MEMPHIS, Tenn. —
With the new year comes new leadership in the City of Memphis. Along with Mayor Paul Young, several new city council members were sworn into office Jan. 1, 2024.
Districts 2, 3, and 8 will have new faces representing them, including Yolanda Cooper-Sutton, Jerri Green, and Pearl Walker.
Walker said this is the first female-majority city council, with seven councilwomen.
"We have a lot of things to be proud of, but we have multiple challenges, and it's just a renewed spirit that I'm sharing with my colleges," Walker said. "People are hopeful that we can bring about some positive changes and do some deep dives toward certain issues that we are facing.”
Re-elected District 7 Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas said she’s ready to hit the ground running with the new council members and administration. She believes the change in leadership can help spark change, but said leaders still need the community’s help.
"We're asking the community and the organizations to work alongside of us and that will be new for everyone to be putting forth efforts and solutions, because we're all feeling the effects of crime," Easter-Thomas said. "We're all feeling the effects of the issues that are going by day to day in our neighborhood, and we all want it to come to a cease. But that means we all need to work together to be able to seek new solutions."
The next full council meeting is happening Tuesday, Jan. 9.