Thank you to Budget & Finance Chair Delishia Porterfield for her leadership and to all of the Budget & Finance Committee for the hard work they put in on the Substitute Budget. The 4% COLA for Metro and MNPS employees included in this budget is in line with the Civil Service Commission’s recommendation and helps employees keep pace with inflation instead of falling behind. It also will lift some of our lowest paid employees closer to a livable wage.

We recognize that Metro Government operates on a 4-year revenue cycle and that being at the end of that cycle created a situation where Councilmembers had to make some tough decisions.  This makes it even more meaningful to employees that this budget purposefully and unequivocally acknowledges the importance of the contributions they make to keep this city healthy and growing.

SEIU Local 205 stands in support of Chair Porterfield’s Substitute Budget and encourages the Metro Council to pass it as it currently stands.

Jessica Stewart

President, SEIU Local 205

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The SEIU Local 205 represents more than 3,800 members who are active in labor, community, and political work. In Nashville our public sector workers include those in Metro General Government departments, the Metro Hospital Authority, the Metro Action Commission, Nashville Electric Service, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, and support staff in the Metro Nashville Public School system.