased term limits for members of the Council, both at large and district-wide to three consecutive terms, as well as reducing the size of the council to 27 members, were proposed. Both amendments failed with Davidson County voters.

## President of the Council

The popularly elected vice mayor is the President of the Metropolitan Council and serves as its presiding officer, but is not a member of the Metro Council and does not vote except to break ties. The vice mayor, a part-time position, is paid $25,230 annually.
Members elect a president pro tempore to serve in the absence of the Vice Mayor, and a deputy president pro tempore once the president pro tempore becomes presiding officer due to the Vice Mayor's death or resignation. Members of the Metro Council who act as presiding officer during the Vice Mayor's absence retain their right to vote on all resolutions and ordinances.
Angie Henderson is the incumbent vice mayor. Zulfat Suara is the president pro tempore.

## Operations

Two-thirds of the Metropolitan Council are required to constitute a quorum before the business of the council can be conducted. The council holds regular meetings each first and third Tuesday of each month. In addition, with 48 hours' written notice, a special meeting may be called by the mayor or the vice mayor. It may also be requested by the majority of the council, which would require 21 votes in favor of the meeting. Meetings are broadcast live on Metro 3 and are archived on the Nashville government website.
The mayor may veto resolutions and ordinances passed by the Metropolitan Council, but the veto can be overridden with a two-thirds majority of the Council. With three-fourths of the entire council in favor, and not subject to veto, investigations may be conducted by the whole council or its committees.

## Committees

Current Council Committees :
| Name | No. of Members | Chair | Vice Chair |
| Affordable Housing | | | |
| Budget and Finance | 15 | Porterfield | Toombs |
| Charter Revision | 8 | Weiner | Johnston |
| Education | | | |
| Human Services | | | |
| Public Facilities, Arts, and Culture | 9 | Styles | Vo |
| Planning and Zoning | 13 | Gamble | Harrell |
| Public Health and Safety | 13 | Evans | Taylor |
| Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections | 8 | Sepulveda | Preptit |
| Transportation and Infrastructure | 12 | Parker | Evans Segall |
| Ad Hoc East Bank | 7 | Parker | Kupin |

## Size reduction

In 2005, mayor Bill Purcell called for cutting the number of legislators in the council down to 20 in a proposal in which fifteen seats would be elected by districts and five seats would remain at-large. In 2006 the Metro Charter Review Commission scheduled a public hearing on the council's size. In a poll by The Tennessean, 21 councillors favored keeping the council as it is, and nine favored a reduction in the size of the council.
Dissidents said that if the size of the council were to be reduced, being elected could become a matter of who can raise the most money, and special interests may get involved. Other concerns voiced included council members not being able to get in contact with their constituents, the council becoming less ethnically diverse, and council membership changing from a part-time to a full-time job. Councilwoman Amanda McClendon said a reduction in size may make it easier to pass legislation.
In 2023, the state government enacted a law reducing the size of the Metro Council from 40 members to 20. The move was widely opposed by Nashville residents and leaders. In April 2023, a court issued an injunction against the change, indicating that it unconstitutionally changed election procedures during the campaign.

