Nashville Bits and Pieces

[TheRaglander]

For those that have been downtown taking pictures or working:  Is everyone wearing a mask outside?  It has been over 8 months since I have been downtown and thought about finding a parking spot and walking around, taking pics and having lunch somewhere.  I know people are being asked to wear masks around Broadway but was curious about how it is on KVB and the business core.  Thanks!

[Nash_12South]

I was downtown Saturday from Union St to Koreans Vets and I'll say at best 60% wearing masks. I think most of the non mask wearers are tourists. We are downtown most Saturdays having brunch at the Dream and then walking around (but avoiding more than just crossing Broadway) and the crowds are growing and mask wearing slipping. The staffs are good (in general) about wearing masks and taking folks to task for not wearing them.

In 12 South, the numbers are up a lot, with a lot of tourists who just don't like masks. I think the locals are generally good about it and the restaurant staffs very good. 

[Jarno]

4 hours ago, TheRaglander said:

For those that have been downtown taking pictures or working:  Is everyone wearing a mask outside?  It has been over 8 months since I have been downtown and thought about finding a parking spot and walking around, taking pics and having lunch somewhere.  I know people are being asked to wear masks around Broadway but was curious about how it is on KVB and the business core.  Thanks!

The last time I went downtown during the week a month or so ago there were not enough people to make a determination.

 

[smeagolsfree]

You are pretty much OK if you go during the day and not on the weekend and stay away from lower Broad. When I walk as of late, I stay away from the lower Broad area as a matter of health for me because there are a number of folks that are not wearing mask. Besides the noise coming from the honky tonks irritate me to no end not to mention the music. Just never has been my thing.

The Gulch area is sparsely occupied during the day with about 60 % wearing mask. From what it looks like as far as hot spots, you need to be careful of the co struction sites more.

[Bos2Nash]

On 9/17/2020 at 9:10 AM, Jamie Hall said:

Groups like IndyCar have a lot of experience converting streets into road courses and vice versa, so I would expect it to be a pretty smooth transition. They've been doing this for a long, long time.

I have no doubt about IndyCar's - specifically Roger Penske - capabilities for a street race. It's the local promoter I doubt. Unless Penske has changed the structure of IndyCar rather dramatically, these city street races falls on the shoulders of the promoter more than IndyCar. Hell, IndyCar was awarded $4 million by the Boston Grand Prix promoter for when they failed to deliver! I doubt very much a 3-day closure of KVB, I would think more like 3-weeks.

Excuse my cynicism, but after getting my hopes up for the Boston Grand Prix and watching that crash and burn, I have a certain amount of reservation until it actually happens. 

[PaulChinetti]

https://www.nashville.gov/Trustee/Calculate-Taxes.aspx

Based on this, the current tax rate is 4.221 (urban services) and 3.788 (general services) and it’s going to increase by 34% is that correct so, 1.435 and 1.289 respectively?

I was just reading a Tennessean article about it and of course they only mentioned the % increase no other numbers .

So what’s that an increase of per 100k of value , I vaguely remember reading on here that it’s about a 600 dollar increase in a 300k house, I think, but I can’t find the article posted, anyone know?

Math, is not my strong suit so I wanted to check.

 

[downtownresident]

9 minutes ago, PaulChinetti said:

https://www.nashville.gov/Trustee/Calculate-Taxes.aspx

Based on this, the current tax rate is 4.221 (urban services) and 3.788 (general services) and it’s going to increase by 34% is that correct so, 1.435 and 1.289 respectively?

I was just reading a Tennessean article about it and of course they only mentioned the % increase no other numbers .

So what’s that an increase of per 100k of value , I vaguely remember reading on here that it’s about a 600 dollar increase in a 300k house, I think, but I can’t find the article posted, anyone know?

Math, is not my strong suit so I wanted to check.

 

The 4.221 and 3.788 are the new, higher rates. 

[PaulChinetti]

Wait really? Then according to this, that wouldn't even put us in the top 50 for tax rates in the state. We would be right under Putnam (Monterey) and right above Campbell (Jellico)!

https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/pa/tax-resources/assessment-information-for-each-county/property-tax-rates/2019.html

 

[nashvylle]

I'm praying for this Nashville Taxpayer "Protection" Act to never go on the ballot.

[BnaBreaker]

4 hours ago, PaulChinetti said:

Wait really? Then according to this, that wouldn't even put us in the top 50 for tax rates in the state. We would be right under Putnam (Monterey) and right above Campbell (Jellico)!

https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/pa/tax-resources/assessment-information-for-each-county/property-tax-rates/2019.html

That chart is really eye opening.  Thank you for posting it.  I wasn't going to say anything, because I'm not a Nashville resident so the tax rate doesn't affect me personally, but to be frank, it's a little hilarious to me that some Nashvillians are whining about this 'catastrophic, astronomically high' new tax rate, when in reality, it's still pretty damn low relative to most of Nashville's peer cities and, according to your chart, even relative to many surrounding rural counties.  If I were mayor I'd probably raise them even more, and I'm sure I wouldn't be popular as a result, but the reality is that all the services we all take for granted that come with living in an urban area have a cost.   

[PaulChinetti]

Yeah it's pretty mind boggling, the number 34% is scary if you don't understand how it's calculated and of course the news doesn't tell you what it is, how it's calculated and how there are the urban service areas and general service areas.

