Three Years, Five Headlines from Mayor O’Connell’s First Term

For three years, two north stars have guided the O'Connell Administration: improving quality of life for all Nashvillians and making the city more affordable.

As Nashville marks its third year under Mayor Freddie O'Connell's leadership, the city's progress shows results on creating a Nashville for Nashvillians-including safety, neighborhoods, transit, housing affordability, and fiscal strength.

"All of this progress is purposeful and with the resources we have, we're making strategic decisions about how we improve quality of life in Nashville and make it more affordable," said Mayor Freddie O'Connell at an event to mark the occasion at the new Southeast Police Precinct. "From improving safety across the city to investing in our parks and public spaces, we're ensuring our city remains a place where people enjoy a great quality of life in a community where they belong."

Some of the wins have made headlines. Other wins-just as impactful-might not have, so it's worth a deeper look into how Metro and the administration have been working for a Nashville that moves, works, grows, and helps under Mayor O'Connell's leadership.

1. Nashville is safer than it was three years ago.

For two straight years, crime is down in every precinct and in every crime category. In 2025, burglary and robbery rates fell to their lowest rates in six decades and are down again: 8 percent and 27 percent respectively.

Overall crime is down 16 percent, and homicides are down 44 percent so far this year. Since taking office, Mayor O'Connell has joined Chief Drake to swear in more than 300 new officers, and the Mayor's Community Safety Task Force is finishing its work this Fall 2026.

1. Neighborhood improvements pay off

Strong neighborhoods start with strong community infrastructure-in every zip code across Davidson County.

Some key neighborhood investments under the mayor's leadership include:

• Opening the long-awaited Mariposa Park, the first part for its neighborhood
• Opening the new Old Hickory Community Center
• Opening the new Donelson Branch Library while also investing historic amounts into Nashville Public Library's collection of more than 2 million books and materials
• Opening the new Paragon Mills, Lakeview, and Percy Priest elementary schools
• Acquiring 300 acres to expand Beaman Park and permanently protect one of Nashville's most significant natural landscapes
• Opening the new River North Greenway
• Bringing a Little Library filled with books from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to 69 local daycares and preschools -with more to follow-thanks to a groundbreaking new initiative called Begin Bright
• Opening the new Southeast Police Precinct
• Welcoming a $20 million investment in North Nashville by Fifth Third

1. Choose How You Move is making possible what was previously impossible

When Mayor Freddie O'Connell took office, any improvements to Nashville's roads, intersections or sidewalks came from the city's Capital Spending Plan-which meant those improvements competed with investments in local schools, health clinics, courts, social services, community centers, parks and libraries.

That changed, thanks to the 2024 passage of Choose How You Move, Mayor Freddie O'Connell's $3.1 billion transportation program to transform sidewalks, signals, service and safety across Nashville.

Each year, the 15-year program builds on itself, and 214 signal upgrades and 78 sidewalk projects are underway. Meanwhile, WeGo service has improved four times, and the first 14,000 Journey Pass riders have taken more than 2.75 million rides.

Overall, transit ridership is up 11 percent, and two key arteries - Nolensville Road and Gallatin Pike - are getting all-encompassing redesigns to make them easier regardless of how Nashvillians Choose to Move.

1. Nashville has more tools for housing affordability

Mayor Freddie O'Connell has developed a series of new tools to give Nashville more options to incentivize the building of affordable housing and protect the affordable homes we already have.

Below are several steps taken by the administration:

• Increased funding for housing affordability to $75 million in Fiscal Year 2027- the largest -ever investment of public dollars, including the largest-ever investment in the Barnes Housing Trust Fund from the city's General Fund.
• Joined with private, university and philanthropic partners to create the Catalyst Fund for preserving existing affordable housing
• Started an affordable housing loan fund to help developers create housing affordability
• Securing a developer agreement on the East Bank that includes a 99-year commitment to housing affordability - with childcare co-located in the first constructed building

1. Nashville can go further because of strong fiscal footing

Metro Government has made targeted investments in neighborhoods while also maintaining the best credit rating Nashville history-meaning every tax dollar stretches a little further to pave another pothole, pave another road or pay another teacher.

Nashville continues to have the lowest overall tax burden of any major city in Tennessee, as well as the lowest property tax rate.

What's more, Mayor Freddie O'Connell cut the grocery tax by 22 percent in his most recent budget.