Candidate: David Ackerman
Metro Council District 25
Website: www.david4nashville.com
Occupation: “Project Director for software company working with Colleges & Universities throughout the world”
Previous candidacy/offices held: “Wilson County Commissioner”
Community experience: “Boards and church”
What will be your top three priorities on the Council?
“With the growth in Nashville, traffic, walkability, zoning / planning, schools, public safety are top.”
What is the biggest issue facing your district? How would you approach it?
“traffic, walkability, planning are the top 3 at this time.”
Much of the city’s developmental focus, like plans for a new East Bank, have focused on downtown. What’s your vision for downtown?
“Downtown is a great space for visitors to our city. We need to continue to provide a welcoming area while also inviting our Nashville residents to be downtown more.”
Did you or would you have voted to approve the new Titans stadium financing legislation?
“With what I know at this point, we need to focus on protecting the resident Nashville tax payers moving forward.”
Does Metro need more police officers beyond the unfilled positions?
“Most of our nation’s police departments need additional officers. Nashville is no exception.”
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?
“Privacy concerns need to be addressed before deploying additional video technology.”
Do you think a property tax rate adjustment will be needed in the next 4 years? Why or why not?
“That is difficult to say. We as a council need to first look for ways to redirect current funding to address the needs of Nashville. We should also look for other funding mechanisms when possible so we can reduce the impact on Nashville property owners.”
Do you view your role in the Council as leading your district on issues or simply reflecting the views of the district’s residents?
“I believe it needs to be a balance between these two. On any issue, District 25 will have differing views that I will need to be sure to listen to the residents and communicate effectively so all can form their views based on full knowledge.”
How do you view the relationship of the city and Council to the General Assembly in the face of adverse legislation from the state?
“We as a city council need to keep an open dialogue with the members of the 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?
“Affordability is an issue across the country and Nashville does seem to have a real challenge with affordability due to the rapid growth. As a city council, we should be looking at various options to find what work best within each district and each neighborhood.”
What improvements do you think WeGo should make during the next four years? Would you back creation of a dedicated funding source?
“Public Transit is a strong need within any city of Nashville’s size. We need to look at ways to encourage ridership by reviewing cross-town routes in addition to the in-bound routes. The timing of when these routes are available should also be reviewed. Public Transportation is necessary if we want to allow employers to hire employees in high cost areas of town.”
Second-quarter campaign finance disclosure
Raised: $10,500
Spent: $3,949
Cash on hand: $6,551
Link to full disclosure here
Pre-General campaign finance disclosure
Raised: $5,400
Spent: $4,110
Cash on hand: $7,841
Link to full disclosure here