[GreenHillsBoy]

I think the city has been spoiled by the property tax rate being so low, likely impacted by the heavy amount of taxes from tourism.  We have had the luxury of being so low for so long, people forget how good we've had it.  I own a condo on 30A in Walton County Florida with 1/3 of the square footage of my home in Green Hills and I pay over $1600 more per year there for a 1000 sq ft. condo.  Best friends in Dallas pay FOUR times what I pay here and the house is appraised at about 35% of my value.  The even bigger concern is that if the referendum is on the ballot, with the economy as it is and likely will be, it will pass and will totally hamstring any future ability for the council to act on bond issue, taxes.  This will cripple this city and we will be voting constantly on these issues.  They are not being truthful about blaming Cooper for the 34%, it was the council that passed this and Cooper did sign it.  Cooper had proposed a slightly smaller increase, 32.5% I think.  

[PaulChinetti]

I'm all for the people getting their voice but if all it takes is 12,000 people to get something on the ballot, that seems nuts to me. If Davidson County has 600k residents, that's .02 percent of the population. Seems like a number left over from when Nashville was a sleepy little southern town ages ago.

[titanhog]

3 hours ago, PaulChinetti said:

Yeah it's pretty mind boggling, the number 34% is scary if you don't understand how it's calculated and of course the news doesn't tell you what it is, how it's calculated and how there are the urban service areas and general service areas.

This is why I scratch my head and wonder why the mayor and his office haven't made a big deal of the numbers for surrounding cities and peer cities and made sure to beat that into the minds of people in the county.  I would be pushing that fact and opening some eyes to how low Nashville has been so at least people understand that even though 34% may seem like a big bump...they've been paying lower than most others.

[PaulChinetti]

I assume because they are bad at being in office. Being major of the 23rd biggest city in the US isn't quite being the same as the persnickety council member. It requires thought and a plan. 

[Hey_Hey]

I don't think it's the rate that shocked people, it's the pace at which it increased. Relatively speaking, Nashville will still have a reasonable overall rate.  However, tax rates are assumed to be fairly stable, so budgets and mortgages are built around them. As tax rates are lower then sales prices on houses will likely rise a bit more to keep the total cost of ownership (principal + interest + taxes) relatively stable. 

For example, if someone purchased a property for $500,000 then they would expect to pay $2245/month for their mortgage assuming they financed 100%. They would have paid $337/month in taxes. With the increase that monthly tax bill increases to $452.  That's an extra $115/month that is being spent, and people are going to feel that. For landlords that can decrease their monthly cash flow by 25%, and for families that can mean one less long weekend vacation per year.  

If there are slow and steady rate increases along the way then planning can happen for families, businesses, and landlords. With rapid increases it becomes much, much harder, and there is also the significant risk of an anti-tax reaction that could potentially be spawned.

[markhollin]

Music City Grand Prix website:

https://musiccitygp.com/?utm_source=nbj&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=mcgp_launch&utm_content=sound_970x250

[MidTenn1]

1 hour ago, markhollin said:

Music City Grand Prix website:

https://musiccitygp.com/?utm_source=nbj&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=mcgp_launch&utm_content=sound_970x250

I'm guessing 250,000 show up.

[tragenvol]

20 hours ago, PaulChinetti said:

I'm all for the people getting their voice but if all it takes is 12,000 people to get something on the ballot, that seems nuts to me. If Davidson County has 600k residents, that's .02 percent of the population. Seems like a number left over from when Nashville was a sleepy little southern town ages ago.

Ballot access requirements for petitions are based upon voter history.  I think the criterion is that in order for a petition to gain access to the ballot or for a referendum to be called, a percentage of the number of votes cast in the last gubernatorial and/or general election are required as confirmed registered voters' signatures. 

Looks like the percentage criterion is this for Davidson County:

WHEREAS, whether or not such a petition to amend the Charter requires ten percent (10%) of those voting in the preceding general election or fifteen percent (15%) of the total number of registered voters in the County has a marked impact on the feasibility of obtaining the necessary signatures; 

Edited September 25, 2020 by tragenvol

[KJHburg]

things not seen in my hometown of Charlotte and I did see some bride tribes wandering around the Gulch and one group on Broadway. 

Yesterday in Music City.   Tourism on the way back.  

[Nathan_in_DC]

I've been gone a few weeks and not able to keep up with what's happening...but I was under the impression that most of the dumb transpotainment got shut down. Is that no longer the case?

[BnaBreaker]

34 minutes ago, Nathan_in_the_UK said:

I've been gone a few weeks and not able to keep up with what's happening...but I was under the impression that most of the dumb transpotainment got shut down. Is that no longer the case?

Same... I don't mind some of it, but when you're essentially hauling a rolling barn behind a tractor then we're starting to get way too much into Branson territory for my taste.  Nashville is a real city with an authentic entertainment experience.  It doesn't need this type of tacky cliche nonsense.

[titanhog]

1 minute ago, BnaBreaker said:

Same... I don't mind some of it, but when you're essentially hauling a rolling barn behind a tractor then we're starting to get way too much into Branson territory for my taste.  Nashville is a real city with an authentic entertainment experience.  It doesn't need this type of tacky cliche nonsense.

Yep...Country Music is so far away from the Hee Haw days of the 70's that we really shouldn't allow the hayseed stuff.

[MLBrumby]

14 minutes ago, BnaBreaker said:

Same... I don't mind some of it, but when you're essentially hauling a rolling barn behind a tractor then we're starting to get way too much into Branson territory for my taste.  Nashville is a real city with an authentic entertainment experience.  It doesn't need this type of tacky cliche nonsense.

I don’t even know how that is deemed safe. Liability should be to the moon.

[PaulChinetti]

I’ve been on a number of them. They are fun as hell. Don’t knock it until you try it.