.votebox_legend { } Our notion of public safety should include pedestrian and driver safety. It did not act on that data. This is by far the most cost-effective way to build new affordable housing. Most teachers ended up with lower take-home pay last year because of rising health insurance premiums. You deserve a safe city where citizens and officers are treated fairly. Nashville is going to grow more in the next five years than in the past five years, so we have to get this next phase right. I want to lessen the time you spend in traffic through smart solutions, connect neighborhoods through bus system improvements, and invest in infrastructure like sidewalks to improve pedestrian safety. Here is what I said at the time: My concern is that Nashville gets the fair value of the assets that it owns. .inner_percentage.Democratic { Weve created a lot of growth but the growth has increased rents and priced people out of their neighborhoods. margin-bottom:16px; Metro has now significantly reduced traffic stops following the Policing Projects report in November 2018; however, we should have changed course much earlier at least after the Gideons Army report in 2016. He died on March 15, 2009 in New York City, New York, USA. The current mayors parking privatization proposal is not the first time Metro has made mistakes regarding parking. You can change the bad things in this mayors budget by changing the mayor. display: inline-block; It will identify and prevent fraud and waste across the system. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; What's on my ballot? It is time for clear and consistent leadership. I believe the core responsibilities of the mayor are to provide high-quality universal services and care for our most vulnerable citizens. His first budget removed promised cost of living raises for employees. Ron DeSantis and state education officials exceeded their authority by imposing the . The developer paid MDHA $9.4 million, but the land was actually worth many millions more, perhaps double. Unfortunately, the current administration is failing the residents who need us most. The pattern is clear. Fifth and Broadway, the site of our old convention center, was probably the most valuable piece of undeveloped property in the Southeastern United States. margin-top: 1em; John Coupar, a . See John C Cooper's compensation, career history, education, & memberships. According to the CNN anchor, he doesn't express his political views and goes out of his way in doing so. . Here are some of my ideas. Middle class residents need options too. POLITICAL CHANGE TROUGH THE POWER OF FREEDOM Empowering the people of District 4 of Texas by . I will expect that our schools get great results for all kids and will celebrate the achievements of those that do. Affordable housing financing is complicated. Nashville should work with residents and businesses to invest in and expand our parks system. p.survey-response {white-space: pre-line;} Public policy. The building sits adjacent to a parking lot that was central to city halls proposed Church Street Park land swap. .widget-img { } padding-left: 0; That didnt happen when major league soccer came to Nashville. He served from 1956 to 1972. We need to welcome everyone who comes, and honor everyone who is already here. Between 2014 and 2018, auto thefts increased 280 percent. Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Parks play an important stewardship role by protecting and honoring the best aspects of a citys history and character. } We should explore using TIF to bring grocery stores to food deserts. Our public safety agencies must work better together and with nonprofit and faith-based groups. Development should serve the needs of this city, not the other way around. This is an administration that seeks to avoid transparency. Having access to secure housing allows families and neighborhoods to thrive. width: 35px !important; Metro needs to make affordable housing central to every incentive that it gives. Economic growth and tourism has created a bustling downtown that attracts people and businesses from around the world. Keeping people safe is the most fundamental job of government. A culture of secrecy and entitlement has grown up where there should be transparency and accountability. Ive consistently favored the good management approach over a sizable property tax increase. font-weight: bold; Keeping people safe is the first job of government. height: 50px; Yet Metro hasnt kept pace with the need for sidewalks. I have always prioritized green space in my real estate development work because I know how critical it is for community health and future generations. Last year, Mayor Briley supported a transit plan that cost too much and delivered too little. Vote Smart provides free, unbiased, in-depth information about current officials, candidates, issues, legislation, and voting. But how are Nashvilles residents doing? State and local courts | There are numerous opportunities to expand access to green space amidst Nashvilles development. It costs the city approximately $75,000 to recruit and train each new officer. position: relative; width: 150px; the director of "The Hangover" films was on hand to explain how ridiculous it was that people would ever confuse Cooper's political . @media screen and (max-width: 350px) { It is a false choice that our only option is to approve Brileys parking privatization plan or increase property taxes. Moving forward, this program should have sustained support and all corporations that receive any sort of incentive funding from the city should be required to have strong TDM plans in place. They increase the natural beauty and resiliency of our city, and define our sense of place. I am committed to increasing transparency on how funding is used to address the affordable housing crisis in our city. I want to hear from you. Cooper has stated that he is a Democrat.[1]. position: relative; Back in 2014, Metro Public Works took the time to identify the fifty most dangerous crossings for pedestrians in our city. How to vote | I believe that Nashvillians are ready to address this problem. Here are some of the changes I will pursue in my first year in office: Public trust is easy to lose. padding-top: 8px; In deal after deal, the taxpayer is getting the short end of the stick. .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text {
