VIEW THE VISION

Shelby County is home to roughly 922,000 people. Half of the population identifies as African American, 36% as white, and the remainder identify as mixed race, Asian, Hispanic, multiracial or other. With a median household income of approximately $62,300 per year, still, the county struggles with nearly one in five residents living in poverty. These numbers matter because poverty, instability, and years of neglect show up as public health crises, violence, lost opportunity, and generational trauma.

Our goal is disciplined and achievable: align what we fund with what people need, build systems that work, connect communities to opportunity. We are building One Shelby. One Future. A county where safety is felt, opportunity is reachable, and every neighborhood - from Millington to Orange Mound, Collierville to Frayser - moves forward together.

What follows is a big vision because Shelby County deserves big outcomes. We won’t do everything at once, but this shows how we can build a brighter Shelby together moving in phases year by year, with clear goals and progress you can see, feel, and monitor.

FOUNDATION 1: Public Health & Safety

Invest in the wellness of people and places to create safety families can feel.

What we will do:

Fix current jail conditions while planning responsibly for a new facility.

Conduct a full facility & population audit, publish results, and size future construction based on real need.

Reduce jail population.
Expand diversion programs, strengthen mental-health resources, and speed up case processing to prevent long stays for non-violent individuals.

Tackle root causes.

Expand community-based safety (Memphis Allies, etc), youth jobs, neighborhood-based conflict mediation, and counselors accessible in community centers.

Take healthcare where people live.

Mobile clinics, school-based health clinics, and community wellness hubs that align with MATA routes.

Expand “missing middle” housing.

Partner with municipalities to launch Happy Homes housing and stability program. Tiny home & rehab housing cohorts with job placement support, transportation access, and temporary stipends.

Outcomes: Safer streets, fewer repeat offenses, healthier families, stronger neighborhoods, tax dollars used wisely.

FOUNDATION 2: Education & Workforce

Build a Literacy-to-Life pathway so every child can learn, lead, and leave a legacy.

What we will do:

• Birth-to-3 support for early literacy, parent coaching, and developmental screening.

• Expand Pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds through partnership with First 8 Memphis and childcare workforce expansion.

• Middle Matters mentorship, career exploration, and See Shelby exposure tours for grades 5–8.

• LEVEL UP Cohorts 10,000 youth internships and jobs over four summers with hiring incentives for local employers.

• Create an Education Outcomes Compact
  One scorecard for all districts with county funding connected to literacy, attendance, career readiness, and post-secondary placement.

• Parent Power Hubs across community centers focused on childcare subsidy support, digital literacy training, ESL workshops, and “how to read my child’s data” sessions.

Outcomes: Literacy increases, workforce grows, employers get talent, families gain stability, youth see a future in Shelby County and choose to stay.

FOUNDATION 3: Economic Growth & Social Mobility

A county where work pays, businesses grow, and opportunity is reachable.

What we will do:

• Fix transportation gaps that keep people from work, school, and healthcare.
  Collaborate with municipal mayors to implement 901-RIDE, a supplemental shuttle network that fills the spaces MATA cannot reach: students who don’t receive district bus services, park and ride to boost event attendance and tourism, and responsive routes for third-shift workers.

• Launch LEVEL UP County’s first Guaranteed Income Initiative for as many households, providing as much as possible, 6–12-month pilot with expansion tied to results to stabilize more families.

• Make Shelby County the amateur sports & culture capital of the South.

• Grants for artists, See Shelby neighborhood tourism routes, Shelby Cup multi-sport tournament (hotel stays, revenue, tourism), and a Mayor’s Sports & Events Council to attract WNBA/NBA-level events, state and regional youth championships, and international competitions across all sports. 

Outcomes: More people working, small business growth, tourism returns, neighborhoods vibrant with arts, culture, and sports. Everyone has a chance to rise.

FOUNDATION 4: Housing Affordability & Stability

Affordable living without forcing families to choose between rent, food, and necessities.

What we will do:

• Launch the Happy Homes Cohort to place families in affordable housing paired with jobs, transportation, and short-term stabilization support.

• Expand missing-middle housing by rehabbing vacant properties and partnering with cities, faith institutions, employers, and nonprofit builders.

• Create pathways to stability and ownership through rent-to-own options, credit-building programs, and employer-assisted housing.

Outcomes: Fewer evictions and more stable families, stronger neighborhoods, a workforce able to stay and grow.

FOUNDATION 5: Government Efficiency and Performance

Efficient, honest government that delivers results people can see and feel.

What we will do:

Bold Business Boom

• Make Shelby County the easiest place in the Mid-South to start and grow a business.

• Launch Legacy U Small Business Accelerator Academy partnering experienced businesses with rising and aspiring owners to provide permitting support, zoning guidance, and assistance with the procurement process.

• Streamline permitting and zoning to shorten wait times and remove barriers.

• Expand Neighborhood Opportunity Zones to push incentives and county microgrants to underserved ZIP codes.

• Require fair wages and youth hiring for county contractors, aligning public dollars to impact community.

“One Shelby” Legislative Agenda & Lobbying Team

• Move as one region with many voices on the issues that matter.

• Convene monthly mayor-to-mayor strategy sessions.

• Build a unified legislative agenda for Nashville and D.C.

• Establish a regional lobbying team to champion funding for transit, public safety, housing, and workforce.

Accountability, Transparency & Public Engagement

• A government that people can track, trust, and participate in.

• Annual State of Shelby address outlining progress, challenges, and the path forward.

• Quarterly dashboard showing trends in crime, health, housing, education, and jobs.

• Community-design tables where residents help shape policies and local investments.

• Cut wasteful spending, explore community participation budgeting for input on how dollars are spent.

Outcomes: A government that is faster, simpler, transparent, and built around the community it serves.