On Aug. 6 — assuming they haven't already taken advantage of early voting — Davidson County residents will go to the polls for a sweeping countywide referendum on the area's future. Do they want caretakers who will protect and extend Nashville's good fortune of late? Do they want lawmakers who hope to distribute those riches among a wider segment of the population? Do they want a break with tradition and the challenge of new policies and technologies?

In this guide to Election 2015, from the hotly contested mayoral field (of whom two will likely advance to a September run-off) to the crowded slate of at-large and district council representatives, we aren't trying to persuade you whom to elect or why. But don't listen to cynics who would justify their own laziness by telling you it doesn't matter who gets your vote. You'll find subtle distinctions among the platforms and positions outlined here — and those may well send ripples through the city's government for years to come.

So if you haven't made up your mind, maybe these pages will help. And if not, you can always roll up this issue for those who can't be bothered to exercise their most sacred American freedom — and swat them.

2015 Voter Guide:

• Your 2015 voter guide from the mayor’s race to council, from term limits to local hires

• Ten exciting Metro Council contests to watch closely on election night by Steven Hale

• A diverse group of council insiders, first-timers, Army vets and at least one medieval historian vies for Davidson County's at-large seats by Steven Hale and Andrea Zelinski

• Don't skip these additional matters — Council size and term limits, local hiring, vice mayor — once you've voted in the top races by Steven Hale and Abby White

Nashville's Next Mayor

Megan Barry

Vitals:

Birthdate: Sept. 22, 1963

Birthplace: California

College: Baker University

Post-grad: Vanderbilt University

Jobs: Council member at-Large, director of ethics and social responsibility at Nortel Networks, Ethics and compliance officer at Premier Inc.

Website: meganbarry.com

Mass Transit: Would create an office of transportation within the mayor’s office, with a transit czar responsible for coordinating all modes of transit with various departments. Supports a regional approach long-term, but would look at fully subsidizing existing transit to increase current ridership.

Education: Supports universal pre-K and a balance between traditional public schools and charter schools. Says both sides on that debate are wrong if they think the other is going away.

Affordable Housing: Co-sponsored a bill with Councilwoman Burkley Allen to direct 1 percent of the 6 percent hotel/motel tax to the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing. More recently, voted for a bill directing the Metro Planning Commission to come up with a proposal for inclusionary zoning to be considered later this year.

Economic Development: Consistently supported Mayor Karl Dean’s economic development policies, including corporate tax incentives and big-ticket construction. Sponsored a living wage bill in 2010 — it raised the salaries of 14 Metro employees — and supports raising the minimum wage, although Metro can’t do it without the state legislature’s help.

Infrastructure: Has talked about incorporating green infrastructure like permeable pavement, as well as pedestrian-friendly items like sidewalks and greenways that connect neighborhoods to parks.

Other: Spent the past eight years in Metro government as an at-large councilwoman and nearly 20 years in the corporate world, most recently as an ethics and compliance officer. Earlier this month she received The Tennessean’s endorsement.

Charles Robert Bone

Vitals:

Birthdate: March 15, 1974

Birthplace: Madison

College: Rhodes College

Post-grad: Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D.

Jobs: Member and treasurer, Bone McAllester Norton; founder and member, Healthcare Compliance and Consulting Resources; President Obama’s National Finance Committee; finance chair, Harold Ford Jr. for Senate

Website: boneformayor.com

Mass Transit: Echoes calls for regional plan, but says city should also focus on sidewalks to improve access to existing transit. Would establish a pilot program allowing qualifying senior citizens to ride MTA buses for free.

Education: Asks what can we do with the 80 percent of children’s time when they’re not in school to make them more successful when they are at school, through after-school organizations like NAZA and Metro Parks community centers.

Affordable Housing: Has said that he would use data to pinpoint where gentrification is occurring, and that he’d like to significantly increase the city’s investment in the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing. Wants to expand the Tax Freeze Program for senior citizens.

Economic Development: Calls for a citywide economic development plan that expands downtown prosperity to neighborhoods that haven’t seen as much, with different strategies for different areas. Says he would provide financial support to local chambers of commerce outside downtown.

Infrastructure: Describes infrastructure as the next mayor’s Music City Center; as such, says city should channel a solid share of the sales-tax revenue boost from increased tourism toward upgrading sidewalks, old roads and sewers.

