Political Philosophy for Jayne Gordon

Candidate for
Council; District 18

Nashville is the center of a growing metropolitan area. We need to decide what type of city we want to be and plan for that growth. In particular, the 18th District is an innovative, diverse, and attractive midtown neighborhood with an informed, involved population. We must pay attention to the delicate balance between its residential, commercial, and institutional uses, all of which contribute to the vitality of our part of town.

The major issues I see for the Metro Council over the next few years are not unique to the 18th District. My job as your Council representative is to look out for the specific interests of our District while also considering what is best for the entire Metropolitan area. Some of these issues are:

1. Zoning/Land Use - Our District is almost entirely developed, which means rezoning is and will continue to be an issue. Specialized zoning such as the Hillsboro Village Urban Design Overlay will play an increasing role in preserving our neighborhoods. We need to look at Conservation Zoning for parts of our District. The success of our District has resulted in increasing property values - and property taxes. We need to find ways to enable older, long-time residents to stay in their homes.

The Urban Design Overlay is a excellent example of what can be accomplished when interested parties come together and find solutions. Spearheaded by Stewart Clifton, the UDO was designed by a group of property owners, business owners, and neighborhood residents with input from Metro and other professional experts. The result is a zoning code that safeguards the integrity of Hillsboro Village. While the Village is unique to the 18th District, every District has its own unique area. I firmly believe that both the Hillsboro Village process and the result should be models for other neighborhoods.

2. Education - Education is in a time of change. For the first time in many years, Nashville is responsible for administering its school system without court approval or intervention. Metro has adopted an ambitious School Improvement Plan. Our District has Eakin Elementary and Harris Hillman, both good schools, but we need a system where every school is considered a "good school." Although the School Board has the decision-making power for our schools, as your Council representative I will make every effort to increase funding for education and to protect its budget against raids to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

3. Traffic and Transportation - Our status as a midtown neighborhood means that many people pass through our District to get to other parts of town. We need to improve traffic flow on the arterial streets while reducing "cut-through" traffic on the residential streets. We need to explore traffic calming techniques. Got any ideas?

We also need to improve public transportation to make it more accessible and convenient.

While highlighting the above issues, I also recognize the importance of recycling and solid waste disposal, storm water drainage, affordable housing, crime prevention, pothole repair, day care, economic development, and all the rest of the business of a city.