Nashville voters should reject a sales tax increase on transit. Residents are experiencing difficulties

Once the Nov. 5 election passes, regardless of whether the transit plan passes or not, you can expect Nashville city officials to try to push for a property tax increase.

In 2020, the property tax rate increased by 34%. Residents have not forgotten.

Nashville-Davidson County will be conducting a quadrennial property assessment next year, and as a District 1 City Council member, I fear that a request for a property tax increase is imminent and guaranteed.

With the new budget being discussed over the next few months, I think the city has realized that they need a way to get more money from taxpayers now.

So they are going to increase the sales tax by 0.5% to pay for transit.

Taxpayers might be more skeptical and less trusting of voting for the transit plan if property tax increases hit them before this election.

In “this” city, too many Nashvillians can’t afford to pay their bills right now.

In my opinion, the transit plan lacks detail and assurance, has a lot of ambiguity, but provides just enough information to allow taxpayers to imagine opportunities for improved service.

The city quickly came up with a referendum to put on the November ballot that would tie the sales tax increase to transit. The word “transit” would easily tempt voters to fork out their own money.

At a time when average Nashville residents can barely afford to put their two cents together, the city is telling taxpayers they must tax themselves higher.

Some Nashville residents cannot afford to buy groceries, medicine, clothing, diapers, utilities, property taxes, insurance premiums, home repairs, etc., but “this is” the city that recently financially supported the construction of Titan Stadium ” worth $2.2 billion, has the audacity to ask taxpayers to vote against themselves, their families and their communities, in hope creating sidewalks, synchronized traffic lights and improved bus routes.

Nashville should use its existing budget to pay for sidewalk and bus repairs.

Many voters do not realize that the money raised from the transit sales tax referendum will not be used for projects to relieve congestion on state interstates, including I-24, I-40 or I-65, and it will not be used for train system.

True transit systems are found in Atlanta, New York, Oakland, Washington, and other major cities.

Nashville’s transportation plan includes sidewalks, street lights and bus routes.

Black community members in Nashville are skeptical because many still remember the city’s transit overhaul in the 1960s, which saw Jefferson Street in half and gutted North Nashville.

Respected community members and politicians were hired to convince voters that it was in their best interest to vote for a higher sales tax so they could Maybe install new sidewalks.

The truth is that the city’s budget is $3.27 billion. Sidewalks, traffic lights and bus routes could be funded without increasing the sales tax charged to taxpayers.

The fool’s tax is the price you pay for your own mistakes. The biggest one is not listening to your intuition and not following your inner guidance.

When you first heard “sales tax increase,” your gut reaction was correct. Vote “no” on the sales tax increase.

Attorney Joy Kimbrough was elected as the 2023 Councilwoman for Metro Nashville-Davidson District 1.

This article originally appeared in Nashville, Tennessee: Opinion: Nashville should fund more transit without raising sales tax.