The Tri-State Defender - May 9, 2024

Week of: May 9, 2024

Heal The Hood Foundation launches comic book vending machines to promote literacy — Page 5

THE TSD INTERVIEW: MAYOR PAUL YOUNG

Young defends his budget and proposed tax increase. — Page 6

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■■ NEWS

Solid Waste rate increase of $6.98 approved by committee; heads to full council for vote

By James Coleman Special to The Tri-State Defender

Entering the FY 2025 budget season, members of the Memphis City Council’s Public Works, Solid Waste & General Services Committee approved a $6.98 per month rate hike on solid waste fees during the Tuesday, May 7 meeting.

e add-on request for a 23% increase in customer costs is the rst installment of three planned rate hikes that emerged from previous discussions with the council. It includes a $2 million cash infusion from the general fund for FY2025.

“Last year, what was originally brought was a 37 percent increase, or $11.09 per month,” said Phillip Davis, Director of Solid Waste. “During those discussions, it was suggested to stairstep this increase over a three-year period.”

If the proposed ordinance passes on third reading, the monthly bill will rise to $36.94. e current rate is $29.96 a month.

e last increase was in 2020.

Two subsequent annual adjustments of $2.95 and 2.78 could bring the total monthly tab to $42.58. Both would also require council approval.

e request for additional fees is, in large part, due to rising demands and costs.

Over the past several years, bulk waste pickups have risen exponentially. For example, in 2022 there were 179,000 tons picked up curbside, compared to 52,000 tons in 2017. Abuse of the system has trended upwards as well.

e rates could go up, or down depending on customer buy-in. Many items le at curbside cannot be picked up by crews. A proposed enforcement team would educate Memphians on materials that can be le curbside.

“We’ve proposed a 20-member team

to communicate solid waste rules and work with our customers to change their behavior,” said Davis.

AFSCME has also committed to stepping up removal of bags and small piles of debris, before they swell to larger piles.

Routes would also be “rebalanced.”

Labor costs have gone up, too. Crew chiefs are currently making $21 per hour - a $5 boost from a few years back. Moreover, the pay still remains below the market rate. e three-year plan will seek to align labor costs with area competitors’ higher rates. However, it won’t allow employees to “double-dip” a proposed three percent raise for city employees.

It will also look to add 131 new hires

to the understa ed division, including 102 sanitation workers.

“In 1968, the year Dr. King was assassinated here. He came to Memphis on behalf of the sanitation workers… we had 1,300 sanitation workers. Now we’ve got 515 full-time…I think the point is simply made with the numbers,” said Council Member Pearl Eva Walker.

e “collaborative” plan also includes xed costs, like replacement trucks. A new truck costs around $223,000. Ten years ago, the cost was $114,000. It would also put equipment on a 10-year replacement cycle. According to Davis, many of the trucks in the current eet were in service when he came aboard in 2012.

The Tri-State Defender

President Calvin Anderson Interim Editor Lee Eric Smith

Education: Bigger than grades; preparation for life

COMMENTARY

By Tracy D. Hall President of Southwest Tennessee Community College

During our second annual Southwest Workforce Center Open House and Career Fair on April 18 at the Macon Cove Campus, alumnus Calvin Sanford shared his story of overcoming a life of crime and lack of opportunity to his transformation into a successful entrepreneur.

Calvin’s journey to Southwest took 10 years, as life presented him with detours. He was a single father at 19 who found himself dealing and using drugs that landed him in jail 26 times. A er his last arrest, the prosecutor gave him three choices -- jail, probation with diversion, or school. He chose school and enrolled at Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Determined to turn his life around and be a better role model for his children, Calvin took full advantage of his time at Southwest. He became active in clubs and activities, achieving a 4.0 grade point average, earning a place on the Dean’s List, and in the Phi eta Kappa International Honor Society. He credits Southwest faculty and sta mentors with giving him the opportunity and “grace” to change his life. At Southwest, Calvin also met his wife, and they eventually had two daughters, aptly named Dream and Genesis.

Upon graduating from Southwest in 2018 with an Associate of Science in Accounting, the Shelby County Criminal Clerk’s O ce agreed to expunge his record. With a new beginning, Calvin transferred to Christian Brothers University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing in 2020.

