Elected Office · City and County

Metropolitan Mayor

Charter name: Metropolitan County Mayor

The chief executive of the combined city-county government of Nashville and Davidson County.

In Davidson County there is only one mayor. The Charter calls the office the metropolitan county mayor, and it does the job that a city mayor and a county mayor do separately everywhere else in Tennessee. This office proposes the budget but cannot adopt it, and does not run the public schools.

What only this office can do

Hold the executive power of the whole metropolitan governmentMetro Charter §5.01
"The executive and administrative power of the metropolitan government shall be vested in and exercised by a metropolitan county mayor and such other departments, boards, commissions, officers and agencies as are created or authorized in this Charter."
Propose the annual operating budget — no one else may submit itMetro Charter §6.04
"Not later than May 1st, the mayor shall submit to the metropolitan council the operating budget."
Veto ordinances and resolutionsMetro Charter §5.04
"no ordinance or resolution shall become effective without his or her approval except as herein provided"
Line-item veto — reduce or disapprove individual appropriation itemsMetro Charter §5.04
May reduce or disapprove specific items in an appropriations ordinance, excluding debt service, employee benefits and independent audits. Disapproved items are void unless the Council restores them by override.
Appoint departmental directors, subject to Council confirmationMetro Charter §5.03
"All departmental directors not under civil service limitations appointed by the mayor shall be confirmed by the council"
Appoint members of boards and commissionsMetro Charter §5.03
"The mayor shall appoint all members of boards and commissions created by this Charter…" Appointments do not require Council confirmation except where specifically required.
Exercise the fiscal-agent powers of the former county judgeMetro Charter §5.03
Has "all the powers of a fiscal agent and financial officer heretofore possessed by the county judge of Davidson County."

Main responsibilities

Administer, supervise and control all departments through departmental directors (§5.03)
Review, revise and submit the operating budget to Council by May 1, and make it a public record (§6.04)
Approve or disapprove every ordinance and resolution. A measure takes effect automatically if the mayor neither approves nor disapproves at or before the next regular Council meeting occurring 10 or more days after delivery (§5.04)
Examine the books, records and official papers of any department, board or agency, and attend board meetings (§5.03)
Require written departmental reports, and submit periodic reports and the annual budget to Council (§5.03)
Fill vacancies on boards and commissions (§5.03)
Call special meetings of the Council, a power shared with the Vice Mayor (§3.04, §5.03)

What this office cannot do alone

Cannot adopt the budgetMetro Charter §6.04, §6.06
The Mayor proposes by May 1; the Council adopts by June 30. If the Council fails to act, "it shall be conclusively presumed to have adopted the budget as submitted by the mayor."
Cannot set the property tax rateMetro Charter §6.07
The Council levies property taxes by tax levy ordinance, which is "the next order of business of the council after the adoption of the operating budget."
Cannot pass a lawMetro Charter §3.05, §5.04
"The council shall exercise its legislative authority only by ordinance." The Mayor approves or vetoes.
Cannot make a veto stick against a determined CouncilMetro Charter §5.04
An override requires "two-thirds (2/3rds) of all the members."
Cannot seat a department director aloneMetro Charter §5.03
Directors not under civil service "shall be confirmed by the council."
Cannot borrow aloneMetro Charter §7.01
"The council may in the name and for the use of the metropolitan government issue bonds or other obligations."
Cannot run the public schoolsMetro Charter §9.02
A nine-member metropolitan board of public education is separately elected. The Mayor neither appoints nor removes its members.
Cannot amend the CharterMetro Charter §19.01
Requires a two-thirds Council resolution or a 10% voter petition, then ratification by the voters.

Who this office works with

Metropolitan Council (40 members)Metro Charter §6.06, §6.07, §7.01, §5.03, §5.04, §3.06
Adopts the budget, levies the property tax, authorizes bonds, confirms directors, and overrides vetoes by two-thirds. May investigate the executive by three-quarters resolution, which "shall not be subject to veto by the mayor."
Vice MayorMetro Charter §15.01, §3.03, §5.05
Separately elected. Presides over the Council without a vote except to break a tie, and succeeds to the mayoralty on a vacancy.
Metropolitan Board of Public EducationMetro Charter §9.02
Nine elected members. The Mayor neither appoints nor removes them.
Metropolitan Planning CommissionMetro Charter §6.13
Prepares the capital improvements budget; the Council may accept, amend or reject it.
Metropolitan ClerkMetro Charter §18.01
Appointed by the Mayor with Council confirmation.

Term, election and qualifications

Term length: Four years, "and until his or her successor is elected and qualified."Metro Charter §5.02 (amended by referendum Nov. 6, 2018, Amdt. 6)
Term limits: Two consecutive four-year terms.Metro Charter §5.06, §1.07
How the limit works: Ineligible for the succeeding term if the person "has served more than one-half of a four (4) year term and a consecutive complete four (4) year term in that particular office."Metro Charter §1.07
Election cycle: First Thursday in August, 1971 and every four years after — so 2023, next in 2027.Metro Charter §15.01
Majority and runoff: A majority is required. If no one reaches it, the top two go to a runoff.Metro Charter §15.02
Age: 30 at the beginning of the term.Metro Charter §5.02
Residency: Resident of the metropolitan government area for at least three years before the election, and must continue to reside there.Metro Charter §5.02
Vacancy: The Vice Mayor serves as mayor. A special election is held if the vacancy occurs more than 12 months before the term expires.Metro Charter §5.05, §15.03

Sources

Charter of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County — official codification.

Last verified September 7, 2026 · Source block verified September 7, 2026

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