63rd Annual State of Metro Address

Good morning.

Thank you to Vice Mayor Henderson, Budget & Finance Chair Toombs, and our entire Metro Council, representing the great neighborhoods and residents of Nashville.

To our special guests, including our emcee Johari Matthews, Burke Nihill, Adolpho Birch, Haley Davidson, and the Tennessee Titans, our hosts-the Metro Nashville Police and Fire Joint Color Guard, Chaplain Steve Sexton, Father Rodolfo Rivera, the 2026 Nashville Youth Poet Laureate Marcus Robinson, and our neighbors who led us in spirit and song this morning, the Martin Luther King Jr. High School Wind Ensemble.

To the hundreds of civic volunteers who serve on our public boards and commissions, our committees and task forces-from Metro Parks to our transit authority.

To our department leaders and their teams, all the members of the mayor's office, and the hard-working Metro employees across the city… a few whose names you might not know, but you should.

During the January ice storm-they served our community with courage and conviction. As I call your name-please stand.

• MNPD officer Taylor Reed literally carried a woman in Madison to a safe place after her home fell to 38 degrees.
• William Shelton drove his snowplow, named Dolly Plowton by MNPS students, for 12-hour shifts. Then he joined other NDOT crews removing trees from the roadways.
• Ethan Willis slept at the Metro Water Services plant during the storm recovery so he could ensure the pumps never stopped working.
• Haley Redmond, an ER nurse from Nashville General Hospital, helped countless folks at our emergency warming locations.
• Doug Roberts-a lineman for 29 years-worked 14-hour shifts with the midnight crews;
• And Micky Thompson-who along with Doug represents the hundreds of employees at NES- was supposed to be with us here today, but true to form, he is out working to repair a broken power pole and was unable to join us in person.
• To him, and all the people who worked tirelessly throughout the storm event, we say thank you.

You delivered when we needed you most.

Just like our friends and partners at Second Harvest who fed us when the federal government wouldn't; United Way who helped us recover after the winter storm; the Community Foundation, TIRRC, and Conexion all of whom strengthened our sense of belonging throughout the year.

Your work makes the lives of others better.

And two more important groups to thank:

My family, without whom I could not do this work.

And the wonderful people of this city who trust and empower us to build our best future together.

I've been blessed with the immense responsibility of protecting, improving, and guiding a thriving city. That's what we are. For young people ready to strike out on their own. For families. For creatives, musicians, artists, writers-and those of us who just like to sing in the car-we can all thrive here. A place for everyone.

We are an ever-growing city of people proud to call Nashville home-because it's a safe place to raise a family, get a good education, relax in the park, and find a great library.

This is the city where the Fisk Jubilee Singers carried our musical soul to the world and put Nashville on the map, not just as a place, but as Music City.

This is the city where a single state senator-at the encouragement of his mother-cast the deciding vote that gave women in America their voice at the ballot box.

This is the city where decades ago a mayor looked at the segregated lunch counters and decided - when it wasn't easy or popular - that Nashville would be better than that and it laid the groundwork for change across America.

Our political process prepares us for those historic moments every day. We argue. We disagree about how to get there. But those moments point to something enduring about who we are-and what is possible.

When the world is this hard, it's important to remember that Nashville has chosen the right path. We're tackling our challenges and taking advantage of our opportunities in a way that makes us the envy of many other cities. And we're working every day to make life even better in this city we all love.

The world is hard, right now.

Last year when we gathered for the State of Metro, most of us were feeling pretty good about the city but apprehensive about the world. We were beginning to feel the first impacts of DOGE.

When summer came, families disappeared from their routines. Not because school was out-but because they were made to feel unwelcome.

We felt that absence at GEODIS Park from one of the biggest supporter groups of Nashville SC, La Brigada de Oro, where instead of fans, banners draped over empty seats reminded us, "No estamos todos aqui.""We are not all here." An image we will not forget.

