City of Memphis
MATA has one month of expenses left, then it’s out of cash
The Young administration could ask the City Council for additional money for MATA, and at least one council member does not like its current approach.
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Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise reporter who focuses on government and politics. He began his career at the Tulsa World where he covered business and K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development.
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The Young administration could ask the City Council for additional money for MATA, and at least one council member does not like its current approach.
That squabble spilled into court documents Jan. 10 with Nichols’ attorneys attempting to compel the city to turn over key documents for the ongoing civil rights lawsuit. The lawsuit is set for trial in July 2026.
Memphis Light, Gas and Water CEO Doug McGowen said the utility has been working to insulate key equipment during the cold.
“It is a physics problem, not a political problem, on how much energy can be provided here,” MLGW CEO Doug McGowen told the Memphis City Council on Tuesday.
A group of Memphians opposed to the gates, including a Golden Globe-nominated actress, has retained Alex Wharton of the Wharton Law Firm to look into potential First Amendment issues associated with the proposed barriers.
More police spending does not always equate to lower crime rates. Memphis and Atlanta spend almost the same on police per person per year but have seen vastly different results.
The City of Memphis could move next year to examine Beale Street’s governing structure, potentially creating a new entity to oversee the street.
Judge Mark Norris made the ruling after attorneys for Tyre Nichols’ estate and his mother argued the DOJ investigation into the Memphis Police Department contained further evidence for the civil rights lawsuit.
This coming week, another cold snap threatens Memphis and the Mid-South, raising the question of whether the eventual thaw will harm area pipes enough to cause a boil advisory.
The move would be part of a plan to improve the Memphis Police Department without entering into a binding consent decree with the Department of Justice.
The Memphis Area Transit Authority Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday, Dec. 17, to install three consultants at the top of the troubled bus system — at some future point.
Seeding Success leadership has spent months pitching the Memphis City Council and Shelby County Commission on the antipoverty plan. Related content:
The new Memphis Area Transit Authority board heard a proposal to replace interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin temporarily with John Lewis of Transpro, the consultant who wrote a scathing report about the bus system just weeks ago.
Last week, xAI, the startup founded by Elon Musk, announced plans to expand its supercomputer. Now, environmental groups want to know what it will cost Memphis.
Tech giants Nvidia, Super Micro Computer and Dell are also eyeing Memphis for new manufacturing space.
XAI’s planned expansion comes with a pressing question: Where would the project get its power? Elon Musk’s xAI poised to invest billions of dollars in Memphis supercomputerRelated content:
Mayor Paul Young and City Chief Legal Officer Tannera Gibson disputed whether MPD treats Black residents differently than white ones.
“It’s my job as mayor to fight for the best interests of our entire community,” Mayor Paul Young said, citing that as a reason for the city not consenting to an agreement with the Justice Department.
On Thursday morning, Dec. 5, the City of Memphis released letters from Mayor Paul Young and interim Memphis Police Department Chief C.J. Davis.
The U.S. Department of Justice alleges the Memphis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution. ‘A rush to judgment’: Memphis won’t enter agreement with DOJRelated content:
The City of Memphis does not plan on entering an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice following the department’s civil rights investigation into the Memphis Police Department, City Attorney Tannera Gibson said in a letter to the DOJ this week.
The funds would have to be allocated at the Shelby County Commission’s meetings on Dec. 11 and Dec. 16, the last two before the end of the year.
“Acknowledging PTSD is a step forward to normalizing this conversation around mental health, reducing stigma and encouraging officers to seek help when they need it,” said Memphis City Council member Jerri Green.
MLGW’s $2.5 billion budget doesn’t include any rate increases for the current year, but a previously passed 4% electric rate increase will take effect next year. Related content: