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.
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?