NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne) -- The Nashville Chamber of Commerce has again thrown its weight behind the 34 cent tax hike passed by the city council last year.
The Chamber endorsed the so-called “Decline to Sign” campaign in a recent blog post. The Chamber is urging Nashvillians to decline to sign a new referendum petition that seeks to repeal the tax increase.
Mayor John Cooper championed the move to higher property taxes in 2020, saying it was the only way to save the city’s pandemic battered budget. The Chamber came out in support of that effort.
Critics of the tax increase collected enough signatures to put a tax referendum on the next countwide ballot. However, the city managed to get that referendum initiative tossed out by the courts.
A second ballot initiative is currently underway. Referendum supporters are advocating for a smaller tax increase paired with deeper cuts to city services.
