Category: Issues

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Issues

11 charts that paint Shelby’s financial picture

Shelby County officials have faced criticism recently in the wake of a cashflow crunch and the Tennessee Comptroller’s decision not to approve its Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

But what hasn’t been reported anywhere is a big win for the county that was unlocked by a small group of commissioners who refused to budge on the tax rate.

Here’s a condensed playback:

Following hours of debate, the commission adopted a 2.69 property tax rate. This is the state-certified rate equivalent to 3.39, the previous fiscal year’s rate, after factoring for the results of the reassessment.

Why is that important? Because it unlocked something historic.

For the first time in 23 years, Shelby County does not have the highest property tax rate in the state.

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Issues

MSCS facilities assessment

Below is the MSCS maintenance expenditure forecast from an executive summary of the district’s facility condition assessment.

Keep in mind these figures are specific to MSCS and the expense to the county will require a ADA match to the other municipal districts, which adds a ~25% multiple to the totals.

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Milton grants by Wright

As stated in social media posts, I have been reviewing the Shelby County Commission’s community enhancement grant program (Milton grants).

In addition to sharing my perspective on and approach to the grant program, I have committed to take the following actions:

  1. Provide an account of my participation in the program.
  2. Support reforms to the program.
  3. Advocate for better technology and data sharing processes.
  4. Maintain an open door policy with citizens and media.

This blog post was drafted to meet the first of these commitments.

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Issues

The long wait

Waiting on Wanda

If there’s one thing we’ve come to expect when it comes to Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert, it’s a long wait.

And here we are waiting again.

Last week, a circuit court judge ruled District Attorney General Coty Wamp of Hamilton County lacked standing in the case against Clerk Halbert. The judge dismissed the ouster petition Wamp had filed in May.

Wamp was appointed as special prosecutor on June 29, 2023.

As we reach the one year anniversary of that appointment this Saturday, we’re back to square one.

“The waiting is the hardest part.”

Tom Petty
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Issues

The Wright amendment

On Wednesday, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris will present his budget proposal, expected to include a funding plan to renovate the Regional One trauma center.

With an unanimous vote last month, the board asked Mayor Harris to do so, while also approving an amendment I proposed, which itemized five conditions for moving forward:

1. Before another dime goes to Regional One, the county must secure match funding from the state or other sources.

2. If there are increased fees, the budget must also include property tax relief as well as spending cuts.

3. The proposal must include a Public Safety Fund (to pay for the action steps itemized in the Crime Commission’s safe community action plan, as previously discussed here).

4. The administration must perform an exhaustive search for alternatives to a wheel tax increase.

5. The mayor must take the plan on the road and share it with citizens, so the public knows what is being proposed.

Here’s what the text of the amendment looked like:

More to come.