Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | Memphis City Council

The political life and times of Myron Lowery

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 19:04:23 -0500

Former Memphis City Council member Myron Lowery, who died Sunday, was also interim Memphis mayor and City Court Clerk during 40 years in the rough and tumble of local politics.

City Council is on board with free MATA bus ride trial period

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:12:24 -0500

The Memphis City Council is asking MATA to figure out the details of a month-long trial run at no fares and reports on the impact it has on ridership.

City Council votes down National Guard resolution

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:40:08 -0500

The resolution opposing the guard deployment as part of a larger anti-crime initiative by the Trump administration was defeated on a tie vote.

City Council gives MLGW go ahead for new operations center

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 18:52:38 -0500

The resolution the City Council passed authorizes MLGW to buy a Cordova property for up to $31.4 million.

Will City Council vote oppose National Guard deployment?

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 20:03:30 -0500

The Memphis City Council votes on urging Gov. Bill Lee to stop the deployment of the National Guard to the city. The resolution also authorizes the council’s attorney to take legal action to stop the troops if necessary.

Competing rallies demonstrate partisan divide over National Guard deployment

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:59:15 -0500

Opponents of an “occupation” by National Guard troops in the city and Republicans backing the arrival of the Guard both rallied to their cause Thursday in the city.

See The Daily Memphian’s full coverage of the Memphis Safe Task Force

Council members to push Gov. Lee to reject Guard deployment

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:36:29 -0500

The City Council could vote on the resolution, so far backed by a group of council members, at its meeting next week. It is not binding on Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.

Council delays vote on Regional One Health rebuild

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 09:31:00 -0500

The Memphis City Council delayed a vote to halt the building of a new $1.9 billion campus for the county-owned hospital, a move that will slow down county funding.

Control of MATA money goes to city trust

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 9 Sep 2025 19:22:33 -0500

The trust controlling city funding to the Memphis Area Transit Authority is the result of discontent by City Council members as well as the City of Memphis administration about the bus system’s interim leadership.

City Council talks MATA and Regional One Health rebuild

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Mon, 8 Sep 2025 21:13:44 -0500

City Council members will talk about next steps for the city’s bus system as one member calls for talks with County government on Regional One Health’s campus rebuild.

City Council votes on xAI tax revenue, MATA money, Oak Court OK and more

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:42:19 -0500

The Council voted 11-0 to direct property tax revenue from the two xAI data centers to nearby communities.

City to put $900,000 into more aggressive battle against blight

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:22:57 -0500

The City’s more aggressive stance on blighted properties is focused on taking court cases to Chancery Court instead of Environmental Court. The funding would fuel that effort and could be sustained with money from the sale of properties out of receivership.

Liberty Park Southern Avenue entrance could get new look

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 21:22:37 -0500

The Memphis City Council will dive into a revamped entrance and security upgrades for Liberty Park along with a $14.6 million “action plan” from Mayor Paul Young.

'This is disgusting’: MATA update to City Council comes with skepticism

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 5 Aug 2025 21:27:48 -0500

MATA’s interim leader told the council all the buses are ready but only for a pared-down system and that former leadership spent more than a million dollars in federal funds it hadn’t secured.

Memphis librarians want a change to city charter allowing them to seek union representation

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 5 Aug 2025 21:17:10 -0500

Memphis City Council members are weighing whether there is an easy and quick way to make the change or whether the change will take a charter amendment voters would have to approve.

$900K for police task force could go to fix city's potholes, blight, sidewalks

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 5 Aug 2025 15:09:05 -0500

The $900,000 intended for “integrity in policing” could instead fund several different projects across this city.

City looks to kick in $900K for 'integrity policing'

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 5 Aug 2025 06:47:31 -0500

The funding — generated from $2.8 million interest income on federal grant money — would support a police reform task force appointed in late 2024. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, Children and Youth Wellness Crisis Center and PURE Academy are also proposed to receive a piece.

City Council approves Old Daisy lease, gets look at Oak Court Mall plans

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:29:18 -0500

Plus, the Memphis City Council also sent the first installment of capital funding to start the redevelopment of the old Southwest Twin drive-in.

City Council to vote on new lease for Old Daisy

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:00:33 -0500

The Memphis City Council could also approve some specific standards for MATA to report how it’s spending city money.

Ask the Memphian: Did Union Avenue really change lane directions twice a day?

jcallahan@dailymemphian.com (Jody Callahan) — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 06:16:52 -0500

Union Avenue once reversed lane directions twice a day in a bold attempt to reduce traffic congestion. It may have worked for a while, but it became a confusing jumble that contributed to numerous accidents.