Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Consolidated city-county government of Nashville, Tennessee.
Nashville's metropolitan government beat FEMA in federal court on 28 September 2026, when Judge Amir Ali threw out the voting rules the agency had tied to a fifth of every state's anti-terrorism funding.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did Nashville sue over counterterrorism grants?
Timeline for Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Won the challenge to FEMA's conditions
US Midterms 2026: Judge Ali voids FEMA election conditionsBackground
The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County is the consolidated city-county government of Tennessee's capital. It came into being on 1 April 1963, after voters approved merging the City of Nashville with Davidson County into one government with shared boundaries.
In 2026 it led a legal challenge to the Federal Emergency Management Agency over conditions attached to Homeland Security Grant Program money. The agency's terms tied a fifth of every state's award to adopting SAVE voter checks, hand counts of a 5% ballot sample and less Reliance on machines. Metro Nashville's challenge succeeded on 28 September, when Judge Amir Ali set those terms aside.
The case put a local government at the front of a dispute over money paid to states. As lead plaintiff, Metro Nashville carries its name on a ruling that limits how far Washington can tie grants to election rules.
Why did Nashville sue the Department of Homeland Security?
Who sued FEMA over election conditions on security grants?
When did Nashville and Davidson County merge?
