Freddie O' Connell- Mayor of Nashville

Mayor Freddie O’Connell: Property Taxes, Nashville’s Growth & the Future of Independent RestaurantsNashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell returns to Nashville Restaurant Radio for a wide-ranging and candid conversation about the challenges facing Nashville and the independent businesses that help define the city.We begin with Freddie the person rather than Freddie the politician. He talks about what he inherited when he became mayor following an unusually turbulent period in Nashville leadership, what surprised him during his first months in office, how much of the job involves responding to unexpected crises, and why he still wants a job where somebody is almost always unhappy with you.Then we get into the issues restaurant owners have been talking about.Brandon asks Mayor O’Connell directly about Nashville’s property tax burden, rising property assessments, triple-net leases, the continued pressure on longtime Nashville businesses, and Carey Bringle’s 2020 warning that increasing costs could eventually push some of Nashville’s iconic independent restaurants out of the city.The Mayor explains how Tennessee’s property appraisal and tax-rate system works, why the tax rate can technically decline while individual property owners still see dramatically higher bills, and why Nashville’s rapid growth makes the issue especially complicated.They also discuss:The growing cost of operating an independent restaurant in NashvilleWhy some local restaurants are thriving while others are strugglingProperty tax appeals and the limitations of the Mayor’s office in that processPotential relief for legacy businesses and triple-net leaseholdersIncentive programs already available to Nashville small businessesThe changing economics of Lower BroadwayNashville’s relationship with state governmentTraffic, bike lanes and the Choose How You Move initiativeWhether Nashville can grow without losing the independent businesses that created its identityOne of the most important moments comes near the end of the conversation when Mayor O’Connell commits to continuing the conversation with the Nashville Area Restaurant Alliance and its members.His message to Nashville’s independent restaurant community: the city doesn’t simply want to speak to restaurant owners — it wants to listen.Mayor O’Connell will continue that conversation in person at the Nashville Area Restaurant Alliance Independent Restaurant Show on September 1 at Fat Bottom Brewery.This is a conversation about growth, taxes and government — but ultimately it is about a much bigger question:As Nashville continues to grow, how do we make sure the people and businesses that made Nashville special can still afford to be here?