Other: Served as counsel for the Music City Center project as an attorney with Bone McAllester Norton. Was an Obama campaign bundler in 2012 and has the support of former Vice President Al Gore.

David Fox

Vitals:

Birthdate: Aug. 1, 1961

Birthplace: Virginia

College: University of Virginia

Jobs: Nashville Post Co., Metro Board of Education, Titan Advisors

Website: foxfornashville.com

Mass Transit: Would explore public-private partnerships such as contracting a private company to build a regional mass transit system that Nashville and neighboring communities would lease while charging user fees to riders. Says sidewalks and buses also play a part and should be tailored to communities, instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach.

Education: Supports charter schools and wants to recruit more of the nonprofits to Nashville, with the caveat that they be high-performing. Wants pre-K available to any poor, at-risk kid whose family wants it and says the city should form public-private partnerships to increase the number of high-quality teachers.

Affordable Housing: Focuses on the Metro Rental Assistance Demonstration Program, which leans on private capital to fund projects. Seeing pros and cons to gentrification, says he would rather give developers incentives to develop affordable housing rather than mandate it.

Economic Development: Self-described “free enterprise kind of guy” is no fan of incentives; even so, recognizes they can be a necessary evil when competing for business with other areas.

Infrastructure: Says Nashville needs to address water and sewer lines, sidewalks and streets, particularly outside the the city’s core. Argues it’s dangerous to keep building and growing Nashville without maintaining the basics of what makes it work.

Other: Fiercely opposes adding to the city’s debt; just as passionate in favor of public-private partnerships, whether for transit, charter schools or funding school-facility improvements. Unafraid to give unpopular opinions if founded on fact, data and research, as when the former school board chairman and hedge-fund manager said he’d prefer mayoral control over schools. Zags when everyone else zigs.

Bill Freeman

Vitals:

Birthdate: Nov. 1, 1951

Birthplace: Nashville

College: University of Tennessee

Jobs: Director of development at MDHA; Freeman Webb Co.

Website: freeman2015.com

Mass Transit: Emphasizes regional system that brings commuters in from Franklin, Murfreesboro, Lebanon, etc. Has said The Amp was a distraction and says he would appoint a transit director in his administration.

Education: Supports universal pre-K and says education discussion in Nashville has been too negative. Would expand and implement community schools, which would include before- and after-school programs plus meal and health care services for students as well as the surrounding community.

Affordable Housing: Says he knows what incentives and other enticements developers need, having made his fortune in property management. Would create 10,000 affordable housing units in his first term using incentives, possibly utilizing underused or vacant Metro property and increased funding for the Barnes Fund.

Economic Development: Supports using corporate incentives and has criticized the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce for failing to put enough emphasis on the “Nashville” part of its title. Says he would be a “jealous advocate” and a “one-man chamber of commerce” recruiting companies and jobs to Nashville.

Infrastructure: Calls for focus on green infrastructure, saying his administration would conduct energy audits on Metro facilities, create further incentives for green roofs, and set greenhouse gas reduction goals. Would appoint a sustainability director.

Other: Co-founder of the Freeman Webb Co., a billion-dollar property management company, and well-known as one of the nation’s top fundraisers for President Obama in 2012. He is the largest self-funder in the race by more than a million dollars. Has been endorsed by all four unions that represent Metro workers.

Howard C. Gentry Jr.

Vitals:

Birthdate: Feb. 4, 1952

Birthplace: Nashville

College: Florida A&M, Tennessee State

Jobs: County Criminal Court Clerk of Metro Nashville and Davidson County (present), CEO of Nashville Area Chamber’s Public Benefit Foundation, CEO of Backfield in Motion, TSU athletic director and assistant vice president for university relations and development, executive director of the TSU Foundation

Website: howardgentryformayor.com

Mass Transit: Also stresses need for a regional plan, along with the need to confront how costly it will be. Says he would bring the community together to create a long-term plan.

Education: Says he will work with school system to build reputation of once-struggling schools and encourage the district to place top teachers there. Has also placed emphasis on issues such as poverty that affect students outside of school and hinder their success.

Affordable Housing: Would focus on areas such as Bordeaux and Antioch that get overlooked even though affordable housing is still available. Would invest in sidewalks and other amenities for those communities, and in doing so create a more economically integrated city.

