MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A proposed 75-cent tax increase has Memphians questioning whether tax dollars are being used efficiently.
Mayor of Memphis, Paul Young, made the proposal during his budget presentation to Memphis City Council in April.
The City of Memphis hasn’t had a tax increase since 2012. It may have seemed great for taxpayers at the time, especially since other factors like inflation are now a bigger part of the picture.
However, now, it’s a problem Memphians are seeing 12 years later with the possibility of a 75-cent increase.
“Memphis did not end up in this position overnight,” City of Memphis Interim COO Antonio Adams said. “There are a series of long-term actions that have happened throughout several administrations that moved us to this point.”
While Young wants a 75-cent tax hike, City Councilman JB Smiley isn’t sure about that number.
“In three more meetings, we are going to ultimately make the decision on what the tax rate will be,” Smiley said.
The council wants to ensure funding is properly allocated to things taxpayers want their money spent on.
“We need to be funding a very clean city, which is sanitation,” Smiley said. “We need to make sure we have a law enforcement that has the capacity to go out and address crimes. And we need to make sure that we ultimately start paving those streets.”
“I’m not opposed necessarily to the 75-cent tax increase,” homeowner Latesha Williams said. “But what I want to know is what other outlets has the mayor looked into before he decided that that was a great idea to do that.”