He was elected to this position in 2002 and took office the following year, replacing retired Judge F. E. Steinmeyer III. The increase in debt service payments since 2013 would essentially fund our entire police department. As senior advisor for communications, John Cooper provides trusted advice and counsel to Heritage leadership on communications and media relations issues, helping advance the messaging and policy . Nashville looks inexpensive to those relocating from the coasts, but we are becoming increasingly unaffordable for those who have been here. } I will work with journalists, free press experts, and government agencies to review Metros current open records practices, to make sure that the publics work is being done in a lawful, transparent, and public way. } p.survey-response {white-space: pre-line;} Infrastructure: The existing network needs to be maintained and expanded. I will expect that our schools get great results for all kids and will celebrate the achievements of those that do. As mayor, I will commit to directing over half of new revenue into our school system. I commit to creating and publishing a public engagement plan for transportation planning, something the current Mayor has not done. Bad deals and park giveaways will end when I become mayor. State and local courts | Ron DeSantis, violates Florida's constitution. Economic incentives have their place. For instance, Tennessee is the only state where adults can attend community college or a Tennessee College of Applied Technology tuition-free. And our urban core is surrounded by the federally designated Promise Zone to the north, east, and south. Vice-Mayor David Briley stayed silent. Non-partisan and nonprofit since 1988. That means targeted marketing and reaching out to HBCUs and minority police officer associations. color: #888; Send me your thoughts. John Cooper is the Mayor of Nashville in Tennessee. font-style: italic; background-color: #dac113; Thats a good thing. Ballotpedia features 395,577 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Without a course adjustment, we risk leaving our neighbors further behind. With access to a $25 million revolving housing fund, community development corporations and other builders will be able to access approximately $250 million in funding from banks and other lenders to build affordable housing. I voted against a property tax hike last year and this year. We will then solicit $15 million in investments from foundations, businesses, and individuals. } So in 2018, the General Fund saw $15.86 million in hotel tax. Metros revenue grew by over 19% between 2013 and 2018, yet education, transportation and affordable housing are still underfunded. As a candidate, I have held many conversations with residents who have mentioned that they would like not to rely on their car for each and every trip they make, but that they feel unsafe being a pedestrian. Counties | Research shows that teachers are the most important factor that affects student learning inside of schools, but non-school factors have a greater impact on student achievement outcomes. As mayor, I will continue to exact the same scrutiny on the budget to ensure that our schools have the resources they need to succeed. He claims. In exchange, the public will receive accordingly to the mayors one-page press release at least 1,000 deeply affordable unitsplus another 1,600 affordable and workforce housing units. This is a disturbingly low number of units for a $350 million investment. Police officers logged 17,770 overtime hours during the NFL Draft weekend. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it. I will do the math and negotiate good deals for this city. I will shift the focus of the Mayors Office away from political posturing and public relations to serving the needs of our residents, local businesses, and neighborhoods. I want to hear your thoughts and ideas. Police and Public Safety: Development should serve the needs of this city, not the other way around. text-align: center; Mayor Brileys plan would allocate an additional $350 million to the agency over ten years. If the mayor in your city is not a member of the city council and oversees the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor and city council? With my deep background in development, I know that an experienced team can leverage tax credits for preservation. Instead of improving bus service, the mayors budget cuts services. How can we make Nashville a better place for you and your family? Local foundations and the private sector have made no such commitments. We will conduct and publish performance audits to confirm that that money we allocate is being used where it should be used. One of the primary reasons I am running for mayor is to change that. Metro has 1,900 miles of streets without sidewalks, and the WalkNBike plan identified 91 miles of high priority streets. Parks play an important stewardship role by protecting and honoring the best aspects of a citys history and character. Establish a revolving loan fund for affordable housing. We are handing subsidies out due to habit.. His current six-year term expires in January 2027. Cooper is the 29th Democratic House incumbent to announce retirement in the run-up to the midterms. width: 100%; Payments on our rising debt