The 901 Report | Watching Memphis Public Spending

MLGW headquarters building sign in Memphis

MLGW's Grid Is Getting Better. For 17 Percent of Customers, It Is Getting Worse.

Outages are falling across Memphis, and that is real. But 17 percent of customers still lose power three or more times a year, and that number is rising. Everyone paid the same rate increase.

July 15, 2026Sourced

An empty polling place with voting booths

Tennessee

Memphis Is Now Split Across Three Congressional Districts. You Vote Under the New Map on August 6.

Tennessee dismantled its only majority-Black district on May 7, dividing Shelby County three ways. Early voting starts Friday. Check your district before you vote.

July 14, 2026

Memphis

Two Men Killed by the Memphis Safe Task Force in One Week. A Grandfather Wants to See the Video.

Tyrin Johnson, 20, was killed by a Tennessee National Guard member. Alfonso Ivy, 47, was killed days later in a DEA-led warrant service. State records show task force shootings now match the total for MPD and the Sheriff's Office for all of 2024. The NAACP is demanding a federal investigation. Nobody has been charged, and the investigations are open.

July 13, 2026

Memphis City Council

The Council Is Renewing a $2.6 Million Grant Fund That Gives Each Member $200,000 to Hand Out

A committee advanced the FY2027 Community Grant Program on July 7. It arrives after city auditors questioned a $13,000 grant to a County Commissioner-elect, and after a former county commissioner pleaded guilty to five tax evasion counts tied to steering nonprofit grant money. The full Council still has to approve it.

July 13, 2026

An industrial rooftop chiller unit on an aging government building

Shelby County

The County Has Approved More Than $58 Million for the Jail Since 2024. In June, the Air Conditioning Failed Anyway.

Temperatures hit 92 degrees at 201 Poplar. Fourteen detainees needed medical attention, one was hospitalized, and five kitchen workers overheated. Staff called the conditions "inhumane and cruel."

July 13, 2026

An absentee ballot envelope on a kitchen table

Shelby County

About 700 Shelby County Absentee Ballots Went Out Missing Races. Early Voting Starts Friday.

A "processing omission" left four of six special judicial races, and a county charter referendum, off ballots already mailed. Replacement ballots are due Wednesday. Check yours.

July 12, 2026

The official U.S. Senate portrait of Senator Lindsey Graham

National

Senator Lindsey Graham Dies at 71 After a Brief and Sudden Illness

The South Carolina Republican served in the Senate since 2003 and chaired the Budget Committee. He had returned from Ukraine days before his death.

July 12, 2026

A public school district administration building

MSCS

State Forensic Audit Finds Years of Governance and Contracting Failures at Memphis-Shelby County Schools

The Tennessee Comptroller's four-volume review flagged about $54.2 million in transactions the auditors called consistent with potential fraud, waste, or abuse, most of it in procurement, and made 133 recommendations. It is an accountability review, not a criminal case, and no one has been charged.

July 8, 2026

Memphis City Hall entrance at 125 N. Main, with the city seal above the doors.

Memphis City Council

The People Who Run Memphis's Money Are Out: Young Replaces His COO and CFO Days After the Budget Passed

Young is replacing two Strickland-era holdovers, COO Antonio Adams and CFO Walter Person, as the city engineer retires. The new COO and CFO need Council confirmation.

June 27, 2026

The Memphis City Hall council chamber during the FY2027 budget vote

Memphis City Council

Memphis Council Passes Nearly $900 Million Budget; AutoZone Park Funded, Transit Left Out

The Memphis City Council approved Mayor Paul Young's FY2027 budget 11 to 1 on June 23, holding the tax rate flat and adding $5 million for AutoZone Park, but without the transit and violence-prevention money residents pressed for over weeks of hearings.

June 23, 2026

Memphis City Hall council chamber during a budget session, viewed from the public gallery

Memphis City Council

Memphis Budget Vote Returns to Council After Two-Week Delay

The Memphis City Council delayed its FY27 budget vote on June 9 after residents demanded more funding for violence prevention, transit, and housing. The decision is due back at the Council's next scheduled meeting.

June 23, 2026

Shelby County

Shelby County Commission Heads to June 29 Vote on Budget and Tax Rate

Commissioners delayed final votes on the county's operating and capital budgets to June 29, a meeting that will also decide the property tax rate. One commissioner has proposed raising the rate by 6 cents.

June 23, 2026

An empty Memphis school district board room with an American flag and a Tennessee state flag

MSCS

MSCS Sues Tennessee to Stop School Takeover Board Before July 1

Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the Shelby County Commission, and all nine elected board members filed a federal lawsuit on June 19 seeking to block the state-appointed oversight board from taking control of the district on July 1.

June 23, 2026

A municipal electric utility crew working on overhead power lines from a bucket truck

MLGW

MLGW: Who Governs Your Utility, When They Meet, and the Money You Are Now Paying

As The 901 Report opens its MLGW beat, here is how the city-owned utility is governed, when its board meets in public, and where the rate increase now on every bill is supposed to go.

June 23, 2026

A city police cruiser on a downtown Memphis street with National Guard vehicles in the background

Memphis City Council

MPD Consent Decree Compliance Under Scrutiny as a Federal Task Force Operates in Memphis

Civil liberties groups are pressing MPD to follow a decades-old court order limiting surveillance as federal agents and National Guard troops operate in the city. Supporters of the deployment say the goal is reducing violent crime.

June 23, 2026

The exterior of an aging county jail and criminal justice complex under an overcast sky

Shelby County

Bonner's Budget Fight and the Jail Question Head Into the June 29 County Vote

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office is one of the largest pieces of the county budget the Commission votes on June 29. Sheriff Floyd Bonner has said the county shortchanged his office, even as the aging jail at 201 Poplar faces serious scrutiny.

June 23, 2026

Shelby County

Court Clerk Tami Sawyer Suspended 30 Days Following Federal Indictment

Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer was suspended for 30 days beginning June 17, days after a six-count federal indictment accused her of embezzling about $44,600 in public funds. She has pleaded not guilty.

June 17, 2026

Shelby County

Court Clerk Tami Sawyer Turns Herself In on Sealed Federal Indictment

Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer surrendered to federal custody Monday morning, according to Action News 5. The indictment is sealed, and the specific charges have not been made public.

June 15, 2026

Tennessee

TN Ban on Crypto ATMs Takes Effect July 1

State lawmakers say the changes are aimed at reducing cryptocurrency-related scams and increasing consumer protections.

June 8, 2026

Tennessee

Tennessee Law Creates New Vehicle Registration Requirements

Tennessee drivers may face new vehicle registration requirements under recently approved legislation. Here's what motorists need to know.

June 4, 2026

Memphis

Steve and Marjorie Harvey Attend Street Naming Ceremony Honoring Her Late Father in Memphis

Steve and Marjorie Harvey joined family, community leaders, and residents in Memphis for a street naming ceremony honoring the legacy of Marjorie Harvey's late father.

June 4, 2026

Memphis

T-Mobile fiber outage hits Memphis homes May 28

A widespread T-Mobile Fiber outage hit customers across the U.S. on May 28, with complaints spiking by midmorning. Memphis residents using the service should watch how quickly T-Mobile restores access and explains the cause.

May 28, 2026

Council Chairwoman Jana Gunningham-Woolbridge speaking at the dais during the third FY27 budget hearing on May 21, 2026

Memphis City Council

Hearing #3: The math doesn't work, and the Chair said so

Janika White (Super District 8-2), chairing the budget block, stated publicly that the FY27 budget cannot meet the city's needs through cuts and named a tax increase as a topic Council needs to discuss. The 10,000 housing units math gap was confirmed. The City Attorney did not mention the Tyre Nichols civil trial. The livestream dropped during the Parks presentation.

May 28, 2026

From left: City of Memphis Police Finance Manager Vincent Eason and Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn "C. J." Davis testify before the Memphis City Council during the FY27 budget hearing on police overtime spending

Memphis City Council

Hearing #2: The police overtime shell game

The administration confirmed on the public record that the Memphis Police Department's proposed $29.8M FY27 overtime budget is not an operational reduction. $4-5M of it comes from a state Violence Intervention grant that expires in FY28. When the grant ends, the cost lands back on the General Fund.

May 27, 2026

Tennessee 2026 congressional district map showing Shelby County split across the 5th, 8th and 9th districts

Memphis

State court upholds TN map, keeps Memphis split across 3 districts

A state court panel upheld Tennessee’s new congressional map, preserving the split of Memphis into three districts. The ruling keeps the fight over who speaks for 901 voters at the center of redistricting oversight.

May 26, 2026

Shelby County

Mulroy sues Tennessee, blocks two Shelby County laws May 26

Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy filed an emergency lawsuit today to block two new state laws targeting the county's criminal justice system. The fight now centers on who controls local prosecutions and court oversight in Shelby County.

May 26, 2026

Chief Financial Officer Walter Person (left) and CIP Manager Jasmine Joyner Marshall (right) at the May 18, 2026 budget hearing.

Memphis City Council

Hearing #1: What Council asked, what the administration said, and what's still missing

The first FY27 Memphis budget hearing in plain English. Council got real answers on the debt cliff, pre-K, and potholes. They did not ask about police overtime, the $13M contractor cut, or the Tyre Nichols civil trial. And the 10,000 housing units promise got quietly redefined.