Calvin is now the Chief Executive Ofcer and director of Marketality, LLC, a Mid-South marketing agency. Calvin shares his story with youth on the wrong side of the law who have made poor decisions and he motivates them to see beyond their circumstances. In a recent WMC-TV5 news story, he said, “I was young and a product of my environment. It’s no excuse, but it is what it is. If you grow up with less opportunity, if you grow up around trouble, if you grow up around negativity, then more than likely you’re going to convert to that.”

“Education is bigger than grades. Your life literally changes when you walk in that path.” | Calvin Sanford, Southwest Tennessee Community College and Christian Brothers University Alumnus, CEO of Marketality, LLC.

Calvin’s story of opportunity and redemption through education fuels our work at Southwest. As an open-access college and the second-largest higher education institution in Memphis, we meet students where they are and help take them to where they need to be. At Southwest, we don’t just teach. We counsel, mentor, guide, parent, love, and care for our students. Our nearly 8,000 students come to us with many challenges, from transportation, childcare issues, food, and housing insecurities to criminal records like Calvin’s. e work can sometimes be overwhelming, but it is what we, as a community college, are called to do— advance the community and its people.

“Southwest not only prepared me to get my bachelor’s degree, it (also) pre-

To watch an interview with Calvin Sanford use the above QR code, or follow this link https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=Gw8TK7gMWXg&authuser=0

pared me for life.” | Calvin Sanford

We cannot just wait, though, until students reach our doors as adults. We have to reach them earlier and younger; we cannot, however, do it alone. is is why we are grateful to have collaborated with business, industry, and K-12 partners to sponsor career and technical boot camps for high school students.

During the Open House, a panel of our industry partners and high school students discussed their boot camp experiences. e overwhelming message from the industry leaders was a recognition of their corporate civic responsibility to nurture and grow young talent

and provide them with positive experiences. e high school students shared how the CTE boot camps provided valuable career exposure, direction, and character-building opportunities that will bene t them now and in the future.

“I am afraid of heights and electricity. (But) I looked at everybody do it, and then I did it. So, I basically learned o of what they did.” | Student panelist recalling how he modeled his behavior a er his peers during the MLGW Lineman Summer Boot Camp.

e youth panelists also said they would encourage their friends to participate in future career boot camps. is last point is perhaps most profound, given Calvin’s recounting of his negative youth environment. Young people with positive experiences inuence other young people to choose better and be better.

By choosing education, Calvin Sanford discovered a talent he never knew he had. K-12, higher education, and business and industry partnerships are investments in young people that can help them recognize their potential sooner. As the saying goes, building strong children is easier (and perhaps less expensive) than repairing broken men and women.

For partnering with Southwest to build strong children through handson career education experiences, many thanks to Memphis Shelby County Schools Division of College, Career and Technical Education, Arlington Schools, Germantown Municipal Schools, Collierville Schools, Memphis Light Gas and Water, Stryker Corporation, Atlantic Track and Turnout Company, City of Memphis O ce of Youth Services, TechEd2Go and the parents and guardians of the boot camp participants.

Tracy D. Hall

■■ COMMUNITY

With petition for ouster looming, Halbert posts a . . . ‘Thank You?’

In Facebook post, embattled County Clerk hints at deeper issues coming to light

By James Coleman Special to The Tri-State Defender

Following the motion to remove Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert from o ce, a pair of resolutions totaling $2.4 million to provide pay raises and equipment upgrades to the beleaguered department were pulled during the commission meeting on Monday, May 6. Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp made the removal request in Circuit Court earlier in the day. In addition to noting a “willful neglect to perform a duty,” it also cites the recent ling of inaccurate reports in February.

On Tuesday, Halbert took to Facebook to respond. With a graphic saying “ ank You,” she hinted at deeper concerns that her o ce said they have “sounded the alarm” on:

“ e O ce of the Shelby County Clerk over the last 5+ years has repeatedly “sounded the alarm” regarding a host of ndings/concerns ( nancial included). Said concerns have been documented and reported to multiple legal County & State entities but never investigated. Fortunately, the day has come that FINALLY begins direct attention to the matters we have raised. While our team cannot discuss these and other matters, we will not be afraid to do what the law requires of us. When given authority, we commit to being transparent and will report accordingly,” Halbert responded via Facebook.

Wamp was appointed independent prosecutor by Shelby County Criminal

“Fortunately, the day has come that FINALLY begins direct attention to the matters we have raised. While our team cannot discuss these and other matters, we will not be afraid to do what the law requires of us.” — Wanda Halbert , responding on Facebook

Court Division 8 Judge Chris Cra in June. He has been investigating whether Halbert’s removal from o ce is warranted.

