(Editor’s note: On June 27, Holcomb endorsed Clay Capp for the District 6 seat. His name will remain on the ballot because the deadline for withdrawal passed.)
Candidate: Brandes Holcomb
Metro Council District 6
Website: www.bfor6.com
Occupation: “Attorney”
Previous candidacy/offices held: “None”
Community experience: “I have volunteered on and off (pre-pandemic, depending on availability) at Room at the Inn for the past 20 years. I volunteered for the Legal Aid Society while in law school. I have taken appointed cases in juvenile and criminal courts in Middle Tennessee. I have not charged the state for my time working these cases.”
What will be your top three priorities on the Council?
“Creating awareness for the community. Ensuring infrastructure is in place to handle the growth of the city. Making sure that legislation negotiations focus on a middle ground that provides a benefit for all residents of Nashville, not just the entertainment and tourism industry.”
What is the biggest issue facing your district? How would you approach it?
“The East Bank Development will heavily affect District 6 directly and indirectly. I want to make sure the residents of my district know about what is in place and what is inevitable with the new developments. Given that, I want the community to understand what it can still control and what the processes are to provide the best outcome for the residents.”
Much of the city’s developmental focus, like plans for a new East Bank, have focused on downtown. What’s your vision for downtown?
“We must address the obvious transit issue facing the city. This begins downtown. If the intention of the East Bank Development is to draw more people to the area, we simply must have a more efficient public transportation system to relieve the serious congestion problem that already exists.”
Did you or would you have voted to approve the new Titans stadium financing legislation?
“On its face, the new financing deal is a better one than the city holds to maintain the current stadium. If the only options were the new deal and the old deal, I would vote for the new one. I do not know if a better option could have been developed.”
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?
“I believe that this technology is inevitably going to be used. Metro should have regulations in place to prevent its misuse and to protect the privacy of its inhabitants when at all possible.”
Do you think a property tax rate adjustment will be needed in the next 4 years? Why or why not?
“Yes. Nashville has one of the lowest property tax rates in the country. This is one reason why many people are moving here. The infrastructure is barely in place to serve the population that was here 4 years ago. As Nashville continues to grow, new residential developments will simply have to be taxed at a higher rate to handle the overall growth.”
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 must be done. This isn’t a one-or-the-other situation. I view my role as a leader is to make sure the residents are fully aware and and informed of the issues that affect them. It is my job to reflect the views of the district once they understand what is best for the entire community.”
How do you view the relationship of the city and Council to the General Assembly in the face of adverse legislation from the state?
“There is legal ambiguity as to whether the Assembly may actually enforce some of the legislation it is attempting. I think the city likely holds the higher legal ground. I believe the majority of the General Assembly is focused on making sure no other points of view are given a voice and they are interpreting the rules in place as leverage to this end. The Assembly seeks to further control the voices that disagree with it by diluting these voices with mismatched perspectives from outside of the city. It is a form of fascism inflicted on the residents of Nashville. This is not hyperbole. This is forcible suppression of reasonably opposing viewpoints. It is an actual fascist totalitarian ideology. One can only hope those guilty of this behavior are voted out of office.”
The city is experiencing an affordability crisis. What is the council’s role in creating more housing for buyers and renters in Nashville?
“The council should create more opportunities for tax breaks for those developing affordable housing rather than tax incentives for property investments by corporations.”
What improvements do you think WeGo should make during the next four years? Would you back creation of a dedicated funding source?
“There must be links between main routes outside of the downtown hub. Currently, almost every main line’s only reasonable connection is through downtown. This could not be any less efficient. Unless one lives and works on the same bus route, the bus system is practically useless for an everyday commuter.”