May 26, 2026

Randy Boyd Hall under construction at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville - a five-story building with green sheathing and a tower crane on a clear day

MSCS

UT Knoxville names $227M Randy Boyd Hall, national security center

UT Knoxville just advanced a $227M business building and a national security center, while Memphis still fights over what gets funded and who pays. The question for Shelby County: why is Knoxville building ahead while 901 keeps arguing over basics?

May 25, 2026

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs the Education Freedom Scholarship Act surrounded by schoolchildren at a State Capitol bill-signing ceremony

MSCS

Lee's voucher plan threatens Memphis school dollars

Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act is now a live fight for Memphis families, and the real stakes are who gets paid first when state dollars move. MSCS and Shelby County voters need the receipts, not the slogans.

May 25, 2026

Memphis City Council

Memphis begins FY27 budget process, departments seek funding

Memphis budget season is moving from talk to math, and the missing details may matter more than the headline totals. City Hall still has to explain what residents get for the dollars it wants to lock in.

May 24, 2026

Memphis City Council

Memphis FY27 budget hearings omit staffing, backlog details

Memphis is live on the FY27 budget, and the real story is what departments aren’t explaining: staffing, backlogs, response times, and what gets protected first. Residents should watch what City Hall leaves unsaid before the final numbers harden.

May 23, 2026

Gov. Bill Lee speaks at a podium bearing the Tennessee state seal, flanked by students and Republican lawmakers wearing orange ties, as he signs the Memphis-Shelby County Schools takeover bill into law.

MSCS

Lee signs MSCS takeover law, hands 9 GOP appointees control

Gov. Bill Lee just turned Memphis schools over to a nine-member state board of Republican appointees. That means Shelby County’s largest district is entering a new power structure - and families need to know who will be held accountable when decisions land.

May 22, 2026

Memphis City Council

Four Memphis residents sue Memphis Safe Task Force over arrests

Four Memphis residents are suing over the Memphis Safe Task Force, saying agents harassed and mistreated them for filming police. With a second death now under investigation, the question is who is policing the police in 901.

May 22, 2026

Memphis

Federal government rates two Memphis hospitals poorly

Two Memphis hospitals just got poor ratings from the federal government, and that is not a branding problem - it is a patient-safety and accountability problem. The question now is which systems, leaders, and departments have to answer for the gap.

May 22, 2026

Tennessee

Federal judge blocks THP immigration stops in Memphis, Nashville

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Tennessee Highway Patrol from assisting immigration enforcement during traffic stops in Memphis and Nashville. The question now is who authorized the practice - and how many 901 drivers were caught in it.

May 22, 2026

Tennessee

TN Labor Dept. reports 3.6% jobless rate for May, third month

Tennessee’s unemployment rate held at 3.6% for a third straight month, but that headline hides the pressure on Memphis households already facing high rent, weak wages, and tight credit. The question is whether state leaders will pair the good numbers with real relief for 901 families.

May 21, 2026

National

Trump proposes ending federal income tax on overtime, tips

A Trump-backed push to end federal income taxes on overtime and tips is landing in a Memphis economy where a lot of workers rely on both. The real question: who pays the price if Washington trims the tax bill but shifts the hit somewhere else?

May 21, 2026

Protesters hold signs reading "STOP the VOUCHER SCAM" and wave dollar bills at the Tennessee State Capitol during a demonstration against Governor Bill Lee's education voucher plan.

MSCS

Gov. Lee's voucher plan shifts Memphis school dollars, impacts MSCS budget

Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act is now a live fight for Memphis families, not a talking point. The question for Shelby County is simple: who gets paid first when the state redirects education money?

May 21, 2026

Memphis City Council

Tennessee raises loan rate cap to 10.75% on May 19

Tennessee’s weekly loan-rate cap reset to 10.75% on May 19, and Memphis borrowers are now the ones living with the fine print. For families already balancing rent, car notes, and late fees, this is a budget story with teeth.

May 21, 2026

MSCS

MSCS proposes $1.7B budget, new board inherits cuts fight

MSCS has put a $1.7 billion budget on the table for 2026-27, and the new state-appointed board is walking into the hardest question in city schools: what gets cut, what gets protected, and who owns the fallout?

May 21, 2026

Memphis City Council

Memphis faces FY27 pension bill, impacts police staffing, city services

Memphis is now staring at a pension bill that could shape the FY27 budget, police staffing, and city services. The real question: what happens if the numbers don’t fit, and who in City Hall owns the risk?