The harm continued. From censoring our words, to taking over our airport, part of our downtown, and trying to interfere with local elections - again - it strikes at the heart of what we value.

Legendary Nashvillian Lucinda Williams once wrote a song about joy. In it, she sings: "You took my joy. I want it back."

Well, I want it back, too. I think a lot of us do.

But here's the thing. They couldn't stop us from taking care of each other. And they can't and won't stop us from standing up and pushing back.

One thing to remember about the last few years: the work that made us feel good about the city hasn't changed; the world has.

A city of belonging is a city we can afford, where we feel safe, and where we can achieve the better future we imagine for ourselves-that's what I want for Nashvillians and each day our work is guided by that pursuit.

We invest in housing affordability and transportation options to make it easier for everyone to stay. And we work tirelessly to provide schools, services, and safety that enrich us and our community.

We do this with an unflinching commitment to the values we share.

I told you last year that if you violated the constitutional rights of Nashvillians, we'd see you in court. And we've since fought the expansion of unconstitutional presidential power with six lawsuits. We remain undefeated.

Local government delivers the results.

Nashville is safer than it was two years ago. Crime last year was down in every category in every police precinct in the city.

And we're continuing to make further progress this year. Thank you MNPD.

Students are showing us the return on our investment in them with historic results.

The cultural fabric that ties us together is still the envy of many other cities.

We've got one of the best job markets in the country, and wages are rising faster than rent.

The State of Metro is strong. And I will continue to lead the progress that gives us that strength.

We've accomplished many things together this past year. So, as you listen, remember this: each program, each initiative, each partnership, each tax dollar spent to make these things happen-is all designed for us. To give us some joy and make our lives a little easier in some way. Nashville, remember that a win for any one of us is a win for all of us.

Today, we're gathered here in a place where we can catch a glimpse of our future. In a few weeks, we'll break ground on a new neighborhood. What's been a surface parking lot will become our first long-term affordable homes on the East Bank, along with a childcare center to serve our emerging workforce. The scrapyard that many mayors have sought to make a thing of the past-will soon be just that.

Across the street, the stunning new Tennessee Performing Arts Center will break ground by this time next year.

Upgraded infrastructure is under construction right now. We'll have more contiguous miles of protected bikeway than anywhere else in the city. And soon, the sounds of heavy machinery that once defined the East Bank will be replaced by the sound of footsteps on new sidewalks.

Affordable housing, new parks, modern infrastructure, a stage for the arts: these are exciting things and the marks of a great city-and a great neighborhood.

Our neighborhoods are our cultural backbone. These improvements are what we're supposed to be doing in every neighborhood. And we are.

In just the past year, we've delivered three new elementary schools, a community center in Old Hickory, a new police precinct in Antioch, smart traffic signals on Lebanon Pike, and more affordable homes than the city has ever produced in a single year.

We've begun the work to transform the past of Fort Negley from a decayed ballpark into a future that memorializes the people who worked to protect this city.

And in just a few weeks, we'll open Nashville's newest park, Mariposa Park in southeast Nashville in an area that's never had a park before.

My administration is building and working in neighborhoods all across Nashville.

No matter where you live in the United States right now, you hear one word: affordability. We're not immune to its pressures here in Nashville, and we can lead on creative solutions to improve it.

Along with the budget I'll file this week, I'll recommend reducing the grocery tax by a half cent. So that in a time when everything costs more, in Nashville, it will cost a little less to feed your family.

Lowering the grocery tax lightens the load on all of us-especially on working families, single parents, seniors, and anyone who's stretching every dollar.

Reducing our grocery tax doesn't just change a line on a receipt; it acknowledges that feeding your family shouldn't be treated like a luxury. It's a shift toward fairness and economic breathing room for the people who make the city work.

We asked visitors and commuters to chip in the most to our transit improvement program. Now we're proposing to give the same amount-a half cent-back to our own residents buying groceries. This puts money back into local pockets.

