Public Works Head Says New Capital Plan is Clearer

The Nashville Mayor’s office released a new capital improvements budget last week, slashing over $100 million worth of projects. One department head says the revised list is actually better.

Past mayors and Metro Councils have continually added construction items to what’s called the “wish-list.” Any project needed funding has to be on that list before money is appropriated through the capital spending plan.

Metro Public Works Director Billy Lynch says departments weren’t sure which projects would actually get funded in a given year.

“There was confusion as to what actually was there, what was not there. This lays it out. We know exactly what’s available, what it’s for and we can proceed on.”

Public Works gets $1 million dollars extra under the revised, $560 million spending plan.

The Metro Council continued hearings on the county’s $1.5 billion dollar budget last night with Public Works, Metro Water Services and the Metropolitan Transit Authority. MTA was one of the only departments to get an increase in Mayor Karl Dean’s proposed budget. Director Paul Ballard says the extra money will go to implementing bus rapid transit on Gallatin Road and to creating a bus loop for the downtown-area.

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