float:right;  2. I voted for the COB because I support accountability at all levels of government. In 2019, Cooper vetoed the legislature's two-year budget, citing the lack of Medicaid expansion and adequate raises for public school teachers, leading to a months-long political stalemate. He was previously married to Lynne Miller. I was the first candidate for mayor to endorse it. We need to conduct performance audits of Metro departments and agencies to increase the transparency of how tax dollars are spent and identify areas for improvement. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { An area like Bordeaux is going to keep growing, but the quality and community impact of that growth will depend on the quality of the underlying infrastructure. I will focus on expanding Nashvilles greenway system and the sidewalks and bikeways that connect our neighborhoods to the greenways in order to provide better and broader access to recreation and to encourage alternative transportation. It is time to turn the page to a new chapter of economic and community development, where we emphasize growing human capital and focusing on the neglected neighborhoods of Davidson County. Here are my guiding principles: Four years ago, Houston switched from a spoke-and-hub system similar to what Nashville has now to a grid model. As the city continues to grow, housing should be a part of every development incentive deal, but it hasnt been. However, even this was botched. 		font-style: italic; We must set goals, provide resources, and bring agencies together with residents, businesses, and donors to keep Nashville green. During the same period, wages rose by only 14 percent. With your help and support, we can create a city that works for everyone. Cooper won in the general runoff election on September 12, 2019. Cooper completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. 

. He was elected to the bench in 2002, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. I also support creating an independent Metro Inspector General. With your help and support, we can create a city that works for everyone and that moves everyone. Ron Silver was born on July 2, 1946 in New York City, New York, USA. Arrowood finished second in a 2014 Court of Appeals race that featured 19 candidates. John L. Cooper (photo by @marynikkel insta) An article was written for CNN entitled "Why Christian Music's biggest stars refuse to change their tune for the Trump era" that I think deserves a response. Nashville cant wait five years for solutions to our traffic and transportation problems. One was the lack of details. Improve safety. .results_text { The ban, set to go. } } Nashville deserves better deals. Only 12.9% of Davidson County households live within a mile of high-frequency bus service at rush hour. } Use Economic Incentives to Increase Quality of Life. His professional experience includes running a real estate business, managing a technology investment bank in San Francisco, and working as a corporate finance specialist in New York. In 2018, budget issues were kept quiet until the last minute, presumably to boost the chances of the transit referendum passing. Officers need technological support in the form of information systems that can talk to each other, and appropriate and necessary data and technology to respond quickly and safely. .widget-key { This requires investment in human capital. A neighborhood like the Nations is already well into its boom, but the stormwater and sidewalk infrastructure has lagged behind. He worked long hours weighing the evidence and. The city needs to benefit more from tourism revenues. All 41 metro council seatsincluding the office of vice mayorwere up for election. MDHA has lost track of its mission. The first year of my term will be focused on safety while we formulate a broader transportation plan. As mayor, I am committed to finding mechanisms to not simply provide one-time raises for teachers but also finding a longer-term, sustainable vision for teacher salaries that provide the opportunity for more growth over time. p.survey-response {margin-left:10px;} Nashville has gotten away from these primary responsibilities, and it is my intention to get our priorities back in line. .