The Mayor of Nashville is elected to a four-year term by the residents of Davidson County and can serve for a maximum of two terms.
As the chief executive, the mayor is responsible for the enforcement of all laws and ordinances within Davidson County and has the power to veto any law or ordinance passed by the Metro Council. The Metro Council can override a mayor’s veto with a 2/3 majority vote in favor of that law or ordinance.
The mayor is also responsible for supervising all departments created by the Metro Nashville Charter or by Metro Council ordinances. These departments provide services to residents and set policy priorities.
The Mayor is responsible for the supervision of the following departments:
- Transportation and Infrastructure
- Youth and Education
- Affordable Housing
- Environment and Sustainability
- Economic and Community Development
- Neighborhoods and Community Engagement
- New Americans
- Performance Management
- Communications
Boards and commissions also regulate how Nashville runs. The mayor appoints everyday citizens to serve on boards and commissions. Once appointees are approved by council, they work to set rules and priorities for the city of Nashville. You might be qualified to serve on a Nashville Board or Commission and can apply on hubNashville. Learn about Metro Nashville's many Boards and Commissions.
The mayor writes the budget for each fiscal year, determining how much money is distributed to each department within the Metro Government. The council takes the mayor’s proposed budget and creates a substitute budget with the changes they recommend. This substitute budget, once passed, becomes the official city budget. Historically, the Metro Council has only ever made minor changes to the mayor’s budget.
Do you have any questions about what the mayor can and cannot do for Nashville? Submit a Question on hubNashville.