“Ms. Halbert consistently fails to turn the monthly report in to the Trustee in a timely manner … Ms. Halbert’s reports are consistently inaccurate with collected dollar amounts not added properly,” Wamp stated in the petition. e reports are part of a set of recommendations for a corrective action plan mandated by Tennessee State Comptroller Jason Mumpower.

A team of auditors was sent to review Halbert’s operation in March, a er Shelby County Trustee Regina Newman pulled erroneous nancial reports. Some have been resubmitted.

A corrective action plan that addresses the state-mandated set of recommendations also hasn’t materialized. However, nancial reporting from the o ce has reportedly picked up steam. Meanwhile, sponsor Erika Sugarmon pulled the funding resolutions as the items were being read. e commissioner has been one of the few consistent supporters of Halbert, who has

blamed her o ce’s woes on outdated equipment and short sta ng. ey were withdrawn without comment.

During a recent committee meeting, Shelby County Human Resources Director Gerald orton opposed the funding request. He argued that the six percent raise for county employees in Mayor Lee Harris’ proposed FY2025 budget o ered a better deal.

Accurate reports are needed to gauge the amount of tax revenue the o ce is generating. is includes a recent $25 wheel tax increase the commission passed in June. It will be used to shore up funding for the new Regional One Hospital campus, along with two new

high schools in Cordova and Frayser. e latter have also experienced cost overruns.

Members Edmund Ford, Jr. and Britney ornton have pointed to other divisions’ state audits. None have been singled out for increasing scrutiny and possible removal of leadership.

Commission ire with Halbert dates back to the pandemic, a er a monthslong backlog of thousands of vehicle tags and other issuances occurred during her rst term. A er being reelected in 2022, she rst attracted Mumpower’s attention with an impromptu vacation to Jamaica while her o ce was digging out of its hole.

Wanda Halbert

The line extends outside at the Mullins Station Rd. branch of the Shelby County Clerk’s Office. Recently the Hamilton County District Attorney filed a petition to remove Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert from office for “willful neglect of duty.”

(Photo: Brian Ramoly/The Tri-State Defender)

Insert Money, Receive Book:

Heal The Hood Foundation launches comic book vending machines to promote literacy

By Lee Eric Smith Interim Editor

e Heal the Hood Foundation of Memphis is championing a novel approach to curb youth crime and boost literacy with the launch of “Heroes of Literacy” Book Vending Machines. e initiative, unveiled during a press event at Belle Forest Community School on May 2, features vending machines stocked with locally written comic books tailored to resonate with young readers — “Evolution Comic Series.”

LaDell Beamon, the foundation’s founder, described the e ort as a transformative tool to shape how young people see themselves amid challenging times.

“When I was coming up, comic books weren’t accessible like they are now,” Beamon said. “I mean, back then, you had comic books, but it was for another audience. Now, people can see comic books with people that look like us and things that we can identify with.”

Beamon teamed up with Memphis artist Martheus Wade to create the comics. Together, they lled the pages with references that Memphis kids would get.

“So you see these kids being able to interact in worlds and look into the books,” Beamon said. “And they see places in Memphis that have been digitized and animated by our illustrator. So we’re excited. at would make me excited to see a world that I could exist in.”

e comic series, highlighted in the machines, includes characters and scenarios that young Memphians can

easily relate to, tackling issues like bullying and gang violence.

“You know, coming up, it was always kind of boring when you would see a thick novel, and you’re like, I really don’t want to read a whole lot of words,” Beamon said. “Having gi ed people coming together to tell (visual) stories that make sense and attract kids, it attracts you to reading.

“And so you’re learning because of that excitement and not just thinking about how to learn because it’s something I need to do,” he continued.

“You’re learning because you want to, because the interest is created.”

e project was funded by Shelby County Commissioner Erika Sugarmon, who emphasized the importance of changing the narrative for Memphis youth.

“Most of the time when you’re in the city here lately, you know, you see a lot of ash-ups of kids stealing cars and all these di erent things going on,” Beamon noted. “But what we’re doing today is we’re putting a focus back on reading and making it exciting.”

Beamon also shared personal anecdotes about the impact of early exposure to creative arts on his life, reinforcing the importance of such initiatives.

“Children are a re ection of what they see, you know, it’s just a reality for us,” he said. “And so if the images that are in front of our kids are always bad, if it’s always bleak, it’s dismal.”

Looking to the future, Beamon envisions these vending machines as ubiquitous as snack machines, present everywhere from hospitals to churches, fostering a widespread culture of reading and positivity.

“Once you start seeing it and becoming familiar, it becomes more contagious,” he asserted. e initiative has already garnered attention beyond Memphis, hinting at

possible future expansions and adaptations, including lm adaptations highlighting local talent and stories. With these e orts, the Heal the Hood Foundation hopes to inspire a new generation of heroes, not just in comic books but in real life.

“It’s about exposure. When you’re not exposed to a life of doing what is right, it’s easy for you to accept what’s wrong as what’s right,” he said.

“And so this is what this is about: It’s about really being able giving the kids a definition of what’s right and what’s wrong. What is heroism? What does it looks like? What does being a villain look like? And I guarantee you that if a kid understands what a villain is from the time that they’re little to the time they become an adult, the things that represents a villain, that villains are just messing it up for everybody, they’ll make a different choice.

“And so that’s what we want to do for the city of Memphis, to create less villains and more heroes.”

She’s got her copy of “Shinobi.” Do you have yours?

LaDell Beamon and Martheus Wade are the creative forces behind the Evolution Comic Series. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/ GSW Enterprises/Tri-State Defender)

The TSD Interview: Mayor Paul Young

Seeking to shore up support, Young defends his budget and proposed tax increase, saying city at financial risk ‘if we don’t do something’

By Lee Eric Smith Interim Editor

Say this about Memphis Mayor Paul Young: He ain’t ducking no smoke — especially when it comes to his proposed FY2025 budget.

We learned this during his 100 Day Mayoral Address last month.

“I think it’s time for us to step into a reality that allows us to ourish,” he told hundreds of Memphians during an event at Mount Vernon last month. “When I …present our budget, I’m going to ask for a tax increase. I’m putting it out there straight, no lying, so you can hear directly from me.

“I’d rather not ask,” he said at the time. “But I believe it’s the right thing for our city.”

Since then, the Mayor’s O ce has released more details about his proposed budget, including an extensive presentation breaking down how the city is already cash-strapped even as the costs of payroll and essential services continue to escalate. It makes a case for new programs to support schools, ght blight and curb crime. It asks citizens to imagine a better Memphis.

But at the end of the day, it also asks them for more money. Speci cally, an additional $.75 on ad valorem taxes, which for a home valued at $100,000 would mean an increase from $675 to $863 — about $188.

Not surprisingly, public opinion on the proposed tax increase is . . . mixed.

I spoke with Mayor Young on the morning of May 6, just hours before members of the Memphis City Council were set to begin deliberating on how (or IF) they would give Young what he’s asked for.

We talked about his proposed budget, how he hopes to get Memphis to buy-in to his tax increase and how people will know if it’s working. Here is a lightly edited transcript of our conver-

To watch a video of this interview with the mayor, use the above QR code, or follow this link https:// youtu.be/5gnYGaw2k2I?si=JToHi4XtOxa1VLAV.

sation. For video of our interview, visit tri-statedefender.com.

Lee Eric Smith: First, thank you for joining us, Mayor Young. I want to acknowledge that it feels like you haven’t stopped campaigning yet. You’re obviously not campaigning for o ce, but for the hearts and minds of Memphians to do . . . something. How would you describe what you’re campaigning for at this stage in your administration?

Mayor Paul Young: I wouldn’t call it a campaign. I feel like I’m working to represent our city. Our city needs a lot of healing. It’s hurting right now. It’s important for me to be present, to acknowledge and address the negative things we’re dealing with, but also remind people we have greatness on the horizon. ere’s greatness still in us, even as we go through some of these challenging times. As mayor, it’s important that I champion that message and that, again, I’m present. Smith: at gets to a question I was going to ask a little later. ere’s a big administrative piece to your job, but there’s also an inspirational piece. People look to you to set the tone, to engage us in a vision. How are you balancing the public and inspirational

part with the administrative, “got to crunch the numbers and run this city” part of it?

