{"county":"shelby","description":"","district":"8","districtgroup":"memphis_city_council_super","id":180,"key":"city_council_district_super_district_8_position_1","lastchangeby":null,"name":"JB Smiley Jr.","next_election":"2019-11-08","notes":"190","officegroup":"memphis_city_council","partisan":0,"party":"","qualities":"- Policy judgment on Memphis-specific matters with a citywide rather than neighborhood lens, since super-district seats are elected at-large within a geographic super-district covering roughly half the city.\n- Budget literacy: the 13-member Council approves the annual city budget and sets the city property-tax rate.\n- Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on ordinances and resolutions; committee work that precedes full-council action.\n- Citywide constituent relations across roughly 300,000 residents \u2014 broader case-work and policy reach than a single-member district.\n- Memphis-specific issue depth: MLGW, MATA, EDGE incentives, blight, and the city's relationship with Shelby County government.","quantity":1,"source":null,"state":"TN","term_end":"2027-10-05","term_start":"2023-10-05","term_years":4,"terms":[{"current":0,"description":"","electiondate":"2019-11-19","name":"JB Smiley, Jr","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n[https://twitter.com/jbsmileyjr](https://twitter.com/jbsmileyjr)\n\n[https://www.instagram.com/councilmansmiley](https://www.instagram.com/councilmansmiley)\n\n[https://www.votejbsmiley.com/](https://www.votejbsmiley.com/)\n\n[https://ballotpedia.org/JB_Smiley_Jr.](https://ballotpedia.org/JB_Smiley_Jr.)\n\n[https://www.reddit.com/r/memphis/comments/16gvoxj/city_council_staff_shakeup_leaves_questions_over/](https://www.reddit.com/r/memphis/comments/16gvoxj/city_council_staff_shakeup_leaves_questions_over/)\n\n\n\n\n### Personal Statement ###\n\nA native Memphian, with five siblings, born to a social worker and a Bronze Star army soldier, JB Smiley, Jr., knows the value of hard work and a healthy, supportive community.\n\nAfter JB\u2019s collegiate and semi-professional basketball career, he pursued a legal education, and later, a political career. But his life in serving the most vulnerable started from a young age.\n\nJB\u2019s first experience with teamwork and leadership was as a Cub Scout with the Boy Scouts of America. Never afraid of getting his hands dirty, JB has done everything from working as a landfill cleaner to washing dishes.\n\nAs his father taught him to \u201cnever forget the bridge that brought you over,\u201d JB decided to stay in the region to attend college and then law school at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.\n\nWhile in law school, JB served as a member of the Law Review, Moot Court Board, and as Vice President of the Black Law Students Association. JB successfully passed Arkansas and the Tennessee Bar exams, while writing his first book, Born With It: Unleashing Your Greatness.\n\nIn 2017, in Memphis, JB started his law practice, Smiley & Associates, PLLC. The following year, JB was named to Memphis Flyer\u2019s Top 20, Under 30 class. During that same year, JB was appointed policy advisor to the Shelby County Clerk and served in such capacity until his election to the Memphis City Council in October 2019.\n\nAs a council member, JB is currently Vice Chair of the City Council and serves as Chair of the Public Works, Solid Waste & General Services Committee, Vice Chair of the Planning & Zoning Committee, and the council liaison for the Urban Art Commission and the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission.\n\nIn his spare time, JB likes to play basketball, work out, binge watch Netflix shows, and keep his dog, Mighty Mouse, and his nephew, Bryson Maxwell Smiley, smiling!\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [County Mayor (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SMILEY&id=77685&f=196794&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2025** \u2014 [City/Town Council (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SMILEY&id=77685&f=185195&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [City/Town Council (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SMILEY&id=77685&f=177505&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-25.*\n","firstname":"J","lastname":"Smiley","middlename":"B","suffix":"Jr","token":"asdf8"},"term_end":"2023-12-31","term_start":"2020-01-01"},{"current":1,"description":null,"electiondate":"2023-10-05","name":"JB Smiley Jr.","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n[https://twitter.com/jbsmileyjr](https://twitter.com/jbsmileyjr)\n\n[https://www.instagram.com/councilmansmiley](https://www.instagram.com/councilmansmiley)\n\n[https://www.votejbsmiley.com/](https://www.votejbsmiley.com/)\n\n[https://ballotpedia.org/JB_Smiley_Jr.](https://ballotpedia.org/JB_Smiley_Jr.)\n\n[https://www.reddit.com/r/memphis/comments/16gvoxj/city_council_staff_shakeup_leaves_questions_over/](https://www.reddit.com/r/memphis/comments/16gvoxj/city_council_staff_shakeup_leaves_questions_over/)\n\n\n\n\n### Personal Statement ###\n\nA native Memphian, with five siblings, born to a social worker and a Bronze Star army soldier, JB Smiley, Jr., knows the value of hard work and a healthy, supportive community.\n\nAfter JB\u2019s collegiate and semi-professional basketball career, he pursued a legal education, and later, a political career. But his life in serving the most vulnerable started from a young age.\n\nJB\u2019s first experience with teamwork and leadership was as a Cub Scout with the Boy Scouts of America. Never afraid of getting his hands dirty, JB has done everything from working as a landfill cleaner to washing dishes.\n\nAs his father taught him to \u201cnever forget the bridge that brought you over,\u201d JB decided to stay in the region to attend college and then law school at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.\n\nWhile in law school, JB served as a member of the Law Review, Moot Court Board, and as Vice President of the Black Law Students Association. JB successfully passed Arkansas and the Tennessee Bar exams, while writing his first book, Born With It: Unleashing Your Greatness.\n\nIn 2017, in Memphis, JB started his law practice, Smiley & Associates, PLLC. The following year, JB was named to Memphis Flyer\u2019s Top 20, Under 30 class. During that same year, JB was appointed policy advisor to the Shelby County Clerk and served in such capacity until his election to the Memphis City Council in October 2019.\n\nAs a council member, JB is currently Vice Chair of the City Council and serves as Chair of the Public Works, Solid Waste & General Services Committee, Vice Chair of the Planning & Zoning Committee, and the council liaison for the Urban Art Commission and the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission.\n\nIn his spare time, JB likes to play basketball, work out, binge watch Netflix shows, and keep his dog, Mighty Mouse, and his nephew, Bryson Maxwell Smiley, smiling!\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [County Mayor (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SMILEY&id=77685&f=196794&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2025** \u2014 [City/Town Council (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SMILEY&id=77685&f=185195&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [City/Town Council (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=SMILEY&id=77685&f=177505&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-25.*\n","firstname":"J","lastname":"Smiley","middlename":"B","suffix":"Jr","token":"asdf8"},"term_end":"2027-10-05","term_start":"2023-10-05"}],"title":"Memphis City Council Super District 8 Position 1","type":"legislative","url":null,"whenchanged":"2026-05-17 19:58:08"}