Davidson County judge set to rule on Fairgrounds petition dispute

Chancellor Anne Martin presided over a show cause hearing in Davidson County Chancery Court on Wednesday. The proceedings addressed a lawsuit filed by the Decline to Sign coalition. The group alleges that the Restore Our Fairgrounds organization gathered 2,000 illegal signatures. Those signatures aimed to replace auto racing at Fairgrounds Nashville with affordable and workforce housing. The Davidson County Election Commission certified the petition on Oct. 16. That certification placed a referendum on the ballot for next year. The Decline to Sign group is now seeking a Writ of Mandamus to review the commission's decision.

The dispute began when the Restore Our Fairgrounds coalition submitted the petition. The Election Commission verified the signatures based on five specific criteria. Decline to Sign, a group that supports retaining auto racing, argued that the verification process failed to catch invalid entries. The coalition claims that a third party provided a list of approximately 2,000 individuals who wanted their names removed. This list originated from an online tool used by the petition organizers. Decline to Sign attorney Michael Cottone argued that this list should have been sufficient grounds for removal.

Attorneys for Metro Legal and the Restore Our Fairgrounds coalition contested this view. They argued that the case is now moot because the petition is already certified. Their legal position stated that the Election Commission's sole duty was to verify signatures against the five basic standards. The defense team also presented emails from a third party containing the list of people requesting removal. The coalition then contacted each individual on that list to verify their identity and intent.

During the hearing, attorney Will Helou displayed email exchanges from the verification process. These documents showed that some petitioners replied stating they wanted their names to remain on the petition. Helou also cited evidence that the form letter sent by Decline to Sign was duplicitous. He argued that the individual outreach confirmed the validity of the signatures in question. The defense maintained that the petition met all necessary legal requirements for certification.

Chancellor Martin indicated that she expects to issue a ruling very quickly. The judge did not provide a specific timeline for the decision. The outcome will determine whether the referendum proceeds to the next year's ballot or if the petition must be revalidated. The hearing took place at the Davidson County Chancery Court. Both legal teams presented their final arguments to the court.

The Restore Our Fairgrounds coalition seeks to transform the fairgrounds property. The proposed change would introduce affordable and workforce housing units to the site. Decline to Sign argues that the petition process was flawed and that the housing plan should not advance. The two groups represent opposing views on the future use of the Fairgrounds Nashville location. The legal battle has stalled the immediate scheduling of the referendum.

The Davidson County Election Commission initially approved the petition on Oct. 16. This action triggered the legal challenge from the racing supporters. The commission's decision relied on the standard verification methods available to staff at the time. The court will now determine if those methods were sufficient under the law. A decision from Chancellor Martin will clarify the status of the 2,000 signatures in question.