Questions Tennessean readers want Nashville mayoral candidates to answer | Plazas
Nashville is approaching the final stretch of the municipal runoff election on Sept. 14 and citizens still have lots of questions about what the candidates stand for and what they think about local issues.
It’s hard to go in-depth when forums and debates give them a minute or two to answer questions, but that’s the reality of time restraints.
On Thursday, the top two vote-getters from the Aug. 3 election – Freddie O’Connell and Alice Rolli – will be facing each other for the fourth and final of The Nashville Mayoral Debates at Belmont University. This is a collaboration between The Tennessean, News Channel 5, Belmont, American Baptist College and the League of Women Voters of Nashville.
In my Aug. 11 column, I asked the public what they would ask O’Connell and Rolli, and we received more than two dozen distinct questions on a variety of topics.
The areas include public debt, climate change, education, homelessness, neighborhood investments, public safety and state-city relations.
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in Sept. 14 Nashville mayoral runoff election
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in the Nashville Metro Council At-Large runoff 29
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in the Nashville Metro Council runoff for Districts 4, 11 and 29
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What is their ‘learning curve’?
Some questions were broad, but they require candidates to think deeply about their answers.
“If there is only one and only one thing you can accomplish in your term, what would you want it to be?”
“Metro is a large, multibillion-dollar enterprise, do you feel qualified to run it, and how much of a learning curve would you need?
“At this critical time for our city based on constant interference by the state, experience in knowing how aspects of function within Metro and interface with the state are key: describe your qualifications for actually doing the job (versus a posturing of your beliefs).”
Others were far more specific, such as, this one submitted by the members of Nashville PROPEL, a parent organization that wants equitable policies in Metro Nashville Public Schools:
“Fewer than 3 out 10 MNPS students are reading at grade-level, but for Black students and low-income students, it’s 2 out of 10. Is our city facing a literacy crisis? And if so, will you support allocating more citywide resources to literacy efforts and stronger accountability for the school district to demonstrate progress toward increased literacy rates?”
Some wondered how the future mayor would address the public debt, deal with noise and nuisance in downtown, and decrease homelessness, which has grown by 11%, according to the 2023 Point in Time count.
On Monday, I received a voice mail message asking for better waste management services as it concerned debris and tree removal waste.
The organizers of Thursday’s debate will be putting together the script, which will be informed by the reader questions.
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Five more questions that stood out
These questions represent an array of topics from preparing for the next flood to election integrity.
“Since portions of Nashville are now represented by three U.S. Congressmen, none of whom live in Nashville or even a contiguous county to Nashville, how do you plan to work with the Federal government to support the needs of our great city?”
“After the flood of 2010, there were a number of very specific recommendations to prevent future damage to homes and property from flooding rivers and creeks. Are we prepared as a city for the next big flood?”
“What are they going to do about all of the road closures not offering a safe alternative for walking?”
“Will the next mayor continue with the three current lawsuits with the state?”
“Do you believe the 2020 Presidential election was rigged? Do you believe Joe Biden is the duly elected President of the U.S.? And do you believe that people who willfully undermine faith in our elections without presenting evidence should be prevented from running for elected office themselves?”
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More resources for voters
The Tennessean has been communicating with campaigns for mayor and Metro Council for months.
You can find the runoff candidates’ answers to our editorial board’s questionnaire in the links below:
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in Sept. 14 Nashville mayoral runoff election
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in the Nashville Metro Council runoff – Districts 4, 11 and 29
Election Guide: Learn about candidates running in the Sept. 14 Metro Council At-Large election
Over the last two week, I have conducted one-on-one video interviews with the eight candidates for Metro Council At-Large. You can find their videos in their candidate profiles.
Keep up with coverage at Tennessean.com and remember the key dates:
Aug. 25-Sept. 9: Early voting
Sept. 7: Last day to request an absentee ballot
Sept. 14: Election Day
During the Aug. 3 general election, only 20% of voters came out to the polls. Hopefully, more will take the time to learn about the candidates and cast their votes by Sept. 14.
This is about the future of the city, after all. Your voice matters. It matters for Nashville.
David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063 or email him at dplazas@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Questions for Nashville mayor candidates from Tennessean readers
