 Join us on July 3 at Liberty Park for a FREE family-focused Fourth of July fireworks festival! See more here.
As most of you know, our budget was approved earlier this week by our partners on the City Council. This milestone resulted from months of strategy, negotiations, and collaboration. The plan we brought to the council on April 23 was the product of thousands of man-hours of our team thinking about our community's needs and how best to support them. The ending compromise on June 25 was created by our common goal to deliver a stronger, safer, and more investable Memphis.
Chief Operating Officer Antonio Adams and Chief Financial Officer Walter Person led our team through this process. They were on the frontlines of the discussions with the council as we worked to deliver a budget that supports our entire community and not just the select interests of a few.
Let me be clear, I know that the 49-cent property tax increase isn’t the kind of news any of us want to cheer about. But it is the right thing for Memphis right now. Memphis needs investment. We deserve it. And you have my word that our team will stretch every dollar. We will continue to collaborate. We will activate community partnerships. And we will deliver a return on your investment.
Throughout the budget process, I asked my team to remain focused on you, the residents of Memphis. I asked them to be innovative and bold, when possible. And I asked them to envision the programs and priorities that could shift the trajectory of our city. As we settled on a final budget, their goals remained steady. We will do everything we can to make our city stronger, to make you feel safer. And to make Memphis better. The list below is just a bit of what my team shared with me about their goals for this year. We will continue to use data to drive our decisions. We will continue to keep our community as the focus of all of our work. My former colleagues at Housing and Community Development are excited to be able to expand programming to support new homeowners. In FY25, they will increase the number of families we support with downpayment assistance, and make funds available for the construction of single-family homes for homeowners through the Housing Trust Fund.
Our Memphis Public Library system will further expand its reach through the Connect Crew to provide more programming for the entire community, including utilizing the 211 service and connection to social services.
The Solid Waste division will continue building its dedicated Blight Strike Team to contribute to the Administration’s dedication to creating a cleaner, safer, and stronger city.
With this approved budget, Public Works plans to prioritize investments in blight mitigation strategies, including proactive code enforcement. The division is also investing in sustainable and renewable energy along with AI to facilitate a more proactive response regarding infrastructure that the City is responsible for maintaining.
Memphis Fire Department’s top priority is to provide the right emergency response promptly and accurately every day by being an innovative leader in firefighting, communications, fire prevention, emergency management, and emergency medical service delivery.
Our Parks team is excited about continuing to offer a wide range of engaging, innovative programs in our parks, community centers, senior centers, athletics complexes, aquatics facilities, and golf courses. They want to expand the type, quality, and frequency of the programs offered to ensure that the recreational, health, wellness, and leisure needs of Memphians are met.
Our Engineering department is prioritizing the oversight, regulation, management, and support of the deployment of our Smart Fiber initiative, the continued management and upgrading of all traffic control devices (modernization of traffic signals), school zone traffic control devices, and traffic calming devices, and the execution and implementation of the new cost-share program for sidewalk repairs.
Our IT department is already moving fast and looking forward to providing a secure and modern information technology computing environment for the employees and residents of Memphis. The are also already at work building a data-driven, world-class City of Memphis website, and supporting and enabling MPD’s Code Zero by driving the 5 Crime Technology initiatives.
Our Memphis Police Department’s top budget priority is decreasing crime and gun violence through enhanced community policing efforts, increased officer training, and technology upgrades. They will continue MPD’s Code Zero efforts utilizing holistic prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies. They will also focus on hiring more officers and providing raises to support retention. They believe these initiatives and strategies will build stronger relationships between our officers and the communities they serve, ultimately leading to a safer Memphis for all.
Together, we will build a better Memphis.
Interested in serving your community? The City of Memphis appoints members to many important and impactful area boards. Learn more and apply here.
Weekly Crime Trend
The report below provides our weekly update on Part 1 Crimes. It updates daily and shows a continuous rolling 7-day total compared to the prior 7-day total. The date range for each 7-day period is shown below the table. The charts on the right show the calendar week trend, comparing 2023 to 2024. We maintain two crime dashboards, the Weekly Crime Trend report can be found here, and the Crime Analytics dashboard can be accessed here.
Our Strike Team worked in the following zip codes this week: 38016, 38018, 38104, 38106, 38108, 38109, 38116, 38118, 38119, 38111, 38122, 38128.
Social and Community Shout-outs:
Liberty For All. Liberty Park hosts Liberty For All Festival on Tiger Lane Wednesday, July 3 from 5pm-9pm. Come enjoy food trucks, carnival games, entertainment, and fireworks. See full details here.
 901 Day Parade. Registration for the 9.01 Day Parade down historic Beale Street is now open. See full details and sign-up here.
 Family Fun Day. The City of Memphis and Memphis Parks host Family Fun Day in Westwood at Western Park Friday, June 28 starting at 6pm. There will be food trucks, open swim, bounce houses and more. See full details here.
 Memphis Parks is Hiring. Join the #BestinGreen! Memphis Parks is hiring for part-time and full-time positions. To apply, see full details here.
Customer Assistance Road Show. MLGW & LINC/2-1-1 hosts community event at Benjamin L. Hooks Library on Monday, July 1 from 6pm-7pm to educate public on community resources like utilities, childcare, legal assistance and more. See full details here.
 The Memphis City Council Grant Program supports 501(c)(3) organizations deepen their inpact in the Memphis Community. Applications are due by July 19 at 12pm. See full details here.
Memphis Represented at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Congratulations to Memphian Harrison Williams on advancing to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Lets cheer him on as he represents the United States in the decathlon. Follow his journey here.
Weekly round-up
Weekly Round-Up: Celebrating New Developments, Community Safety, and Support Initiatives!
This week has been all about growth, safety, and support in Memphis:
 Community Development.
Enhancing Safety
Supporting Youth
Boosting Infrastructure
Join us as we continue to foster progress, unity, and community spirit in Memphis! 🎉👏 #MemphisStrong #CommunityEngagement #ProgressTogether
See full post here
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