Meet Jim Shulman, candidate for Nashville vice mayor
Editor's note: The Tennessean Editorial Board invited candidates for the 2023 Metro Nashville-Davidson County municipal elections to fill out our questionnaire. They include biographical information and answers to 12 questions on variety of topics from key policy issues to their recommendation for visitors on what to see or do in the city.
Editorial: Learn about candidates running in the Aug. 3 Vice Mayoral election
Key dates:
July 5: Voter registration deadline
July 14-29: Early voting
July 27: Deadline to request absentee ballot
Aug. 3: Election
Sept. 14: Runoff election
Biographical Information
Name: Jim Shulman
Which office are you seeking? Vice Mayor
Age: 62
What neighborhood/part of the county do you live in? Green Hills
Education: Vanderbilt University (‘82) and Vanderbilt Law School (‘85)
Job history: Assistant professor of Political Science at Cumberland University starting in the fall; former CEO of Safe Haven Family Shelter; former executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability; former deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health; former chief of staff to the Tennessee Speaker of the House Jimmy Naifeh; former legal counsel for the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration
Family: Married to Lori, 2 daughters, 3 grandchildren
Twelve questions for the candidates
Why are you running for this office?
I currently hold the office and am running for re-election for three specific reasons:
to keep up efforts at maintaining a sense of professionalism and civility in the Council;
to focus directly on major issues (specifically school safety) that need solutions; and
to provide a more focused level of accountability to Council actions (to make sure that grants and contracts and programs are properly implemented and that the monies allocated to those areas are spent in a timely and correct manner)
What makes you qualified to hold this office and better qualified than your opponent(s)?
I have served as the vice mayor for five years. Before that, I was both a district Councilmember and an At-Large Councilmember. I have spent time all across Davidson County throughout my years in office, talking to Nashvillians about their concerns for the City. I know the procedures of running Council meetings and I know the rules. For the last five years, I have also met with the Mayor on a weekly basis so that I would be ready to step in to that role if necessary. With the help of the Council, we have also brought new ideas into the Council proceedings: new methods to keep the public better informed on Council proceedings, new ways to engage Nashvillians on the issues facing the Council, and new efforts to keep Councilmembers updated on issues.
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If you are re-elected, what are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your next term in office
As indicated previously, I have three specific reasons for running for re-election:
to keep up efforts at maintaining a sense of professionalism and civility in the Council;
to focus directly on major issues (specifically school safety) that need solutions; and
to provide a more focused level of accountability to Council actions (to make sure that grants and contracts and programs are properly implemented and that the monies allocated to those areas are spent in a timely and correct manner)
What are you hearing most from voters about what they want you to accomplish, if elected?
Voters are interested in finding solutions to issues. They are tired of elected officials not talking with each other; they do not like the inability to get things done; and they are concerned about government bureaucracy. They want continued leadership that is squarely focused on addressing the concerns of our community.
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A 2023 Vanderbilt poll showed that most Nashvillians do not agree with the direction of the city. Do you agree? Why or why not?
With overdevelopment, the lack of affordable housing, concerns with crime, the rising cost of living, the traffic concerns, the continued issues surrounding homelessness, and the lack of sufficient resources to address a host of social concerns, I can see why Nashvillians are not happy with the direction of the city. And now we have significant fighting between our levels of government. We have got to keep our focus on those issues most important to Nashville.
What is your assessment of the performance of the Mayor and Metro Council over the last four years?
This Council and the Mayor faced some of the most trying times in Nashville within the first year of being elected. The city was hit with the devastating tornado in March of 2020 followed by the effects of the pandemic. These crises both challenged Councilmembers personally as well as in their ability to serve as elected officials. A major downfall was the inability of Councilmembers to bond as a government body during that first year. Virtual meetings were a challenge but every member figured out how to continue to serve their constituents and tackle major issues in the city. Other tragic events happened to Nashville, as well. The Mayor and the Council also had to deal with the numerous pieces of legislation filed by the State Legislature. Through it all, Nashville’s Government continued to function and to accomplish.
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Affordable/attainable housing has been named by citizens again and again (NashvilleNext, polling, etc.) as a top concern. What should the city do to address this crisis?
The solution to the lack of affordable/attainable housing is more affordable/attainable housing. We have programs in place to build more units; however, we have to keep looking for more and better ideas to focus resources and efforts to increase the supply. Providing accountability (are the resources being maximized, are we moving as quickly as we can, are there better ways to increase the number of units) is something that is needed.
The Tennessee General Assembly has gutted Metro Nashville's governance model and finances. What is your position on this and how should the city address the relationship with lawmakers?
I spent a great deal of time at the beginning of this year at the Legislative Plaza trying to get the House and Senate Leadership to back away from interfering with our government, our finances, and our authorities and boards. The people of Nashville deserve the right to decide what their government looks like, not the State Legislature. Our financial operations are very strong. And our authorities and boards seem to be operating just fine. The legal challenges will play themselves out over the next several months and years. During that time, however, our Government will continue to function as will the State Legislature. I would rather better our communications with the State Legislative leaders than to have to keep fighting off new challenges from them. And I would much rather be able to sit down and address the serious concerns that we are facing today (gun safety, the protection of our children) than spend time fighting with the Legislature over who should control our Sports Authority.
Are you supportive of Mayor Cooper's plans to renovate the East Bank now that the Titans deal has been approved? Elaborate on your position.
As the Vice Mayor, I will not be able to vote on the measures but, after reviewing the terms of the Stadium deal, listening to all sides of the discussion, and seeing the potential for the East Bank, I feel that the City is coming out ahead. These ideas have been vetted by numerous groups and reviewed at multiple meetings, including several community meetings. I have never been a fan of building a stadium just to tear it down 25 years later. But, with the City’s current and remaining obligations being removed with this proposal, with an increase in the hotel/motel tax being the item that was needed to cover the cost for Metro, and with that riverfront property being returned to the City for appropriate development, I believe the City and its taxpayers stand to benefit. If we don’t do this, the City is financially on the hook for millions of dollars payable to the Titans for stadium upkeep. That money will have to come from someplace, meaning money will not be available to spend on other items.
What else do you want voters to know about you that will help them make an informed decision on election day?
That whether elected or not, I will continue to find ways to make Nashville a better place for all.
A "fun" question: When visitors ask you, "What should I do in Nashville?" what are the top 2 or 3 things or places you recommend?
I tell visitors to go to the Farmers Market, go explore Broadway, visit Centennial Park, and eat some hot chicken.
Will you commit to being civil in how you present yourself and the way you interact with opponents and others? (Our definition of civility is being a good, active, honest and respectable citizen)
Yes
Call Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville local election: Jim Shulman, candidate for vice mayor