Returning this money to Nashvillians means Metro must tighten its belt, and I think this is the right thing to do for all of us. I'm instructing Metro Departments to make modest reductions to their budgets because being good stewards of our city's growth, means being a good steward of government's growth as well.

It's also right to take care of our Metro workers and that's why we're fully funding our employee pay plan.

To our small business community, which is so often the cornerstone of our neighborhoods, we have your back, too.

I know many of you are fighting for your dream. Today, I hope some of you will take advantage of what I'm excited to announce.

Our new Legacy Business program will help recognize our longtime Nashville businesses and their enduring imprint on our neighborhoods and the people who love them.

With that program, will come the opportunity to apply for grant money available to longtime, local business owners.

That's on top of our Property Investment Incentive. That program gives small grants to business owners to improve their building, and we'll be proposing legislation to open this fund up to even more local businesses.

We'll also soon send to Metro Council a new Workforce Advancement Grant for small businesses to provide employees with opportunities to enhance their skills. This is a grant designed to reduce the burden of tuition or materials, just like Project Grad at Nashville State that has helped so many students prepare for better careers at lower costs.

Our incentive programs aren't simply grants. They're a statement that this city stands behind the people who take the risk of building something. By expanding eligibility, we're leveling the playing field so that a family-owned bagel shop or a corner hardware store has the same ability to invest in their future as any large business.

Large businesses will continue to want to be in Nashville, too. What makes us great is that Nashville has a robust business community made up of both small and large companies. The quality of life we've created continues to attract major corporations willing to make long-term investments, And I will make sure that all of this means more opportunities and more jobs for Nashvillians.

A city that ensures a business of any size can put down roots and grow is a more resilient city.

And so is a city where a family can put down roots. We know that the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, artists, teachers, and great thinkers, build their foundation when we support them throughout their earliest years of life.
We start before birth with our Nashville Strong Babies program which, supports pregnant moms-to-be all the way through their child's first 18 months. This program was designed to help more babies celebrate their first birthday. And for all the families participating in this program - it's working. During the pilot and since countywide expansion, we haven't lost one mother, not one baby.

The federal government cut its funding, but we stepped in to sustain it. And this year, we're expanding our investment.

As that child ages, we want them to find a love of reading. Last year, I told you that with a one-million-dollar pledge from Metro, we would, together with the Nashville Public Library and the Nashville Public Library Foundation, launch Begin Bright, a first-of-its-kind initiative to put little libraries stocked with books from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in every childcare center in the city. The first several dozen Begin Bright little libraries are serving children and families across Nashville.

This program is endowed, so it can last forever. No other city has done this.

Less than a week ago, I signed the first of two pieces of legislation to make more childcare centers available in Nashville. Now, we have a fast track for childcare centers in the permitting process.

And in a few weeks, with Metro Council's approval, we'll make access to home-based childcare easier, too.

We also want to set up our students for success, and that is why the school board voted unanimously this winter to ensure that the bell would ring a little later for a lot of our teenagers. We're taking a step in the direction of the evidence, which says that a little more sleep means better student mental health and performance. Thanks to Metro Schools leadership, we'll have a new bell schedule this fall.

And this Fall we'll also have a new partner in higher education.

The university MNPS program helps make it easier for Metro students to go to college. Eight local colleges are partners in the program and today I'm pleased to announce our ninth - the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Let's talk about one of the biggest things we've accomplished together. Choose How You Move is already helping people move faster and safer across our city.

We've already delivered in the first year:

• More buses running more frequently for more hours of the day. So, the early morning crew and the late-night crew can all grab a WeGo ride home. We've made it easier to ride, and ridership is up.
• More employers are offering improved transit options to their employees. Companies like Amazon and the Preds have joined WeGo Ride which allows their team to ride transit for free. And let me speak to some of our other great business leaders in the room with us right now-you should sign your team up as well.
• More sidewalks. We just finished another one, and five more sidewalk projects are starting in the next 60 days.
• More signals. Work is currently underway to upgrade 115 signals, so you'll see more green lights no matter how you move.
• And less stress for more than 10,000 people because they no longer have to choose between paying for a bus fare or food. Journey Pass is a first-of-its-kind program. It's lowering transportation costs by giving three years of fare-free rides. If you're using any of our social services, you're probably eligible for Journey Pass. And in just over six months, Journey Pass riders have taken more than 1 million rides to work, to the doctor, to buy groceries, to see a friend, to all the places they want to go.