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h5.votebox-header-election-type { As an example, this summer Flatrock Coffee on Nolensville Road was forced to close their doors due to rent increases. As mayor, I will expect that our schools get great results for all kids and will celebrate the achievements of those that do. What would be your top three priorities, if elected? Wage stagnation makes it hard to sustain a career in teaching; it shouldnt take 18 years of teaching in MNPS with a Masters degree to reach $60,000 per year. Neither of the budgets he has proposed as mayor have increased funding for affordable housing by a single dollar. Creating more pocket parks would be one way to accomplish this goal. [9], On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officers arrested Floyd, a Black man, after receiving a call that he had made a purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill. John Cooper is the Mayor of Nashville in Tennessee. I see it as part of my role as mayor to convene and connect community resources to the schools so that students receive the support needed to succeed in an intentional and systematic way. I have already cosponsored legislation that would match affordable housing dollars with incentive dollars. As mayor, I will lead the way in establishing a $25 million revolving loan fund for affordable housing that can be seeded with a $10 million investment from Metro. } } Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. Mayor Brileys current budget proposal amazingly does not include any new funds for the Barnes Fund, certainly not $5 million a year. The Nashville Metro Council is full of talented, dedicated individuals with vast institutional knowledge who should be consulted on major initiatives for the city. .non_result_row { I voted against a property tax hike last year and this year. .contact_entity {font-size: 1.0em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0.5em;} State executives | His first job came on Wall. Mayors have many responsibilities, which vary from city to city. }. For instance, Tennessee is the only state where adults can attend community college or a Tennessee College of Applied Technology tuition-free. These are some of my ideas for how I can best serve students as mayor. The mission of the Second Judicial Circuit is to protect rights and liberties, uphold & interpret the law, and provide for the peaceful resolution of disputes in the six counties of the circuit. Without a doubt, Cooper was an anti-Communist Republican who, like conservative actors today, feared big government. That means ensuring that new developments do not merely add to the costs of growth. Yet his campaign is touting those three areas as accomplishments. background-color: #f9d334; I worry about how the escalating costs in this city inhibit the ability of locally-owned businesses to survive. In the fall of 2018, the developer received a $25 million tax increment financing loan via a tax-exempt bond from the Metro Development and Housing Authority. Expand parks programming and invest in our youth. The Mayor of Nashville needs to be a financial manager with experience in long-term capital planning, and that why I am the right Mayor for Nashville right now. I realize that it is not enough to say that we believe in the power of education; we must make the investments in human capital to ensure that all students can make the lives they want and fully participate in our city. With your help and support, Nashvilles schools will work for everyone. I will collaborate with Metro Council to craft real solutions to our challenges. } Neighborhoods need high quality infrastructure in the form of sewer and stormwater systems, roads, sidewalks and intersections. It isnt enough to be the fastest improving urban district if there are students who are left behind. He steered ten acres of public land at the Fairgrounds to private development. Ill work to amplify and increase the impact of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Support Fund to support the department and its leadership and to help it achieve deeper community engagement. .votebox_legend .non_result_row { What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office? The Westin Hotel received $14 million of tax increment financing in 2014. Metro Parks can work with Metro Water Services to expand green infrastructure such as retention ponds and bioswales to help Nashville manage our flooding challenges. } City hall has sold land with its right hand and awarded it away with its left. .external_links_table { width: auto !important; } Legal 500. It is critical that Nashville remains a place where small businesses open, grow, and flourish. It has given millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to developers who dont need them and has ignored our schools, our traffic, and our affordable housing crisis. Parking meters arent the only issue over which his administration has thrown a veil of secrecy. Ill put taxpayers first when it comes to negotiating development deals. Relations: $1,000: 02/23/2004: P: REPUBLICAN PARTY OF . My business experience and my time on the council have given me the skills and the knowledge to do better for our taxpayers. The Thompson Hotel received $4 million of TIF in 2015. Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper lifted an automatic stay of his decision last week that Republican Gov. Our neighborhoods need infrastructure investment. Only a mayor can turn the page and usher in an era of good management. Cooper said he wouldn't accept the testimony because it was not corroborated. Driving the news: Cooper had more than $1 million in his campaign coffers and was well-positioned to win against a primary challenge from his left in Tennessee's 5th congressional district, which represents Davidson, Dickson, and Cheatham counties. Without programs that make it possible for small businesses to continue, we risk losing the foundation of what makes our city and neighborhoods unique. John Cooper Net Worth -John Cooper is us mayor of Nashville, know all about his Family, Net Worth, Parents, Wife, Children . color: white; Contact our sales team. Cutting routes and increasing fares harm those who rely on public transportation in this city. Judge John Cooper appears to be a democrat and a supporter of the Democratic Party. It should not have taken the deaths of Jocques Clemmons and Daniel Hambrick in officer-involved shootings for this to happen. } color: white; padding-left: 10px; font-size: 1.25em; Not surprisingly, half of all renters and a quarter of all homeowners now spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. [4] All five at-large incumbents were term-limited. Skillet frontman John Cooper has said that he will likely be speaking out a lot more about topics pertaining to Christianity and the church. Why won't Christian Musicians get political? Scooters need to be effectively regulated, and that starts with enforcing existing regulations. .widget-row { [15],

