Hike in sales tax could pay for new Shelby County jail
A draft bill obtained by The Daily Memphian shows how Shelby County could pay for a new jail — the state would give the county permission to increase the total sales tax rate to 10.75%.
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Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. A native Rhode Islander who lives in Midtown, he enjoys tennis, golf and reading.
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A draft bill obtained by The Daily Memphian shows how Shelby County could pay for a new jail — the state would give the county permission to increase the total sales tax rate to 10.75%.
It has been more than a month since the Memphis City Council voted to give the University of Memphis Auxiliary Services Foundation ownership of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium and $120 million in cash. The stadium still belongs to the City of Memphis.
Gov. Bill Lee and Metro Nashville officials are scheduled to cut the proverbial ribbon Thursday afternoon, raising the question of when Memphis and Shelby County officials will do the same outside FedExForum.
The City of Memphis has struggled to maintain the escalators and elevators at the area’s largest library for years, frequently calling in a repair company to fix them before opting for replacement.
Memphis Tourism asked the Metropolitan Memphis Hotel and Lodging Association’s political action committee to amend campaign finance filings after The Daily Memphian questioned why it had not disclosed political donations on its federal tax returns.
Steve Mulroy said Tuesday, Feb. 20, that MPD had a murder clearance rate of 31.2% in 2022, something that Interim Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis audibly disputed as he said it. MPD wants 10-day holds for vehicles used in drag racing, street stuntsRelated content:
Federal tax filings show Memphis Tourism spent about 85% of the money it received over the past five years as it sits on a cash pile. Convention and visitor bureaus promoting larger cities — Atlanta, Nashville and San Diego — have different spending habits.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Daily Memphian, the new mayor also talked about the need to keep suspects accused of violent crime in jail, what will happen with the Sheraton hotel and the latest documents released related to Tyre Nichols' death.
A fired MFD private said his failure to immediately render aid to Tyre Nichols on the scene of the Jan. 7, 2023, beating was because he did not think anything he could have done would have prevented Nichols’ death.
The Greater Memphis Chamber, in a statement to The Daily Memphian, asked the entire City Council to vote against the health insurance measure, saying it is fiscally irresponsible.
A Memphis resident has filed an ethics complaint against a Memphis City Council member over an alleged conflict of interest.
A wave of City of Memphis contractors contributed to Mayor-elect Paul Young in the weeks after he won the Oct. 5 race, a review by The Daily Memphian finds.
Memphis government and the Grizzlies are seeking more money for $500-million-plus in renovations to FedExForum and working toward a lease extension, but another lease could also involve changes to the area around the arena.
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said the amendment would increase judicial discretion regarding bail and would require judges to say why or why not they granted bail.
At least 15 city employees traveled to the Caribbean island for a recruiting fair last July. The event, designed to attract police officers and employees for other hard-to-fill jobs, failed to attract a single candidate.
Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis would continue to serve in an interim capacity.
Strickland vetoed a referendum ordinance that would ask voters whether the Memphis City Council could set its salary and the salary of mayor-appointed directors. The council believes the veto was done improperly.
Memphis Public Works Director Robert Knecht said people should stay off the roads because ice accumulation will make it difficult for the city to continue clearing streets Thursday.
Now that the meeting minutes are approved, the U of M Auxiliary Services Foundation will receive Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
If Memphis has healed – or if it has at least scarred in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death – it is because of RowVaughn Wells, said J. Lawrence Turner, pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.
The worried message from a slew of executives to the state’s Republican leadership follows months of public statements from some who signed the letter that the city’s future hangs in the balance.
After embattled Memphis police chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis lost the City Council’s test reappointment vote, Mayor Paul Young said he believes the “support will be there” in time for the official decision.Related story:
Laws passed in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death instituted new data collection policies for traffic stops; stipulated that only marked police cars make traffic stops, and mandated residents not get pulled over for low-level offenses like faulty brake lights. Former officer accused in Tyre Nichols’ death wants trial outside of MemphisRelated story:
The reappointment of Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis as police chief is among the slew of mayoral appointments that the Memphis City Council is slated to consider at its first meeting of 2024. ‘No tolerance for the chaos:’ Young pledges unified front to fight crimeRelated content:
“We hear our citizens loud and clear,” said Memphis Mayor Paul Young. “They want to see action. They want to see us strategizing and figuring out how we’re going to reduce the chaos, the hurt and the pain that we see in our community.”