{"county":"shelby","description":"","district":"memphis","districtgroup":"municipality","id":172,"key":"memphis_mayor","lastchangeby":null,"name":"Paul Young","next_election":"2019-11-08","notes":"182","officegroup":null,"partisan":0,"party":"","qualities":"- Executive leadership of Tennessee's largest city \u2014 roughly 625,000 residents, a multibillion-dollar budget, MPD, MFD, public works, parks, and city utility/economic-development relationships (MLGW, EDGE).\n- Ability to negotiate and defend an annual budget before a 13-member City Council (seven district seats and six super-district at-large seats).\n- Intergovernmental capacity: with Shelby County, the State of Tennessee, federal partners, and the suburban municipalities, especially on annexation, transit (MATA), and shared services.\n- Working familiarity with the Memphis Charter, Tennessee municipal law, open-meetings rules, and Memphis's specific ordinances.\n- Crisis-management and public-communication capacity for a high-news-density city.","quantity":1,"source":null,"state":"TN","term_end":"2027-12-31","term_start":"2024-01-01","term_years":4,"terms":[{"current":0,"description":"","electiondate":"2019-10-08","name":"Jim Strickland","person":{"biography":"Jim Strickland was sworn in as mayor of Memphis for a second term on January 1, 2020, with a continued pledge to reinvest in our neighborhoods, our citizens, and to keep growing our economy.\n\nIn partnership with the hard work of City employees, 911 call answer times have been drastically reduced; the percentage of city spending with minority and women-owned businesses has dramatically increased; and major development has occurred such as the retention of ServiceMaster, St. Jude expansion, IndigoAg, the Union Row development, Amazon, a $200 million Renasant Convention Center renovation, Loew\u2019s Hotel, and FedEx Logistics moving downtown\u2014 speak to the momentum of some $19 billion in recent, current or future development in the region.\n\nMayor Strickland\u2019s vision is to reverse population loss through a strategy that reinvests in Memphis\u2019 core and its neighborhoods \u2014 changing a long-held view that Memphis should grow outward. The mayor said his administration will focus on \u201cbuilding up, not building out,\u201d, and through the implementation of the city\u2019s first long-range plan in nearly 40 years\u2014Memphis 3.0\u2014we\u2019re doing just that.","firstname":"Jim","lastname":"Strickland","token":"KEUqmiePYa"},"term_end":"2023-12-31","term_start":"2020-01-01"},{"current":1,"description":"","electiondate":"2023-10-05","name":"Paul Young","person":{"biography":"[https://www.youngformemphis.com/](https://www.youngformemphis.com/)\n\n[https://www.reddit.com/r/memphis/comments/16yyhbl/im_paul_young_candidate_for_mayor_of_memphis_ama/](https://www.reddit.com/r/memphis/comments/16yyhbl/im_paul_young_candidate_for_mayor_of_memphis_ama/)\n\n\n### Personal Statement ###\n\nPaul Young spent the last decade improving the quality of life in Memphis by advancing housing security and fostering healthy neighborhoods where families can thrive.\nPaul currently leads major economic and community development efforts as President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission. Memphis has grown under Paul\u2019s leadership and our economy is stronger, but moving the city forward requires strategic investments in public safety, infrastructure, and the potential of our greatest asset \u2013 our people.\n\n\nA Memphis that works for everyone\nGrowing up in the Oakhaven neighborhood, Paul learned at an early age that there were two Memphises \u2013 one ripe with opportunity and prosperity, and another lacking resources and safe neighborhoods.\nDetermined to bridge this divide, Paul pursued a career focused on building a Memphis that works for every resident. Leading the Downtown Memphis Commission and the City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development, Paul applied a holistic approach to unifying the city through public and private partnerships and targeted investments in our future.\n\n\nA legacy of servant leadership\nPaul developed a passion for service through the selfless example of his parents Bishop William and Pastor Dianne Young.\nThey witnessed firsthand the challenges facing our city through their ministry at Memphis Healing Center. Their courage and willingness to stand in the trenches and confront those challenges shaped Paul\u2019s approach toward servant leadership. Building a better Memphis requires a mayor who is accessible and responsive to your needs, and Paul is committed to standing in the gap and shouldering the burdens of others.\n\nA vision for Memphis\nPaul and his wife Dr. Jamila Smith-Young were born and raised in Memphis, and today they are proud to raise their two kids here.\nPaul is running for mayor to build a Memphis that every child can one day be proud of and feel welcomed. By investing in the potential of our residents and embracing the city\u2019s rich culture, Memphis can be a top destination for tourists, growing families, creatives, and aspiring entrepreneurs. We have what it takes to elevate Memphis to the next level, and with your support we will.","firstname":"Paul","lastname":"Young","middlename":"A.","token":"jLZlcIpgzN"},"term_end":"2027-12-31","term_start":"2024-01-01"}],"title":"Memphis Mayor","type":"executive","url":null,"whenchanged":"2026-04-25 19:49:19"}