have limited the investments that can be made in education and affordable housing. top: 2px; color: white; See more in my Fiscal Accountability policy statement. $19,100 Total Expenditures. A runoff election took place on September 10, 2015. Transportation: The 62.5% property tax abatement was worth $2.28 million to Omni last year alone. [10] Floyd died after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, arrived at the scene and pressed his knee onto Floyd's neck as Floyd laid face-down on the street in handcuffs. Only 12.9% of Davidson County households live within a mile of high-frequency bus service at rush hour. letter-spacing: 0.03em; .clearfix { Trust between police and the people they protect and serve is key to the stability of our communities, the integrity of our justice system, and the effectiveness of our police department. color: black; Ballot measures, Who represents me? word-wrap: break-word; width: 57%; We all agree that Nashville has traffic and transportation problems. The most important job for the Mayor of Nashville is managing the budget. letter-spacing: .03em; font-size: 12px; Preserve existing housing. Bailing out MDHA. What would you like to see Metro do to improve your experience moving throughout the county? Christian Cooper (no relation), a Black man and a bird-watcher, asked Amy to leash her dog. Nashville is going to grow more in the next five years than in the past five years, so we have to get this next phase right. Only 27.4 percent of MNPS students were on track to meet grade level standards last year. I helped lead the successful effort to stop the city from selling a large portion of one of our most significant historic sites, Fort Negley, which was once the home of thousands of black refugees during the Civil War. [6], Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update. .results_row td { The city needs private and nonprofit sector resources and expertise. The city of Nashville, Tennessee, held nonpartisan elections for mayor and metro council on August 6, 2015. In fact, in a 2016 interview with Howard Stern, Anderson went so far as to say that he believes reporters shouldn't vote. As mayor, I will work with our police chief to more seriously implement the proposals presented in the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing. These best practices include engaging the community in positive, non-enforcement actions and measuring satisfaction through surveys. Other cities have found new funding sources by creating citywide park improvement districts and by creating business improvement districts around parks, identifying sponsorship opportunities, and developing more robust public-private partnerships to support our parks. Ill direct Parks to develop new ways to receive feedback, including working with neighborhood advisory groups to solicit input. padding-left: 16px; The first events took place in Minneapolis-St. Paul on May 26. The mission of the Second Judicial Circuit is to protect rights and liberties, uphold & interpret the law, and provide for the peaceful resolution of disputes in the six counties of the circuit. Finance is the foundation of everything a city does. Building the stadium itself should have been enough of an incentive for a soccer team. } Support the officers who protect and serve us. } I know how to manage large, complex projects. John Cooper talks pain of losing friendships over biblical views, defending faith in public sphere. width: 150px; } As mayor, I am committed to developing a people-first transportation plan that is focused on helping you get to where you work and where you live in a timely, safe, and cost-effective manner. .non_result_row { } height: 56px; Measuring by the number of cranes youll spot downtown on any given day, we are doing well by that measure. .widget-row.value-only { } Better management of taxpayer money will free up resources for priorities like education and infrastructure. font-size: 0.9em; I will focus on expanding Nashvilles greenway system and the sidewalks and bikeways that connect our neighborhoods to the greenways in order to provide better and broader access to recreation and to encourage alternative transportation. I began the process for recapturing some of this revenue to cover costs downtown, but more needs to be done. In 2017, Metro Council passed a three-year pay plan that included modest cost of living adjustments for Metro employees. [5], .survey-result {padding:10px;} Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. In order to be a successful city, we must be a well-educated city. The current course of deficit spending and selling assets for short-term operating funds is unsustainable. [9], On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officers arrested Floyd, a Black man, after receiving a call that he had made a purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill. width: 100% !important; As mayor, I will make sure that our city invests in human capital and infrastructure so every neighborhood has the opportunity to thrive. How to vote | Events in Nashville, Tennessee, began on Saturday, May 30, 2020, downtown and at Capitol Hill. Parks and Green Spaces: Between 2014 and 2018, auto thefts increased 280 percent. The subsequent cuts in bus service are yet another example of the