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Vice Mayor Angie E. Henderson Issues Statement on Court of Appeals Ruling in the Council Size Reduction Litigation
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Nashville, Tenn. (June 3, 2025) -- I am grateful to the Metro Department of Law for their expert argument before the Court of Appeals in March of this year to uphold the Charter of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County on behalf of the voters and residents of Metro Nashville.
Metro Nashville was first in the nation to fully consolidate a city and a county government, and in so doing, a 40-member, highly representative, local legislative branch was created by the voters. I am disappointed that today’s Court of Appeals decision failed to respect the will of our voters.
The Home Rule Amendment of the Tennessee Constitution, in part, stands for the proposition that the size of the Metro Council is a decision for the voters of Metro Nashville. The General Assembly’s 2023 Small Government Efficiency Act was advanced purportedly to address the “efficiency & effectiveness” of Nashville’s legislative branch. For the last 60 years, this 40-member Council has capably and effectively served the interests of our constituents, who today number some 715,000. Over the course of this recent term, this Council has delivered numerous efficiency improvements, and we will continue to represent all Nashvillians to the best of our ability.
I appreciate the dissenting opinion of Judge Armstrong and look forward to discussing our next steps with Metro’s Department of Law.
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The Metropolitan Council is the legislative authority of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, the nation’s first, fully consolidated city-county government, established in 1963. The Vice Mayor serves as the president of the Council, which is comprised of 35 district members and five members serving at-large. Metropolitan Council Office | Nashville.gov
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