Colvett says he would be ‘extraordinarily pro-development’ mayor if elected
Colvett said he would appoint a “housing director” if elected to move more Memphians toward homeownership.
Bill Dries
Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for more than 40 years.
There are 3662 articles by Bill Dries :
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July 2023
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Behind The Headlines -
City of Memphis Paul Young tops Q2 fundraising in Memphis mayor’s race
Rival contender Floyd Bonner Jr. raised the second-highest amount but spent far less than Young, while J.W. Gibson topped the field in total spending.
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City of Memphis City Council approves August 2024 gun control referendum
Council members say they hope the question on city voters’ ballots will influence the Tennessee Legislature even if any of the measures would likely be challenge by the state if voters approve them.
Related story:
Police response time to priority calls down from 2022’s five-year high
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City of Memphis City Council to take final vote on 2024 gun-control referendum
The council also discusses two other ballot questions for next year including a residency requirement for city employees that reflects the state law to exempt police and firefighters from any requirement.
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Elections After last year’s try at DA, Janika White eyes council race
White finished second to Steve Mulroy in the May 2022 Democratic primary for Shelby County District Attorney General. Meanwhile, the official field for Memphis mayor stands at eight ahead of the July 20 qualifying deadline.
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Behind The Headlines State senator says change in bail guidelines more likely than ‘red flag’ law
State Senator Brent Taylor says he plans to change the state law on bail conditions. But on “Behind The Headlines” with Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo, Taylor said don’t look for major changes in gun laws in an August special session of the Legislature.
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North Memphis Hollywood splash pad marks fifth for Memphis Parks system
The splash pad opened Wednesday, July 5, to dozens of children in North Memphis putting it through its paces.
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Public Safety Strickland says juvenile curfew violation pilot program is underway
Strickland said children caught violating curfew are being detained at the Downtown precinct until a parent or guardian comes to pick them up. He also said the numbers of those detained are low.
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Premium
ElectionsPolitical Roundup: Summer strategies and council races take shape
The Political Roundup looks at campaigning in the summer heat, the most active council races and a growing field of possible contenders for Memphis mayor.
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Shelby County County Commission Scorecard: Resurrecting and passing the wheel-tax hike
The Shelby County Commission Scorecard follows the complex four-month path of the $25 wheel-tax hike, with a mix of the roll call votes and developments outside commission meetings that shaped the compromise.
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Premium
Shelby CountyWheel-tax compromise points to broader shift on County Commission
The $25 wheel-tax hike compromise approved by the Shelby County Commission broke a polite form of dysfunction on the body that could give way to a working majority crossing party lines on other issues.
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June 2023
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Shelby County Judge names special prosecutor to investigate Wanda Halbert
The Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office requested an outside prosecutor “due to the need to avoid a conflict of interest and any appearance of impropriety.”
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Shelby County County Commission gives final approval to $25 wheel-tax hike
The wheel-tax hike’s approval on a 9-4 vote ends the county’s budget season with the financing in place for three landmark capital projects.
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City of Memphis Council redistricting scrap overshadows end of city budget season
The council ultimately approved a new set of district lines because of the closeness of October city elections. The council also took the race for City Court Clerk off the same ballot.
Related story:
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Shelby County Wheel-tax hike makes comeback in marathon County Commission meeting
The $25 a year increase in the wheel tax was a last-minute compromise that funds the three major projects it is aimed at, but does not build funding for future schools projects. The commission takes a second crucial vote on the tax hike Wednesday.
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City of Memphis City Council weighs budget amendments, possible property-tax hike
The council has a series of budget amendments and what could be several property-tax hike proposals between it and the end of the city’s budget season.
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Shelby County Reinflated county wheel tax hike proposal faces new road test
The Shelby County Commission meets Monday, June 26, with a new version of the wheel tax hike that failed earlier this month on the agenda.
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State Government D.C. Scorecard: The Schiff censure, the Durham probe, TVA
This D.C. Scorecard includes the censure of the Democrat who made the House’s case for former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment and a grilling of the special counsel who investigated the FBI’s handling of allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
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Education Shelby County funding new high school in Frayser
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris will include a $10 million ask to restart work on a new Memphis-Shelby County Schools high school in Frayser when he presents his fiscal year 2024 budget proposal to county commissioners on Wednesday, April 26.
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North Memphis After renovation, sunlight streams into Gaston Community Center again
The windows surrounding three sides of the city’s first and oldest community center were boarded up nearly 50 years ago. The $4 million renovation formally opened Wednesday, June 21, bringing natural light back to the gym, while adding other uses to the center.
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City of Memphis Memphis City Council Scorecard: How a redistricting plan died
The Daily Memphian’s City Council Scorecard looks at how a significant change in council district lines ahead of the October city elections came to an abrupt halt earlier this month.
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City of Memphis Bonner and Gibson file qualifying petitions for October election
Mayoral contender Frank Colvett has pulled his petition, making him the last of the declared contenders to take the first step toward getting on the ballot.
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Elections Pearson easily wins state House District 86 Democratic primary
In the low-turnout contest, Justin J. Pearson got better than 94% of the vote across 19 precincts, compared to 5% for challenger David Page.
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Shelby County Juvenile Court wants almost $5M for ‘rapid engagement’ strategy
The new county funding would be for 40 new counselors with the goal of preventing a “cross over” of children coming to the court for child welfare issues and then moving to delinquent behavior.
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Shelby County Wheel-tax hike is back on County Commission agenda
Shelby County commissioners are still considering a hike in the wheel tax or the property tax to complete their budget season.
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