Economic Development: Supports incentives if necessary, but would make them dependent on the quality of jobs that companies are bringing. Also says he’d like to attract companies by improving transit and affordable housing.

Infrastructure: Would make infrastructure investments in neighborhoods that have seen less attention in recent years.

Other: Has made violent crime a campaign focus more than any other candidate, particularly in recent months. The 2007 mayoral contender and former vice mayor would hold a Youth Violence Summit bringing together various community members to address the issue. Has also said he would create an Office of Social Equity and conduct an annual audit of the Metro workforce to ensure diversity.

Jeremy Kane

Vitals:

Birthdate: Feb. 2, 1979

Birthplace: Jackson, Mich.

College: Stanford University

Post-grad: Vanderbilt University

Jobs: Speechwriter, Office of Sen. John Kerry; teacher of American literature, government and economics, Montgomery Bell Academy; executive director, Tennessee Charter School Association; founder and CEO, LEAD Academy and LEAD Public Schools

Website: kaneformayor.com

Mass Transit: Believes that transportation should tie communities and schools together. On that front, wants to create regional hubs throughout town, e.g., the Southeast Community Center in Antioch. Also vows to invest in roads, sidewalks, bike lanes and green space.

Education: As a founder of LEAD charter schools, believes the publicly funded, independently managed schools should be difficult to open (but not impossible). Also big on affordable, accessible early child care, including universal pre-K, expanding after-school programs and encouraging schools to double as community centers. Wants a long-term capital improvement plan for schools that clearly states what will be improved when.

Affordable Housing: Vows to “lead the charge” revitalizing East Nashville’s James Cayce Homes. Says the city needs more affordable housing to be built through the Barnes Fund and paid for by parking fees. Hints at incentives to ensure teachers, police officers and firefighters can afford to live in communities they serve.

Economic Development: Says Metro business incentives should be paired and linked to community values. Maintains he would hold companies accountable for economic enticements used to lure businesses here. Wants to think outside the box, like by incentivizing retail and community spaces in the ground floor of affordable housing developments.

Infrastructure: Defines “infrastructure” as everything from sewers and schools to broadband Internet. Wants the public to keep the mayor accountable for promises to invest outside the city’s core.

Other: Wants to create an Office of Neighborhoods, Nonprofits and Faith to direct resources and support community aid organizations. Key to his administration would be uniting education, affordable housing and mass transit — i.e., great public transportation ensures true school choice, while a safe neighborhood removes distractions from learning. Also seeks support programs for senior citizens, including help with housing.

Linda Eskind Rebrovick

Vitals:

Birthdate: Dec. 26, 1955

Birthplace: Nashville

College: Auburn University

Jobs: Executive in professional services and consulting division, IBM; executive vice president and chief marketing officer, KPMG; vice president of health care sales, Dell; CEO, Consensus Point

Website: lindafornashville.com

Mass Transit: Make roads smarter — use real-time sensors on traffic lights to improve flow, high-occupancy transit lanes with tolls that could help fund rapid transit. On the ground, expand bike infrastructure; in the air, develop international connections to London, Europe and Asia.

Education: Make Nashville smarter by ensuring students are well versed in of-the-moment technology. Encourage businesses and nonprofits to team, mentor kids and help students secure jobs and paid internships.

Affordable Housing: Foster more mixed-use and mixed-income affordable housing developments. Also increase number of studio apartments, as well as co-housing that arranges small condo units around shared living spaces such as living and dining rooms. Wants to create an environment to attract developers to build affordable housing.

Economic Development: Urges keeping and growing the businesses Nashville already has, but wants to attract more — specifically, companies that will be good corporate citizens. Would remove barriers for entrepreneurs with streamlined permitting and regulations. Also recommends making Jefferson Street a tourist destination with live music and retail.

Infrastructure: Promotes innovations such as self-watering parks that turn on when soil is dry, permeable paving surfaces that reduce water runoff, and smart trash and recycling cans that run off solar power and compact waste and text the city when the cans are full.

Other: Touts building a “Smarter Nashville” by embracing technology and entrepreneurs in nearly every spectrum of civic operations. The 35-year business executive suggests smart meters that would alert officials when electricity goes down, apps to pinpoint empty parking spots, and technology that would dispatch police when a gunshot goes off.