Mayor Young: Well, I’ve been working in local government for many years, and I’ve led major divisions within the government. So, the governance side is very natural for me. Working within the bureaucracy, making it more ecient–those are the reasons I wanted to get into this work, to make our systems work better for the people. We spend a lot of time during our days making sure government operates e ciently. We have a great team. e other side of my role is to be the ambassador for our city. e mayor really is the chief ambassador for our community, and our ambassador needs to be out there spreading a message of hope and put-

Strickland and Young first began working on the Historic Melrose School Revitalization during Strickland’s administration, when Young was Director of Housing and Community Development. Here, the two celebrate the opening of the Orange Mound Library. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/Tri-State Defender)

■■ COMMUNITY

ting some action behind the words.

Smith: I tend to think there’s a point when elected o cials, especially administrative ones, get into o ce and get hit with some piece of information that changes their perspective. A candidate may campaign on “no new taxes,” then get in o ce and realize that’s not possible. What was the piece of information that kind of changed your perspective a er you got into o ce in terms of what would be needed, especially relative to the budget?

Mayor Young: I never campaigned on “no new taxes,” but I certainly had it as a principle going in that we would not raise taxes, particularly in my rst year, because I understand how challenging a time it is.

But as I got deeper into the budget process, I realized if we don’t do something now, we put our city at a really, really risky place nancially.

To make it short, we pull out of our reserves, and we want a nice, healthy rainy day fund. Our credit rating agencies say we need at least $80 million in reserve. Ideally, we need $140 million. We’re at roughly $100 million this year. When we nished our budget for this rst round, we were roughly $90 million over (budget). We cut it down, and a er all the cutting and then adding some of the new expenses, we’re at $53 million over (budget). So if we pulled $53 million out (of the rainy day fund), we’d be below the recommended reserve amount from a credit perspective. And we can certainly cut, but our community also wants better results.

I felt like it was important for us to go ahead and put us on a strong scal path. And in addition to covering the hole, doing some things that are over and beyond what we have been doing so that our community can get better results.

at means making our community safer through camera technology. It means cleaning up our community and investing in neighborhood-based cleanup crews. ey’ll be cleaning on a very regular basis. en, then investing in our children and opportunities for them to be engaged a er hours to get them o the streets doing some of the negative

activities that we’ve seen in the past.

Smith: Let’s talk about that a little bit – people may not want to pay higher taxes but if they are going to pay higher taxes, they want to know the money is being spent properly. So in addition to seeing cleaner streets or longer hours at community centers, what other ways will people be able to look and say, “Okay I’m paying more in taxes, but at least I’m seeing X in my neighborhood, on my street, in my school”?

Mayor Young: Well, one is we want to make sure that we are enhancing service delivery. So, the things that we do every day, we want to make sure that we continue to do them well, and where we can do better, we want to enhance it.

ings like picking up the trash and paving the roads, potholes, I get a lot of questions around that – how e ciently are we doing those things? ose things don’t necessarily demand an increase, but demand that we are on top of our services. So, we want people to see better results there.

We also want them to see more people out cleaning, cutting grass, picking up trash. People need to see aesthetically,

folks out there doing this work because it makes them feel like their government is working on their behalf and blight contributes to crime. If it looks like no one cares in a community, people behave as such. And so, we want to make sure that we’re changing that aesthetic feel and then the reality of crime.

A lot of the crime we’re seeing is happening because we have some idle minds that are occupying their time with things like stealing cars, breaking into cars. So the investment in youth is not just a feel-good program – it’s part of the crime prevention strategy. If you don’t engage our youth, they will nd another way to engage. We want to have structured activities in our spaces for them.

And nally, there’s the investment in the technology I spoke about. Even with this much crime, it’s still a small amount of people creating the most havoc in our community. e quicker we can get them o the streets and bring them to justice, the quicker we can restore safety. is camera mesh technology will allow us to do that.

Smith: You’re asking people to buy into a vision where some of the pro-

grams may take a while to take root. You’re asking people to, for lack of a better term, kind of ‘suck it up’ for a minute. But people are hurting and they want relief now. How do you get people to buy into this idea of delayed grati cation?

Mayor Young: It’s really a matter of making investments where people can see things happening di erently, where they can see their money in action. at’s why I think it’s so important to have crews out on all of our major corridors on a regular basis, so people see them as they’re commuting to and from work or school.

