Candidate: Sheri Weiner
Metro Council District 22
Website: sheriweiner.com
Occupation: “I provide business consulting services coaching hearing healthcare practice owners how to expand, grow or recover.”
Previous candidacy/offices held: “Metro Councilmember, District 22 – 2011 – 2019; Metro Council President Pro Tempore and Interim Vice Mayor – 2018; Commissioner and Chair, Metro Board of Fair Commissioners – 2020 – 2023”
Community experience: “I served as President of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Exchange Club of Bellevue, Vice President of Bellevue Community Foundation and serve on the Boards of Arts Bellevue, the Bellevue Harpeth Chamber of Commerce, and Bellevue Harpeth Historic Association. I am a member of the Exchange Club of Bellevue. I served on our neighborhood HOA board and was President of that board. I was Co-chair of the Bellevue Picnic & Music Festival for 5 years between 2004 and 2009 and Chair of the Taste of Bellevue 2022 and 2023.”
What will be your top three priorities on the Council?
“Transit, sidewalks, civil discourse within the body, with other elected officials and with constituents.”
What is the biggest issue facing your district? How would you approach it?
“Biggest issue: Community Character Plan & Infrastructure needs (to include defining the brand of Bellevue, accessibility & public safety) and how to move the needed improvements forward. The Community Character Plan for Bellevue was updated in 2012, Nashville Next was approved in 2015 and a Bellevue update is overdue and requested by community members.”
Much of the city’s developmental focus, like plans for a new East Bank, have focused on downtown. What’s your vision for downtown?
“While our tourism industry is important, setting guidelines so that tourists and “locals” (include here folks who work downtown and folks who live in Davidson Co) can enjoy what we have to offer is important to many I’ve spoken with. It is difficult to navigate downtown through the vehicular gridlock so I would be interested in a feasibility study as to how to best manage the traffic situation.”
Did you or would you have voted to approve the new Titans stadium financing legislation?
“Yes, I would have voted to approve it.”
Does Metro need more police officers beyond the unfilled positions?
“Yes.”
What do you think of the current framework passed by the council around LPR (license plate readers) usage? Do you think Metro should allow facial recognition technology to be used downtown?
“With the proper safeguards in place, I think it should be used as long as the goal is public safety.”
Do you think a property tax rate adjustment will be needed in the next 4 years? Why or why not?
“I would be hard-pressed to say yes or no since I’ve not been engaged in reviewing our budget in depth for the last four years and I make decisions based on facts. I do want to be sure that our Metro employees are appropriately compensated so that we can attract top tier talent (much of which is lost when other comparable places offer higher wages and better benefits than we do).”
Do you view your role in the Council as leading your district on issues or simply reflecting the views of the district’s residents?
“Both. It’s not an either/or because there are many times that a Councilmember needs to educate constituents so that decisions/opinions may be made based on the facts shared.”
How do you view the relationship of the city and Council to the General Assembly in the face of adverse legislation from the state?
“Seriously flawed to say the least and opening the lines of routine communication should be one of the top priorities of the Council and General Assembly.”
The city is experiencing an affordability crisis. What is the council’s role in creating more housing for buyers and renters in Nashville?
“We should take the opportunity that is available to us through ordinance & resolution to facilitate public-private partnerships to increase housing stock which is directly tied to access to transit, services, and jobs, leading folks to pathways of prosperity.”
What improvements do you think WeGo should make during the next four years? Would you back creation of a dedicated funding source?
“Curbside access, connectivity, transit centers around Davidson Co, and WeGo partnering with MNPS and area businesses to maximize usage as well as a dedicated funding source and plan for how those funds will be spent, in which areas and a timeline for implementation.”
Second-quarter campaign finance disclosure
Raised: $14,220
Spent: $20,091
Cash on hand: $21,489
Link to full disclosure here
Pre-General campaign finance disclosure
Raised: $8,700
Spent: $250
Cash on hand: $29,939
Link to full disclosure here