Nashville officials explain charter-revision role and 2022 petition reforms

The Charter Revision Commission and members of the Metro Council used a public forum to explain how proposed charter changes are handled and to describe a 2022 rule change that alters how citizen-initiated charter amendments are prepared and reviewed.

Jim Murphy, a former Metro director of law, said the charter is the city's "constitution," creating offices and prescribing how legislative acts must be adopted. That difference matters because the charter can only be amended by referendum under the enabling state law and the Metro Government Enabling Act, Murphy said: "The charter is like the Tennessee constitution or the Federal Constitution. It's the Constitution of the city." He warned that legislative acts that do not comply with charter procedures can be void.

Dewey Branstetter, chair of the Metropolitan Charter Revision Commission, described the commission's traditional role: it reviews council-proposed amendments, holds public hearings, and issues recommendations. He said the commission's authority expanded in 2022 to vet citizen-initiated petition language and fiscal impact statements before signature-gathering begins, a change intended to reduce costly litigation and ensure compliance with state law.

Vice Mayor Angie Henderson, who chaired the Council's 2022 Charter Revision Committee, said the change was meant to give voters clearer ballot language and to prevent invalid petition drives. She described the process as a "funnel" that helps the council and the public determine which charter changes merit ballot placement and civic attention. Henderson said the committee also handled many housekeeping proposals and a few substantive items including a proposal related to transportation policy and one affecting the composition of a health board.

Commission leaders said the commission still offers public hearings for proponents and opponents of any charter amendment and that the council retains authority to place amendments on the ballot. No formal votes were held at the forum.

For residents considering a petition-driven amendment, panelists emphasized two practical points: the petition form and language must be approved in advance by the commission, and petition sponsors must include a fiscal-impact statement where required by state law. The panel suggested proponents consult the commission early to avoid litigation that in past cycles delayed or invalidated ballot measures.

The Charter Revision Commission and Council maintain records and guidance for petition sponsors on nashville.gov and the council's SharePoint page.