We also have to be more thoughtful around how we’re policing in our community. is means stepping up our investigative services and making sure that we are not just patrolling the streets, but also patrolling social media, anticipating where violence may happen based on online conversations. ese are the types of things, that if we’re doing them and we actually see the reduction in crime that we are looking for, that’s part of my goal to have at least a 10% reduction in overall crime year over year. Once people see the fruits of that, they’ll believe it was worth it. We also have some opportunities coming up as we pay o a signi cant debt within two years. at will open up funds in our budget, and we can explore further tax adjustments when we have more revenues available. Right now, things are tight, and this increase puts us on a strong scal path moving forward.

Smith: Crime, and violent crime speci cally, seems like one of those intractable problems that it’s hard to tie to a line item on a budget. It’s hard to say, “If we spend this amount of money over here, then we’re going to have X fewer kids drag racing on the highways, or fewer gun-toting youth going into convenience stores.” For people who see this every day, how do you measure results or tell them, “Hey, we’re spending the money this way, and this is how you can tell it’s working, even though it’s not obvious”? I hope that question makes sense.

Partners Against Crime: Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Interim Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis are close allies in Memphis’ ongoing efforts to combat crime. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/Tri-State Defender)

From Page 7

■■ COMMUNITY

Mayor Young: Yeah, I see what you’re saying. We look for indications of success. Crime is not going to be solved overnight, but we can get it trending in the right direction. We focus on year-over-year reductions during speci c periods of time, like a decrease in summertime infractions, because we know criminal activity has seasonality to it. If we get the right people o the streets, you’re going to see fewer shootings and car break-ins.

In conjunction with that, we want to work with our partners at the state, federal, and county levels, including the district attorney and our sheri , to ensure that the right people stay o the streets and get the justice necessary for our community. is is an ongoing process, and I think people want to see that reduction. When they see it, I think they’ll feel much better about the direction our city is going.

Smith: Let’s imagine the city council has approved your budget proposal as is. How quickly would people begin to see results of what’s included? Would it be weeks, months, years? What would be some of the signs that it’s working or not working?

Mayor Young: My goal is for you to see immediate action. I’m putting myself out there as a leader and saying, “ is is what we need, and failure is not an option.” We have to work really hard to make sure we have all the agreements in place so that on July 1st, the start of our new scal year, we’re moving forward.

We’ll be funding new programs at community centers, deploying crews to clean up major corridors and streets, and starting the process of implementing cameras throughout the city. ese e orts will start immediately. While reductions in crime will take some time, my hope is that by the end of the summer and into the fall, we’ll start to see positive trends.

Smith: You’ve been talking about the budget for a few meetings now, including some out in the community. What kind of feedback are you getting from

With multiple town hall events, interviews and media appearances like this February recording of The Brian Clay Chronicles, it may seem like Mayor Young is still campaigning, but he sees it differently: “I feel like I’m working to represent our city. Our city needs a lot of healing. It’s hurting right now. It’s important for me to be present.”

(Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises/Tri-State Defender)

average citizens, say in Orange Mound, Frayser, or other areas?

Mayor Young: I hear mixed things. ere are certainly those opposed to any tax increase, some because they literally can’t a ord it, especially seniors on xed incomes. I like to remind them of tax relief programs speci cally for seniors. Others, particularly in the business community, point out that higher taxes can be a disincentive for investment and make businesses want to leave, especially since we already have the highest tax rate in the state.

I understand that, and I believe there’s a balance. But I also know that if we don’t stabilize our community, make it more attractive, and address our problems, we will lose businesses anyway. We have to ensure our community is scally solvent and addressing our most pressing needs.

And lastly, I hear support – but with the caveat that people expect results. ey support the investment as long as it leads to reduced crime and a more attractive community. So, for me, it’s about ensuring we execute if and when this budget is approved.

Smith: I imagine there’s a portion of the electorate, those in more a uent areas with higher property values, who

will be paying signi cantly more in taxes. ey might say, “I’m ne over here. e problems you’re addressing, while important, are happening ‘over there’.” How do you engage those residents and help them realize that if crime is happening in Orange Mound, Frayser, or South Memphis, then it does impact other parts of the city?

Mayor Young: It might have been harder to make that case 20-plus years ago when crime was more con ned to areas facing the greatest challenges. But now, crime is mobile, and our community’s challenges are community-wide; they won’t stay in one area. If we don’t support all areas of our city and all our youth, the negative impacts will be felt across the board. I think that’s more apparent than ever, and it’s not a hard case to make that these investments will result in a safer community overall.

Smith: e council is deliberating on your budget. What would be your ask of Memphis voters and citizens?