## Current membership, 2023–2027

| District | Name | Area(s)/Neighborhoods Represented |
| At-Large, Seat 1 | Zulfat Suara | Davidson County |
| At-Large, Seat 2 | Delishia Porterfield | Davidson County |
| At-Large, Seat 3 | Quin Evans Segall | Davidson County |
| At-Large, Seat 4 | Burkley Allen | Davidson County |
| At-Large, Seat 5 | Olivia Hill | Davidson County |
| 1 | Joy Kimbrough | Bordeaux, Joelton, Whites Creek, Scottsboro |
| 2 | Kyonztè Toombs | North Nashville, Bordeaux, Metro Center |
| 3 | Jennifer Gamble | Brick Church, Goodlettsville, Madison, Whites Creek |
| 4 | Mike Cortese | Brentwood, Nipper's Corner |
| 5 | Sean Parker | East Nashville, Cleveland Park, Maplewood, Madison |
| 6 | Clay Capp | East Nashville, Lockeland Springs, Rosebank |
| 7 | Emily Benedict | East Nashville, Inglewood, Madison |
| 8 | Deonte Harrell | Antioch |
| 9 | Tonya Hancock | Madison |
| 10 | Jennifer Frensley Webb | Goodlettsville, Madison |
| 11 | Jeff Eslick | Old Hickory, Hermitage |
| 12 | Erin Evans | Hermitage |
| 13 | Russ Bradford | Donelson, Airport |
| 14 | Jordan Huffman | Donelson, Hermitage |
| 15 | Jeff Gregg | Donelson, Opryland |
| 16 | Ginny Welsch | South Nashville, Woodbine |
| 17 | Terry Vo | South Nashville, Fairgrounds, Berry Hill, 12 South |
| 18 | Tom Cash | South Nashville, Waverly-Belmont, Vanderbilt |
| 19 | Jacob Kupin | North Nashville, South Nashville, Downtown |
| 20 | Rollin Horton | West Nashville, The Nations, Cockrill Bend |
| 21 | Brandon Taylor | North Nashville, West End, Midtown, TSU |
| 22 | Sheri Weiner | West Nashville, Bellevue |
| 23 | Thom Druffel | West Nashville, Belle Meade |
| 24 | Brenda Gadd | West Nashville, Sylvan Park |
| 25 | Jeff Preptit | Oak Hill, Green Hills |
| 26 | Courtney Johnston | Crieve Hall, Paragon Mills |
| 27 | Robert Nash | Southeast Nashville, Tusculum |
| 28 | David Benton | Southeast Nashville, Antioch |
| 29 | Tasha Ellis | Priest Lake |
| 30 | Sandra Sepulveda | Southeast Nashville |
| 31 | John Rutherford | Antioch, Cane Ridge, Lenox Village |
| 32 | Joy Styles | Antioch |
| 33 | Antoinette Lee | Antioch, Cane Ridge |
| 34 | Sandy Ewing | City of Forest Hills, Green Hills, Bellevue |
| 35 | Jason Spain | Bellevue |

