← Back to Shelby County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-05-05
Contest for County Trustee
County
Shelby County
primary - Partisan - County Trustee
About this office
The Shelby County Trustee serves as the county's banker and as its billing-and-collection agent for property taxes. The Trustee bills and collects property taxes for the county and for smaller municipalities that contract for the service (Arlington, Lakeland, Millington), settles collections by the tenth of each month, invests county funds, and administers tax-relief programs for senior, disabled, and veteran property owners. Duties are set by the Tennessee Constitution and state law; the office is limited to two consecutive four-year terms.
Term length: 4 years.
This role calls for
- Financial trustworthiness: the Trustee is the county's banker and custodian of tax revenue, handling several hundred million dollars of property-tax collections annually for Shelby County.
- Working knowledge of Tennessee property-tax law, including tax-relief programs for seniors, disabled residents, and veterans, plus the city/county dual collection structure for Memphis-area taxpayers.
- Investment and cash-management competence for county funds under state-law constraints.
- Monthly settlement and reporting discipline (collections settle by the 10th of each month).
- Accessible customer service for taxpayers paying bills, disputing assessments, or seeking relief; ability to administer a large, partly-online operation.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.
Campaigns
Democratic Primary
4 candidates
Michael Whaley
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Whaleyβs tenure as a Shelby County Commissioner since 2018 demonstrates direct experience with local government operations and public accountability. His role involves overseeing district resources, providing some evidence of financial stewardship relevant to the Trusteeβs custodial duties. As Executive Director of Memphis College Prep, he managed an organizationβs operational structure, suggesting administrative competence for a large office. However, the biography lacks specific details regarding his hands-on experience with Tennessee property-tax law, tax-relief program administration, or investment management strategies for county funds.
Marion Latroy A-Williams
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Williams describes himself as a businessman and newspaper publisher, citing Library of Congress records listing him as editor of the Mid-South Express circa 1981. His platform includes property-tax relief for seniors and veterans, yet he lacks documented experience in financial trustworthiness, investment competence, or Tennessee property-tax law administration. Bio does not indicate prior public service, education, statutory training, or cash-management background.
Joseph Lee, III
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Lee served as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the Shelby County Trustee and held City of Memphis Treasurer and Finance Director roles, providing direct experience with county financial operations and tax revenue handling. His B.B.A. in Accounting supports investment competence, while his tenure at MLGW suggests operational scale management. Military service indicates discipline relevant to monthly settlement reporting. Bio does not indicate specific knowledge of Tennessee property-tax law, senior/disabled relief programs, or the Memphis dual collection structure.
Alexander Perkins
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Regina Morrison Newman currently serves as Shelby County Trustee, a role defined by the county charter as the official banker, tax collector, and investment officer. In this capacity, she manages property tax revenue collection and distribution for the jurisdiction. The biography confirms her active tenure in the position but provides no details regarding her prior professional experience or educational background. It does not specify her working knowledge of Tennessee property-tax law, including relief programs for seniors or veterans, nor does it address her competence in investment and cash management under state constraints.