Mayor Young: I’d ask them to support our city and our young people. I know a tax increase isn’t something anyone wants, but it puts our city on a strong scal path. Ideally, we would be growing, and more tax revenue would be generated naturally. Unfortunately,

To read the mayor’s budget proposal, use the above QR code, or follow this link https://qrcodes.pro/ FY25Budget.

we’re not there yet. is investment will kickstart that growth. I’m asking for this increase, and I expect you to hold me accountable to deliver the results our city deserves.

Smith: Shi ing gears, a few weeks ago, you spoke at the dedication of the new re ection park honoring Martin Luther King Jr. You spoke passionately about the power of love and healing to address the pain many in the city are feeling. is isn’t something you typically hear from elected o cials. Can you talk about why this approach is so central to your leadership?

Mayor Young: Memphis is an amazing community with great people and so much diversity. I want to unify our city; we’re more powerful together, and love is the thing that can bind us all. It’s not politically popular to say we need more love, but at the root of many of our challenges is pain.

We have many young men, particularly young Black men, who carry so much hurt. at hurt manifests as anger and toughness. If we understand that these individuals are hurting and need love and attention, it changes our perspective. It might not sound tough, but it’s exactly what’s needed. If every person takes the time to share kind words, it changes outlooks.

I’m not naive enough to think everyone will respond, but some hearts and minds will change, and it takes everyone to get us where we need to go.

Cheers to you for a Job well don’t. This amazing accomplishment is Just once step on your Journey. I saw you work so hard every day to achieve this accomplishment and I Can’t think of any one Who deserves it more. You overcome so many obstacles to achieve this Win. This an incredible Milestone and you deserve the spot light to celebrate the moment.

Love Mom,

NOTICE TO BIDDER(S)

Sealed bids will be received by the Shelby County Government in the Department of Housing online until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, May 17, 2024, as shown below:

MULTIPLE AND ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION AND REHABILITATION JOBS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BID NOTICE. BIDDER(S) MAY ELECT TO BID ON ANY OR ALL OF THE JOBS IN THE NOTICE.

SEALED BID I000876 DUE ONLINE AT 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 17, 2024

1. Rehabilitation of Owner-Occupied Housing Units throughout Shelby County some of which may require the use of lead-safe work practices and techniques; and

2. Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Jobs.

Detailed specifications for the items above may be obtained through the Neighborly Portal beginning Friday, May 3, 2024 All bids will be opened and publicly read by the Shelby County Government at the time mentioned above at the Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134, (901) 222-7600; TTY Number (901) 222-2301; or for information in Spanish 901-222-7601. Award recommendations will be posted at the following website https://www.develop901.com/ housing upon review of the bid opening results.

As a condition precedent to bidding, each bidder must apply and qualify for a Vendor Number and Equal Opportunity Compliance (EOC) Eligibility Number prior to submitting your response.

We have now transitioned to conducting bids online through Neighborly. If you have not already signed up, you can do so at https://portal. neighborlysoftware.com/SHELBYCOUNTYTN/ contractor. All documents submitted must be current and uploaded into your Neighborly account. Bids submitted without all required documentation will be unacceptable. Paisley Pogue (Paisley.Pogue@shelbycountytn.gov or 901-222-7611) will be assisting with any questions you may have regarding uploading the documents.

All new contractors will need to register with the Neighborly portal in order for their bids to be accepted on projects. Interested contractors not currently on the contractor list should contact the Department of Housing in order to schedule a meeting with the Housing Site Inspector.

Paper copies of bids are no longer available. The Department of Housing encourages participation from WBE, MBE, LOSB, and Section 3 Contractors under these rehabilitation programs.

The Shelby County Government reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities therein.

By order of LEE HARRIS, MAYOR

SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Scott Walkup, Administrator

PUBLIC NOTICE THE MEMPHIS URBAN AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

In compliance with federal regulations 23 CFR 450, the Memphis MPO is proposing one (1) amendment to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-26 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for adoption. The TIP amendment is associated with an Air Quality Short Conformity Demonstration Report for Shelby County, TN. Additionally, the MPO will present the 2024 MPO Bylaws, the 2024 Public Participation Plan (PPP), amendments to the functional classification system,

and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Performance Measure Targets for adoption. The MPO will also provide a presentation on the update to the Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Greenprint Plan, and information on other MPO activities will be presented as part of the MPO Administrator’s Report. The 2024 PPP was made available for a 45-day public review and comment period, which ended on April 13, 2024.

