← Back to Shelby County, Tennessee: Election on 2023-10-05
Contest for Memphis City Council District 4
Memphis City Council
4
general - Non-partisan - Memphis City Council District 4
About this office
Term length: 4 years.
This role calls for
- Policy judgment on Memphis-specific matters — budget, ordinances, MPD oversight, land-use, code enforcement, infrastructure — within the Memphis Charter and Tennessee municipal law.
- Budget literacy: the 13-member Council approves the annual city budget and sets the city property-tax rate.
- Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on ordinances and resolutions; committee work that precedes full-council action.
- Constituent relations in a single-member district of roughly 90,000 residents — case-work, neighborhood issues, council-district services.
- Memphis-specific issue depth: MLGW, MATA, EDGE incentives, blight, and the city's relationship with Shelby County government.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.
Campaigns
Jana Swearengen-Washington
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Jana Swearengen-Washington is currently serving as an Assistant Principal and District Curriculum Specialist in Forrest City, Arkansas, and was elected to the Memphis City Council in 2022. With 30 years of educational experience, she has expertise in organizational planning, grant writing, budget overseeing, school/district partnerships, and community development. She is actively involved in various organizations within the Greater Memphis Community and is committed to representing and supporting her community.
Teri Dockery
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Based on the information provided, Teri Dockery is a former director of the YMCA's Memphis district and a consultant. She was appointed to the Memphis City Council to replace Jamita Swearengen but did not run for election in the special election for that seat. There is no information available regarding Dockery's education or any previous offices held. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate her suitability for the job as a city council member based on this limited information.