Tennessee Supreme Court Cuts Nashville Council Size in Half

The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Metro Nashville’s city council will shrink from 40 to 20 members.

The decision also confirms state control over the city’s airport operations. Justice Sarah K. Campbell wrote both opinions rejecting legal challenges filed by the city. Metro attorneys are still fighting the airport takeover in a separate federal lawsuit.

The timeline for this change began in 2023 when state lawmakers passed a law limiting the council to 20 seats. The state legislature passed additional legislation this year to fix technical defects in that original law. The city argued that a state constitution exemption clause limits county legislative bodies to 25 members, creating a conflict between the two caps. The court held that the exemption clause does not provide immunity from other state restrictions.

City officials have been preparing for the structural shift. Mayor Freddie O’Connell stated that the council size was set by the community and should only change through a vote by Nashville residents. He said the mayor’s office will review options and continue fighting for local self-governance.

The ruling starts a procedural process before the August 2027 elections. All current council seats, the mayoral seat, and the vice mayoral seat are up for vote that year. The Metro Planning Department previously released maps that would consolidate the county into 15 or 17 districts to meet the new cap. The 20-member limit is a maximum, not a fixed number. The court sent the case back to a lower court as a procedural step to move toward the election cycle.