It is important that this effort include restorative justice advocates and other intervention advocates who are on the ground daily. He won a special election to fill a partial term in the Arkansas Senate in 2014, and was reelected in 2016. Cooper assumed office on September 28, 2019. Cooper's current term ends in 2023. Cooper ran for election for Mayor of Nashville in Tennessee. text-align: left; Nashville needs to remain a great place to live, not just a great city to visit. font-weight: 200; It is time to turn the page to a new chapter of economic and community development, where we emphasize growing human capital and focusing on the neglected neighborhoods of Davidson County. As mayor, I will support current school leadership and help the school board recruit a great candidate for Director of Schools. I will shift the focus of the Mayors Office away from political posturing and public relations to serving the needs of our residents, local businesses, and neighborhoods. An area like Bordeaux is going to keep growing, but the quality and community impact of that growth will depend on the quality of the underlying infrastructure. The Mayor and administration should work with the Metro Council, not against them. In effect, we are giving away a piece of land for $1.5 million net. Metro needs to begin doing business with the taxpayer in mind. background-color: grey; Consider the current discussions around purchasing the Morris Memorial Building. The State of Tennessee only has $1.9 billion in total general obligation bonds outstanding. background-color: #6db24f; Building safer crosswalks and making strategic sidewalk connections should be prioritized in our city budget. } [8] The same day, Mayor John Cooper (D) declared a state of emergency, issued a curfew, and requested that Gov. I am encouraged by efforts like the Nashville Connector Transportation Demand Management (TDM), which encourages downtown workers to find transportation alternatives to driving. Addressing the costs of growth by focusing on our economic and community development efforts on people and not just buildings. Create a Nashville Department of Transportation. Improve the functioning of the MDHA. Increasing the supply of housing is an important first step to addressing costs. Covering operational shortfalls with one-time budget gimmicks is a bad idea. letter-spacing: .04em; If I am elected, I will make sure that my office and our city's agencies cooperate fully with Council members and reach out to them for input on projects about which they possess expertise. I plan to create a public safety subcabinet that brings together representatives for MNPD, Sheriff, District Attorney, Public Defender, the Division of Youth Services, probation and parole, as well as representatives of nonprofit and faith-based groups, to identify problems and solutions. Dec 6, 2012. A former Long Island legislator, he also once served as the chairman of the Democratic Coalition, a political group that advocates against Trump. I am honored to be endorsed by the political committee affiliated with the Coalition of Nashville Neighborhoods: the Nashville Neighborhood Defense Fund. } Violent crime last year was at a level not seen in a decade. As mayor, I will bring a fiscally-responsible plan to voters within my first year in office. background-color: #f9f9f9; Our biggest challenge as a city is making schools our top priority. width: 100% !important; There are other options. We must rebuild and restore public trust to ensure we are able to carry out these plans that support our neighborhoods. font-size: 2em; width: 350px; The existing network needs to be maintained and expanded. Tackle traffic, not just transit. We need transportation improvements that allow residents to get around the county better and experience all that Nashville has to offer. Since it was after the. These stops can put both residents and officers in tense situations and there is evidence that they are prone to racial imbalances. I said at the time that Nashville had become a swan and that Metro needed to raise our expectations for developers. Misplaced priorities and missed opportunities arent the only problems. text-align: center; It is a historic 55,000 square foot building with parking. As Mayor, I will ask Metros Planning Commission to work with each Metro Council member to create a description of what affordable housing would best fit within their community and how affordable housing can support and enhance the quality of life for residents. After four years on the city council, Ive seen what Metro is doing to address the housing problem. padding-left: 0; I am running for mayor to provide sound financial management, recapture tourism revenues, end a culture of giveaways, and get our citys finances back on track. Metro Government has invested heavily in downtown development in recent years, yet has lost its focus on the citys essential responsibilities. "I don't think reporters should vote . .widget-row.Libertarian {