current administration not prioritizing the essential. Property tax revenue from other properties has to cover the difference. Too many people dont feel safe in their own neighborhood. .race_footer { padding-left: 10px; Improve safety. That means ending the culture of secrecy, evasiveness, and insider dealing that have taken root at city hall. The movie stars Steve Carrell. Last years vote was on a specific plan and therefore should not be interpreted as a lack of countywide interest in funding the right plan. } padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 0; Over half of MNPS students are economically disadvantaged, and many students have been affected by challenges such as trauma, violence, and food or housing insecurity. These stops can put both residents and officers in tense situations and there is evidence that they are prone to racial imbalances. But we can rebuild trust with a new start and a new attitude: Government serves the people, and the people deserve the truth. Basic needs need to be met in order for students to meet their full potential. John Cooper is the Mayor of Nashville in Tennessee. Building out high quality infrastructure is one of the best ways to foster good growth. Source. Cooper's resilience should go down as one of the most impressive political feats North Carolina has seen in the 21st century. } With your help and support, we can create a city that works for everyone. John C. Cooper $19,100 Total Contributions. Since it was after the. The Nashville Metro Council is full of talented, dedicated individuals with vast institutional knowledge who should be consulted on major initiatives for the city. This is money that can be used to invest in schools. .results_text { CB Rank (Person) 235. Yet Metro has built only 6.2 miles of new sidewalks since 2016. The first question I will ask as mayor on any issue will be how does this affect residents?. .inner_percentage, .inner_percentage.Nonpartisan, .inner_percentage.Independent, .inner_percentage.Constitution, .inner_percentage.unknown { Metro gave Opryland Hotel an estimated $14 million incentive package to build a private waterpark in 2017. The following were found on Cooper's campaign website. } Building a safer community requires setting goals. We should explore using TIF to bring grocery stores to food deserts. The Music City Center does not pay property taxes; perhaps it should before we raise residents property taxes. } No person involved in the hearing may appear at the Courthouse. width: 100%; The first year of the BRC was a partial success, but real support from the Mayors Office is crucial to realizing the potential of the process. In the past couple of months, this administration has talked a lot about its affordable housing plan. max-width: 600px; I plan to create a public safety subcabinet that brings together representatives for MNPD, Sheriff, District Attorney, Public Defender, the Division of Youth Services, probation and parole, as well as representatives of nonprofit and faith-based groups, to identify problems and solutions. I wont hide what I am doing. Cooper's current term ends in 2023. Cooper ran for election for Mayor of Nashville in Tennessee. That didnt happen when major league soccer came to Nashville. The 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report showed that the fund balance was, in fact, at 5.5% at the end of June 2018, well above the 5 percent threshold. Yet in 2015, Metro sold the property to a developer for a mere $5 million due at closing plus $6.25 million over 25 years. .votebox_legend { People's interest in John's political belief started after he overruled the Florida governor's mask mandate ban in public schools on 27 August. He worked long hours weighing the evidence and. I support the recommendation of a 25 mph maximum speed limit for neighborhood streets to ensure that residents are kept safe. Expand green space. Dogs must be leashed in Central Park from 9am to 9pm, but in the Ramble they must be leashed at all times. John Cooper - $144,231 in Political Contributions for 2008, Campaign Finance, Money, American politics, American political campaign contributions, presidential campaign contributions . It would be easy to raise property taxes, but there are other revenue sources that need to be utilized. Though Mayor Briley disagrees, Nashville is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. Parks promote investment. All-in, we paid Omni more than the hotel cost to build! Cities across the country have recognized that parks are about more than green space. Tackle traffic, not just transit. Educators deserve to be treated as the professionals they are; these are the individuals who are preparing our kids for the future. font-weight: bold; I would like to be remembered as the Mayor who got our city back on track. My family and I love to spend time at Bells Bend and the Warner Parks, however, not all neighborhoods and families have easy access to our great parks and greenways. I will be especially focused on reducing equity gaps in student outcomes. font-weight: bold; Instead of figuring out what we could afford to spend and developing a plan that spent those dollars in the most cost-effective way possible, mayoral aides figured out how much we could borrow and came up with a plan to go big.