These documents will be made available for review from 8:00 AM until 4:30 PM Monday through Friday in the offices of the Memphis MPO located at 125 N. Main Street, Room 450, Memphis, TN 38103, or for download from the Internet at: memphismpo.org. Written public comments were accepted through Monday, May 6, 2024. The TPB of the Memphis MPO will hold a public hearing to accept oral comments and take action on the proposed items.

The public hearing will take place on:

Date: Thursday, May 23, 2024

Time: 1:30 PM

Location: Holiday Inn University of Memphis, 3700 Central Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111

The full meeting agenda will be made available, 10 days prior to the meeting, on the Memphis MPO’s website: (memphismpo.org).

It is the policy of the Memphis MPO not to exclude, deny, or discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, immigration status, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, veteran status, familial or marital status, disability, medical or genetic condition, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law in its hiring or employment practices, or in its admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services, or activities. For any and all inquiries regarding the application of this accessibility statement and related policies, or for persons that require aids or services to participate either in the review of these documents or during the hearing, please contact Nick Warren, at 901-636-7146 or Nick.Warren@memphistn. gov

This notice is funded (in part) under an agreement with the State of TN and MS, Depart-

ments of Transportation.

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §675-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Lawrence Properties & Investment LLC

Tax Parcel #: 07516500000210

Tax Sale #: 1801

Price Offered: $8,700

Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 11:30 a.m. on 6/18/2024, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY

GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §675-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Deidre Simmons

Tax Parcel #: 04201100000170

Tax Sale #: 1904

Price Offered: $3,800 Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9 a.m. on 6/20/2024, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §675-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

M.O.G. Investments, LLC

Tax Parcel #: 05002300000020

Tax Sale #: 1904

Price Offered: $4,000

Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 9:30 a.m. on 6/20/2024, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1

MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §675-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

M.O.G. Investments, LLC

Tax Parcel #: 05007300000250

Tax Sale #: 804

Price Offered: $1,012.50

Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10 a.m. on 6/20/2024, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

PUBLIC NOTICES / CLASSIFIEDS

TSD CLASSIFIEDS

1509 Madison Ave.

Memphis, TN 38104

PH (901) 523-1818

HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

DEADLINES:

Display ads Friday 5 p.m.

Classifieds ads Monday 5 p.m.

STANDARD RATES:

$6.00 per line for 1 column ad.

Rates are non-commissionable and are quoted at the net rate. No refund for early cancellation. For additional information contact Sales Dept. at (901) 746-5201 or email: advertising@tsdmemphis.com.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Tri-State Defender reserves the right to edit all copy or to reject or cancel any ad at any time. Copy change during ordered schedule constitutes new ad & new changes. Deadlines for cancellation are identical to placement deadlines. Rates subject to change. We can only offer in-house credit and NO REFUNDS are issued.

THE TRI-STATE DEFENDER assumes no financial responsibility for errors nor for copy omission. Direct any classified billing inquires to (901) 523-1818.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1

MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §675-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Jorge Escalon

Tax Parcel #: 04305500000310

Tax Sale #: 1802

Price Offered: $4,500

Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 10:30 a.m. on 6/20/2024, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1

MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §675-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Knowledge Quest, Inc.

Tax Parcel #: 02503000000260

Tax Sale #: 1902

Price Offered: $3,500

Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 11 a.m. on 6/20/2024, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150

NOTICE OF PROPOSED SALE OF REAL PROPERTY BY SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to T.C.A. §675-2507, that Shelby County Government has received an Offer to Purchase for the following property:

Lealon Mayes

Tax Parcel #: 06000700000410

Tax Sale #: 1902

Price Offered: $4,100

Terms: Cash

Additional Offers to Purchase, of at least ten percent (10%) higher, may be submitted within Ten (10) working days of this notice. If additional offers are received during this ten (10) day period, all prospective Purchasers must attend a Public “Bid Off” at 11:30 a.m. on 6/20/2024, to be held in the Shelby County Land Bank Office, to determine the highest and best offer. The property shall thereafter be sold to the prospective Purchaser making the highest and best offer without warranties of any sort.

Shelby County Land Bank 1075 MULLINS STATION, BLDG. E-1 MEMPHIS, TN 38134 (901) 222-1150

PUZZLES