## Historical membership

| District | 2019–2023 | 2015–2019 | 2011–2015 | 2007–2011 | 2003–2007 | 1999–2003 | 1995–1999 |
| Vice Mayor | Jim Shulman | David Briley | Diane Neighbors | Diane Neighbors | Howard Gentry Jr. | Ronnie Steine | Jay West |
| AL 1 | Bob Mendes | John Cooper | Megan Barry | Tim Garrett | Buck Dozier | Chris Ferrell | Vic Varallo |
| AL 2 | Sharon Hurt | Erica Gilmore | Ronnie Steine | Megan Barry | Diane Neighbors | Leo Waters | George Armistead |
| AL 3 | Burkeley Allen | Bob Mendes | Tim Garrett | Charlie Tygard | Carolyn Baldwin Tucker | David Briley | Ronnie Steine |
| AL 4 | Steve Glover | Sharon Hurt | Charlie Tygard | Ronnie Steine | David Briley | Carolyn Baldwin Tucker | Chris Ferrell |
| AL 5 | Zulfat Suara | Jim Shulman | Jerry Maynard | Jerry Maynard | Adam Dread | Howard Gentry Jr. | Leo Waters |
| 1 | Jonathan Hall | Jonathan Hall | Lonnell Matthews Jr. | Lonnell Matthews Jr. | Brenda Gilmore | Brenda Gilmore | Regina Patton |
| 2 | Kyonztè Toombs | DeCosta Hastings | Frank Harrison | Frank Harrison | Jamie Isabel | Melvin Black | Melvin Black |
| 3 | Jennifer Gamble | Brenda Haywood | Walter Hunt | Walter Hunt | Chester Hughes | Ron Nollner | Ron Nollner |
| 4 | Robert Swope | Robert Swope | Brady Banks | Michael Craddock | Michael Craddock | Don Majors | Don Majors |
| 5 | Sean Parker | Scott Davis | Scott Davis | Jamie Hollin | Pam Murray | Lawrence Hall Jr. | Frank Harrison |
| 6 | Brett Withers | Brett Withers | Peter Westerholm | Mike Jameson | Mike Jameson | Eileen Beehan | Eileen Beehan |
| 7 | Emily Benedict | Anthony Davis | Anthony Davis | Erik Cole | Erik Cole | Earl Campbell | Earl Campbell |
| 8 | Nancy VanReece | Nancy VanReece | Karen Bennett | Jason Hart | Jason Hart | Lawrence Hart | Lawrence Hart |
| 9 | Tonya Hancock | Bill Pridemore | Bill Pridemore | Jim Forkum | Jim Forkum | James Dillard | James Dillard |
| 10 | Zach Young | Dough Pardue | Dough Pardue | Rip Ryman | Rip Ryman | Bettye Balthrop | Tim Garrett |
| 11 | Larry Hagar | Larry Hagar | Darren Jernigan | Darren Jernigan | Feller Brown | Feller Brown | Mike Wooden |
| 12 | Erin Evans | Steve Glover | Steve Glover | Jim Gotto | Jim Gotto | Tony Derryberry | Phil Ponder |
| 13 | Russ Bradford | Holly Huezo | Josh Stites | Carl Burch | Carl Burch | Bruce Stanley | Charles O. French |
| 14 | Kevin Rhoten | Kevin Rhoten | Bruce Stanley | Bruce Stanley | Harold White | Harold White | James Bruce Stanley |
| 15 | Jeff Syracuse | Jeff Syracuse | Phil Claiborne | Phil Claiborne | J.B. Loring | J.B. Loring | Roy Dale |
| 16 | Ginny Welsch | Mike Freeman | Tony Tenpenny | Anna Page | Armanda McClendon | Armanda McClendon | Jerry Wayne Graves |
| 17 | Colby Sledge | Colby Sledge | Sandra Moore | Sandra Moore | Ronnie Greer | Ronnie Greer | Mansfield Douglas |
| 18 | Tom Cash | Burkeley Allen | Burkeley Allen | Kristine LaLonde | Ginger Hausser | Ginger Hausser | Stewart Clifton |
| 19 | Freddie O'Connell | Freddie O'Connell | Erica Gilmore | Erica Gilmore | Ludye Wallace | Ludye Wallace | Julius Sloss |
| 20 | Mary Carolyn Roberts | Mary Carolyn Roberts | Buddy Baker | Buddy Baker | Billy Joe Walls | Morris Haddox | Morris Haddox |
| 21 | Brandon Taylor | Ed Kindall | Edith Langster | Edith Langster | Edward Whitmore | Edward Whitmore | Willis McCallister |
| 22 | Gloria Hausser | Sheri Weiner | Sheri Weiner | Eric Crafton | Eric Crafton | Norma Hand | John Aaron Holt |
| 23 | Thom Druffel | Mina Johnson | Emily Evans | Emily Evans | Chris Whitson | Bob Bogen | Eric Crafton |
| 24 | Kathleen Murphy | Kathleen Murphy | Jason Holleman | Jason Holleman | John Summers | John Summers | Horace Johns |
| 25 | Russ Pulley | Russ Pulley | Sean McGuire | Sean McGuire | Jim Shulman | Jim Shulman | David Kleinfelter |
| 26 | Courtney Johnston | Jeremy Elrod | Chris Harmon | Greg Adkins | Greg Adkins | Michelle Arriola | Michelle Arriola |
| 27 | Robert Nash | Davette Blalock | Davette Blalock | Randy Foster | Randy Foster | Janis Sontany | Janis Sontany |
| 28 | Tanaka Vercher | Tanaka Vercher | Duane Dominy | Duane Dominy | Jason Alexander | Jason Alexander | Durward Hall |
| 29 | Delishia Porterfield | Karen Johnson | Karen Johnson | Vivian Wilhoite | Vivian Wilhoite | Saletta Holloway | Saletta Holloway |
| 30 | Sandra Sepulveda | Jason Potts | Jason Potts | Jim Hodge | Michael Kerstetter | Michael Kerstetter | Leroy Hollis |
| 31 | John Rutherford | Fabian Bedne | Fabian Bedne | Parker Toler | Parker Toler | Don Knoch | Tom Alexander |
| 32 | Joy Styles | Jacobia Dowell | Jacobia Dowell | Sam Coleman | Sam Coleman | Craig Jenkins | Craig Jenkins |
| 33 | Antoinette Lee | Antoinette Lee | Robert Duvall | Robert Duvall | Tommy Bradley | Ron Turner | Ron Turner |
| 34 | Angie Henderson | Angie Henderson | Carter Todd | Carter Todd | Lynn Williams | Lynn Williams | Charles Fentress |
| 35 | Dave Rosenberg | Dave Rosenberg | Bo Mitchell | Bo Mitchell | Charlie Tygard | Vic Lineweaver | Vic Lineweaver |