Memphis City Council Meeting Summary - December 2, 2025
Memphis City Council Meeting Summary - December 2, 2025
The Memphis City Council convened on December 2, 2025, to conduct regular business including honors for retiring city personnel, fiscal contracts, budget amendments, and multiple ordinance readings. The meeting featured a significant debate regarding a proposed 2% salary increase for the Fire Department, which resulted in a decision to pause the vote to allow the Budget Chair to develop performance-based metrics. Public comments addressed mental health funding, homeless encampment treatments, and library worker unionization efforts.
Consent Calendar
- Item 4: Ordinance 5965 (Second Reading), sponsored by Councilmembers Swearing Washington and Carlisle, was approved.
- The MLGW Fiscal Consent Items (Resolutions 5-21), covering contracts for MLGW planning, environmental services, lead line replacement, paving, and vendor renewals, were approved unanimously with requests for same-night minutes on Items 11 and 17.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kristen Fox Troutman (Samaritan Counseling Centers): Expressed a strong request for $50,000 in city grant funding to expand access to affordable mental health care, noting that 43rd of 50 in the nation for mental health access and that 50% of psychotherapists in Tennessee do not accept insurance.
- Brianna Byrd: Expressed full support for allowing homeless individuals to retain possessions during encampment sweeps, stating that confiscating blankets and tents is "morally detestable" and urges the city to direct MPD to cease confiscation to prevent exposure deaths.
- Alexandra Farmer & MPL Workers United: Members of MPL Workers United expressed opposition to administrative attempts to discourage unionization (warnings of re-hiring processes) and stated full support for the referendum ordinance to designate library workers as civil servants.
- Jonathan Hill: Expressed full support for the library worker movement as a fight for democracy and civil service protections.
- Denise Ewell: Expressed full support for recognizing library workers as civil servants, emphasizing the diverse roles within the library ecosystem.
- Joe Kent: Expressed strong opposition to the current MLGW budget approach, specifically characterizing the $28 million tree trimming contract as a "ripoff" and criticizing the Budget Chair's dismissal of public oversight regarding the contract's costs.
- Glenda Hicks (21st Century Memphis or Bust): Expressed disappointment with the city's lack of support during the recent shutdown regarding MLGW, arguing that the publicly owned utility should have assisted citizens without offering a 30-day late fee pause.
Discussion Items
- MLGW Lead Service Line Replacement (Item 11): Councilman Spinoza questioned the administration regarding the "23% engagement rate" from a previous pilot. President McGowan (MLGW) clarified that the 23% figure referred to initial right-of-entry engagement, noting a communications plan targeting 600 specific homes with direct correspondence and a September 2026 deadline for ARPA funds. The administration confirmed a 1-2 year warranty on the new lines, after which responsibility reverts to the homeowner.
- Budget Amendment for Fire Department Raise (Item 36):
- Councilman Warren & Councilwoman Green: Expressed support for granting the fire department the previously discussed 2% raise, arguing that budgets are often overallocated and money can be realigned without creating a deficit.
- Councilman Carlisle (Budget Chair): Expressed full support for fiscal responsibility and full opposition to using the unassigned fund balance as a "piggy bank." He stated he is 100% concerned that moving money around without a clear revenue source creates a "seven million dollar deficit" risk and argued against trusting the administration to find funds ad-hoc.
- Councilwoman White: Expressed strong concern regarding the $7 million negative revenue trend, stating that granting a raise without a confirmed funding source is irresponsible governance. She proposed using overtime line items as an alternative source.
- Councilman Smiley: Expressed support for trusting the administration's ability to find the funds, arguing that the city should consistently trust the administration to manage deficits.
- Councilwoman Cooper Sutton: Expressed strong opposition to the current administration's handling of city finances, using sharp language to characterize the city's fiscal behavior as "raping" the city and calling for accountability.
- Councilwoman Green: Proposed a motion to hold the item for two weeks to allow for the creation of retroactive performance metrics where firefighters are paid the raise only if the administration meets specific budget management targets.
Key Outcomes
- Approval: The resolution recognizing Deputy Chief Joe Oakley for his 36-year retirement was approved.
- Approval: The resolution to close a portion of Louisiana Street (Item 2) was approved.
- Approval: All MLGW fiscal consent items (5-21) were approved.
- Approval: Ordinance 5965 (Item 4) was approved on second reading.
- Approval: Resolution 34 (Wolf River Bottoms Task Force recommendations) was approved.
- Approval: Appointment of Maya Siggers to the Sports Authority Board (Item 35) was approved despite public testimony opposing the appointment due to her prior MATA board service.
- Approval: Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget (Item 36) was held for two weeks pending the formulation of performance metrics by Councilman Carlisle.
