Melvin Black was a member of the Metropolitan Council

Metropolitan Council (Davidson County)

The Metropolitan Council is the legislative body of the consolidated city-county government of Nashville, Tennessee and Davidson County.The Council has 40 members, 35 of which are district council representatives, and five of which are council members at-large. If a member resigns or dies before...

 of Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

 and Davidson County

Davidson County, Tennessee

Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...

, representing the 2nd district.

Education and career

Melvin Black was first elected to the Metro Council in 1995 and re-elected in 1999 for a term lasting until 2003. During that time, he was the Vice Chair of the Federal Grants Review Committee. He also served on the Education Committee; the Parks, Library, Recreation, and Auditorium Committee; the Public Safety - Beer, Wine, and Whiskey Committee; and the Charter Revision Committee. Melvin Black is a retired teacher. He earned his Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 degree and master's degree

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 in Education from Tennessee State University

Tennessee State University

Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:...

.

Sponsored bills

Melvin Black co-sponsored a resolution asking the Metro Board of Public Education to provide a yearly plan to Council about how it uses existing school classroom space. On October 2, 2001, he introduced a resolution that requested the Solid Waste Division of the Department of Public Works to determine the feasibility of providing a free day each week for disposal at the convenience centers, and to construct additional convenience centers. On March 19, 2002, he asked that the resolution be amended to also request that the Solid Waste Division begin a program to educate Nashville citizens about the convenience centers.

Votes

He voted to raise pay rates for city council members from $6,900 to $15,000, the vice mayoral salary from $8,900 to $17,000, and the mayoral salary from $75,000 to $136,500. He voted for the bill to ban discrimination against homosexual members of the Metro government.