At-large Councilman Ronnie Steine was named chairman of the most important Metro Council committee on Monday.
Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors announced her appointees for committee chairs in a media release. Steine was named chairman of the budget and finance committee, which oversees Metro’s $1.5 billion budget and votes first on many of the most critical bills that go through Council’s legislative branch.
District 7 Councilman Erik Cole was appointed chairman of the convention, tourism and public entertainment facilities committee. Cole’s committee will hear legislation pertaining to the proposed new convention center.
Also of note, District 16 Councilwoman Anna Page was named chairwoman of the rules and confirmation committee, which will consider appointments by Mayor Karl Dean to the newly formed Convention Center Authority. The new volunteer board will eventually oversee development of the proposed $635 million Music City Center.
Steine takes the reins of the budget and finance committee in a year when Council will consider a funding package for the convention center and attached public/private hotel projects. The committee will also consider a potential property tax increase, which has been avoided during Dean and Council’s first two years in office.
The full list of committee chairs appointed by Neighbors is below.
Budget and finance: Steine;
charter revision: Darren Jernigan;
codes, fair and farmer’s market: Rip Ryman;
education: Kristine LaLonde;
federal grants review: Sandra Moore;
health, hospitals and social services: Charlie Tygard;
parks, library and recreation: Lonnell Matthews;
personnel, public information, human relations and housing: Phil Claiborne;
public safety, beer and regulated beverages: Buddy Baker;
public works: Walter Hunt;
rules, confirmations and public elections: Page;
transportation and aviation: Bo Mitchell.