Democrats love taxes. That’s no secret. In Virginia, the Democrats who run the state are pushing a massive slate of new or increased taxes on everything from gym memberships to Uber Eats. In New York, Mamdani is extorting Albany to either let him raise taxes on the rich and corporations or he’ll go after New York City homeowners and jack up their property taxes, too.
And in Nashville, the Acme Farm Store — one of the city’s landmarks — is facing closure after the city jacked up its taxes by $500,000 a year.
The shockwaves from historic property tax hikes in Nashville are no longer abstract. They are now threatening to erase some of the city’s most beloved and authentic landmarks.
One of the men most responsible for preserving Nashville’s past says he may be forced to walk away from it — unless City Hall intervenes.
You may not know the name Tom Morales, but you almost certainly know what he saved.
Morales helped preserve the Loveless Cafe, the historic Woolworth building and the iconic Acme Feed and Seed on Lower Broadway. Now, he says Acme — one of the last true anchors of old Nashville — is on the brink of closing because of a staggering property tax increase.
The original Acme Feed and Seed operated downtown for 56 years before closing in 1999. When Morales saw the building sitting vacant for more than a decade, he decided to bring it back — not as a theme park version of Nashville, but as the real thing.
The property taxes were $129,000 a year. They’re now north of $600,000 a year. That’s more than the company’s rent and net profits combined.
Hellbound and Down 