Nashville's Metro Council is considering a bill that would require every one of the city's 55 departments to undergo an annual, anonymous workplace survey conducted by an outside firm, a proposal born directly out of the leadership collapse at the Department of Emergency Communications. The idea follows the February termination of former DEC Director Steve Martini, whose ouster came after an independent investigation identified mismanagement, a sexual harassment claim, and a lack of response from Metro's human resources department.
The legislation, sponsored by District 32 Councilmember and mayoral candidate Joy Styles, is formally known as Ordinance BL2025-1114, according to WZTV. Per Legigram, the bill would amend Title 3 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws to mandate the surveys across all Metro boards, departments, and commissions, though it was recommended for deferral in committee this month. Styles has said the surveys would help Metro leaders identify problems before they escalate and would demonstrate commitment to Metro employees.
A 911 Center Unraveled By Complaints
The push traces back to a 13-page investigative report that outside law firm Ogletree Deakins delivered to Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz on January 9, 2026, finding that complaints inside DEC were improperly handled and that Martini fostered what investigators called a “pervasive culture of fear, dissatisfaction and disengagement,” according to the Nashville Scene. That probe, which Hoodline first reported in January, led to Martini being placed on administrative leave before his official termination on February 2, 2026.
Part of what triggered the independent investigation was a sexual harassment complaint filed by 911 dispatcher Hannah McGuire in November 2024. McGuire has publicly stated it took Metro HR nearly six months to complete a report on her complaint and almost a year for any corrective action to follow, a delay first detailed by WZTV Fox 17. That timeline underscored the exact kind of HR bottleneck Styles says her citywide survey bill is designed to route around.
Warning Signs Metro Missed for Years
This was not the first time Martini's leadership had drawn scrutiny. An earlier 2023 workplace assessment, also conducted by Ogletree Deakins, had already flagged employee dissatisfaction with Martini, according to Styles. Rather than move toward termination at that point, Metro instead spent more than $20,000 over two years on executive career coaching for him, per the same reporting.
An internal survey conducted in the summer of 2025 painted a starker picture of conditions inside the call center. Of the 104 employees who responded out of DEC's 214-person staff, a majority reported experiences of retaliation, intimidation, and unprofessional management behavior, according to that WZTV Fox 17 report. That data, combined with mounting pressure from the Metro Council Women's Caucus, led the full Metro Council to unanimously approve a resolution in December 2025 demanding leadership accountability and workplace culture reforms at DEC, the Nashville Scene notes.
New Leadership, Unanswered Cost Questions
Since Martini's exit, Metro Nashville has appointed Patrice Coleman, previously the department's deputy director of operations, as interim director of DEC. The agency, which provides 24/7 dispatch for Nashville police, fire, and EMS, announced senior operational promotions in February as part of its effort to stabilize management, according to a Nashville.gov release.
Under Metro's civil service rules, department directors facing substantiated misconduct findings are typically given the option to resign before being placed on leave pending formal disciplinary review, which explains why Martini's leave preceded his eventual firing. Styles' bill envisions the new annual surveys asking employees about work environment, leadership, communication, policies, morale, and opportunities for growth, with results shared with Metro Council, the mayor, and department heads. Metro employees, per the WZTV report, do not currently trust Metro's HR department, which is part of why the legislation calls for third-party administration to preserve impartiality.
Still unresolved is who pays for it all. The annual cost of surveying employees across all 55 Metro departments would be assigned to Metro's HR department, and that price tag could become a sticking point for council members as the bill sits deferred in committee. Styles announced her campaign for Nashville mayor in the 2027 election in January, adding a layer of political context to a proposal now caught between public safety accountability and municipal budget caution.