May 20, 2026

National

ACLU hires outside lawyers for Memphis redistricting fight

The fight over Tennessee’s new congressional map just got bigger: the ACLU of Tennessee has brought in outside attorneys as another case is reassigned and the NAACP calls for a boycott. For Memphis, this is about who gets to speak for 901 voters - and who answers when the map splits the city apart.

May 20, 2026

Memphis City Council

Memphis FY27 budget proposal hides public safety pension liabilities

Memphis retirees are staring at a pension question that could hit the city’s balance sheet, police/fire staffing, and future budgets. The real issue: what the FY27 budget proposal leaves unsaid about long-term obligations and who pays if the numbers wobble.

May 19, 2026

MSCS

MSCS proposes $1.7B budget, state board assumes control

Memphis-Shelby County Schools has put forward a $1.7 billion budget for 2026-27 as a new state-appointed board prepares to take over. The proposal puts funding choices, staffing, and school stability back under a microscope.

May 18, 2026

National

GOP redraws Memphis into 3 districts, Cohen exits reelection bid

State Republicans’ new congressional map splits Memphis into three districts, triggering lawsuits and pushing Rep. Steve Cohen to end his reelection bid. The fight now centers on fair representation and who can be held accountable for Memphis voters.

May 18, 2026

The 901 Report - Memphis civic news and budget accountability

MLGW's Grid Is Getting Better. For 17 Percent of Customers, It Is Getting Worse.

Memphis Is Now Split Across Three Congressional Districts. You Vote Under the New Map on August 6.

Two Men Killed by the Memphis Safe Task Force in One Week. A Grandfather Wants to See the Video.

The Council Is Renewing a $2.6 Million Grant Fund That Gives Each Member $200,000 to Hand Out

The County Has Approved More Than $58 Million for the Jail Since 2024. In June, the Air Conditioning Failed Anyway.

About 700 Shelby County Absentee Ballots Went Out Missing Races. Early Voting Starts Friday.

Senator Lindsey Graham Dies at 71 After a Brief and Sudden Illness

State Forensic Audit Finds Years of Governance and Contracting Failures at Memphis-Shelby County Schools

The People Who Run Memphis's Money Are Out: Young Replaces His COO and CFO Days After the Budget Passed

Memphis Council Passes Nearly $900 Million Budget; AutoZone Park Funded, Transit Left Out

Memphis Budget Vote Returns to Council After Two-Week Delay

Shelby County Commission Heads to June 29 Vote on Budget and Tax Rate

MSCS Sues Tennessee to Stop School Takeover Board Before July 1

MLGW: Who Governs Your Utility, When They Meet, and the Money You Are Now Paying

MPD Consent Decree Compliance Under Scrutiny as a Federal Task Force Operates in Memphis

Bonner's Budget Fight and the Jail Question Head Into the June 29 County Vote

Court Clerk Tami Sawyer Suspended 30 Days Following Federal Indictment

Court Clerk Tami Sawyer Turns Herself In on Sealed Federal Indictment

TN Ban on Crypto ATMs Takes Effect July 1

Tennessee Law Creates New Vehicle Registration Requirements

Steve and Marjorie Harvey Attend Street Naming Ceremony Honoring Her Late Father in Memphis

T-Mobile fiber outage hits Memphis homes May 28

Hearing #3: The math doesn't work, and the Chair said so

Hearing #2: The police overtime shell game

State court upholds TN map, keeps Memphis split across 3 districts

Mulroy sues Tennessee, blocks two Shelby County laws May 26

Hearing #1: What Council asked, what the administration said, and what's still missing

UT Knoxville names $227M Randy Boyd Hall, national security center

Lee's voucher plan threatens Memphis school dollars

Memphis begins FY27 budget process, departments seek funding

Memphis FY27 budget hearings omit staffing, backlog details

Lee signs MSCS takeover law, hands 9 GOP appointees control

Four Memphis residents sue Memphis Safe Task Force over arrests

Federal government rates two Memphis hospitals poorly

Federal judge blocks THP immigration stops in Memphis, Nashville

TN Labor Dept. reports 3.6% jobless rate for May, third month

Trump proposes ending federal income tax on overtime, tips

Gov. Lee's voucher plan shifts Memphis school dollars, impacts MSCS budget

Tennessee raises loan rate cap to 10.75% on May 19

MSCS proposes $1.7B budget, new board inherits cuts fight

Memphis faces FY27 pension bill, impacts police staffing, city services

ACLU hires outside lawyers for Memphis redistricting fight

Memphis FY27 budget proposal hides public safety pension liabilities

MSCS proposes $1.7B budget, state board assumes control

GOP redraws Memphis into 3 districts, Cohen exits reelection bid