The only cost larger than transportation for the average Nashville family is housing.

One year ago today, we released our Unified Housing Strategy, and we committed to do something simple but long overdue: we were going to count the need, name it honestly, and move faster than ever before to address it.

In just a year, we've returned record results, funding the creation or preservation of nearly 3,000 affordable homes.

That's the most ever in one year in Nashville.

And when I file my recommended budget, we'll make an even bigger investment in affordability. Our cumulative investment this year will be the largest in housing in our city's history, including the largest amount ever from our general fund into the Barnes Housing Trust Fund.

And we're going to introduce a new tool: it serves as an important next step in the evolution of Metro's UHS. The pilot creates a revolving loan program that will build the foundation needed to initiate a durable affordable housing bond.

But I want to be clear about something: government alone cannot solve the challenge of making our housing more affordable. We need everyone in the room and across the city-government, non-profit, for-profit, and philanthropic partners at the table.

I appreciate that we're seeing new partners emerge like Fifth Third Bank with their $20 million investment last year in North Nashville. Now we need more.

And I'll make sure government works for you in this effort. We'll make investments, remove barriers, and keep our sights on the goal.

So, when I talk about my vision for a Nashville where everyone belongs, we know that it's made possible by lowering the costs of housing and transportation. Rents are curving down-and transit ridership is up.

But none of this is simple. We operate in a landscape full of competing pressures, shrinking state and federal resources, and-it's important to name it-real political friction. There are things I want to implement but state law says we can't. Our political environment requires us to be as strategic as we are principled. We pick the fights we can win, build coalitions we need, and never let perfect be the enemy of real progress for real people.

I wake up every day excited to lead Nashville for so many reasons.

And I'm excited to continue serving this city in the years ahead. There's a lot more work to do to make us even more welcoming, healthy, friendly, affordable, and prosperous than we are today.

Despite everything the world has thrown at us, we've stayed on task. And it's working.

Progress will not always be loud or linear. But it will be purposeful.

Every decision we make:

To cut grocery tax.

To have more childcare available.

To support our small businesses.

To turn more lights from red to green.

To build enough housing.

And to support our kids from the day they're born.

Everything is a statement about who this city is for. I intend for the answer to be loud and clear: this city is for everyone.

We define our own success. Nashville's history tells us this over and over.

When you sat down today, you likely found a postcard on your chair. It's a note from Nashville-and Nashvillians-for those places and people we love. Take it. Give it to someone, a neighbor, a business, a place that matters to you. Write something true about why you love this city. Take it as a reminder that this city is worth fighting for.

We're proud of our city, but we're not satisfied. And we will not stop moving forward.

I've already tackled many of the challenges the city hadn't been able to solve for decades. Problems that we've been talking about for years. Opportunities that were started but never finished. We finally broke the cycle. We took challenges and turned them into accomplishments. Transit. The scrapyard. Healthier school start times. More housing. These are historic achievements, and we should celebrate them because we did them together. All of us. Nashville, we're doing it.

Through every age, through every challenge, of great works and great opportunity, we have always found the strength and wisdom to come together as a city. To widen our circle of belonging and our care for our neighbors. Today, I've laid out my vision to keep that momentum going.

This is my city. This is your city. This is our city. There are thousands of people across Nashville working hard every day to make sure it works for each of us. I'm proud to be one of them. And thank you for being a part of that work. Thank you for engaging in it, making us and what we want to achieve better.

As we leave here today, let's all remember the love we have for our city and for one another.

Thank you.