Weekly Update

Friends,

There’s a reason we work so hard at running an efficient government.

It’s to prioritize resources — to redirect them toward items that have a better return on investment. It’s to make sure that every dollar we have at City Hall is aligned toward our vision of reducing population loss and maximizing our momentum by delivering quality core services.

Some of our goals, like rebuilding the police department, are fairly high profile. Some of the other ones aren’t — yet still go a long way toward our shared goals of stronger neighborhoods, more opportunities for our young people, and safer streets.

Like our Memphis Public Libraries. You’ve heard a lot about them lately, such as:

• Our increased hours — 10 branches re-opened on Fridays after being closed on that day for years, and hours have increased citywide;
• Our new and improved programming, which drew noticeably more participants this summer — including a 61 percent jump in our southwest region branches; and
• Our ‘Start Here’ campaign, which showcases our libraries as a living platform for knowledge of all kinds — and not simply stacks of books.

It’s a new day for our libraries, and I hope you’ll check them out. As we re-invest in our city, our libraries are a major focus — and we’re already seeing results.

Even more, I hope you’ll sign up for a library card by the end of September, which is National Library Card Sign-Up Month. So far this month, about 1,700 Memphians have received their card.

Another big step: Trolley No. 799 debuted in Memphis Thursday, part of the next step in the return of our trolleys along Main Street. It was a test, and while there are many more weeks and months of testing to come, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Happy New Year: New Year's greetings to our Jewish neighbors in Memphis who are celebrating the beginning of the year 5778 on the Hebrew calendar. Shana Tova!

Congrats, Redbirds: Our Redbirds are continuing to make us proud. They won the Pacific Coast League championship Sunday night! A big congrats to all the players and manager Stubby Clapp for a job well done.

Yours,