- Approval: Joint Ordinance 5960 (Cleveland Street Corridor) was approved (White recused).
- Approval: Amendment to Memphis Tourism Improvement District (Ordinance 5961) was approved.
- Approval: Amendments to the Building Code regarding storm shelters and housing (Ordinances 5962, 5963) were approved (White recused).
- Approval: Amendment to the Fire Code (Ordinance 5964) was approved as amended.
- Approval: Port Security Grant for a rescue fireboat (Item 29, $955,811) was approved.
- Approval: Assistance to Firefighters Grant for 120 suction devices (Item 30, $76,960) was approved.
- Approval: Interagency agreements with Bolero and FedEx fire departments (Items 31, 32) were approved.
- Approval: Resolution to amend the Task Force on City Employee Compensation (Item 33) was approved.
- Same-Night Minutes: Requests for items 11, 17, 34, and 35 were approved.
- Motion Carried: The motion to hold Item 36 (Budget Amendment) for two weeks to develop metrics passed with a vote of 9-4.
Meeting Transcript
Sergeant Arms, would you please call our December 2nd, 2025 Council meeting to order? I would like to recognize our chaplain of the day, Reverend Patrick Harley of Evergreen Presbyterian Church, invited by Councilman Dr. Warren. Reverend Harley, would you please lead us in prayer? Gracious and holy God, we give you thanks for this incredible city. God, I pray this day that you give them wisdom and courage and compassion with the work that is before before them, that that seems small and even that that is very, very big. God, we pray this holiday season for those who are just holding on to a hope that they will not face eviction, that they will be able to make ends meet, be able to offer gifts to those they love, be able to stay warm, be able to live a life of dignity and do the good that is theirs to do for those especially who might be facing threats of violence for those who might be facing deportation for those who might be facing job losses. We pray that we can use our influence, our privilege and the compassion and the calling that you have granted us to care for them, to care for one another. Uh and our police department worked with them program, which is where they take people's guns and make them into garden instruments, uh, which I think our entire council is interested in. And so I'm going to read a little bit of his resolution, greetings, and hereby be it known that Reverend Patrick Harley in recognition of a life of the exemplary qualities outstanding service to the city, meritorious involvement in humanitarian affairs and demonstrated concern for the governmental process has been appointed chaplain of the day of Memphis City Council and is hereby entitled to all honors rights privileges, prerogatives appertaining to this office and to the display of this certificate given this day from our chairman for canale and myself, Jeff Warren. Thank you, Reverend. Councilmember Carlisle, Cooper Sutton, Easter Thomas, Ford. Smiley. Spinoza Swearington Washington. Present. Mr. Chairman, you have a quorum. Thank you, Madam Countroller. Is present. Thank you. I believe Chairwoman Elect Swords in Washington has read our meeting minutes from November 18, 2025. Thank you, Chairman. I have reviewed the minutes and find them to be in order. I move for the adoption of the November 18th, 2025 meeting minutes. And I so move. Seeing the members in the queue, please prepare our voting screen. Carlisle, yes. Easter Thomas, yes. Green, yes, Logan, yes. Smiley, yes, Spinoza, yes. Swamrington, Washington, yes. Walker, yes. Warren, yes. White, yes. Chairman Canale, yes. Welcome to all those in attendance and those listening online to our December 2nd, 2025 regular meeting of Memphis City Council. Meetings of the council shall be conducted in an orderly manner to ensure the public has the full opportunity to be heard in the deliberate process of the council is retained at all times. The Sergeant Arms has meeting agendas available up front, as well as comment request cards for members of the public wishing to be heard on a specific item. All those wishing to speak on an item must turn in their comment card to the sergeant at arms before the item is called. If you are not here to speak on a specific item, you can note your request to give general comment at the end of the meeting. As chair, I will only recognize citizens that properly registered to speak by submitting a completed comment request card to the sergeant at arms. Members of the audience and persons addressing the council will not be permitted to engage in gossip, make defamatory, personal, slanderous, or profane comments, or use abusive or vulgar language. Chairperson of the Council may maintain order by giving any persons who are in violation of the stated rules of decorum a warning to cease any violence of conduct in order to leave the council's chambers or by giving an order for security personnel to remove any disruptive person in the council's chambers who refuses to leave voluntarily. These rules are posted on the doors as you enter the chamber and as you pick up comment cards. An example of an 11 by 17 poster is also posted on the door. Signs larger than the permitted size are prohibited and will be removed from the chamber. All that to say, let's have a good meeting. We have some important business ahead of us. Some housekeeping items holds items three, twenty-two, and twenty-eight are held until December 16th, 2025. Madam Comptroller, would you please call item one?
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