City of Memphis

Memphis has a strong-mayor, mayor-council form of government. It has been in place since January 1, 1968, when it replaced the city commission form.^[1] Voters elect a mayor, a 13-member City Council and the judges of the Municipal (City) Court.

The charter

The City Charter sets out how city government is organized and what each branch may do. It is published together with the city's Code of Ordinances.^[4] The charter also sets the qualifications to run for mayor or council.^[5]

Mayor

The mayor leads the executive branch. The mayor directs the city's divisions, has sole contracting authority, and appoints members of city boards, commissions and authorities, including Memphis Light, Gas and Water and the Memphis Area Transit Authority.^[1]

• Term: four years, with a limit of two terms.^{[1] [2]}
• Elections: in October, every four years: 2027, 2031, 2035.^[2]
• Contact: 901-636-6000, mayor@memphistn.gov.^[1]

Key appointed leaders

The mayor appoints the heads of the city's divisions, and the council confirms many of them. In June 2026 the mayor named Chris Winton as Chief Operating Officer, Art Davis as Chief Financial Officer and Greg Dotson as Interim City Engineer.^[10] The council approved Winton and Davis on July 21, 2026.^[11]

City Council

The council is the city's legislative branch. It approves the budget, sets the property tax rate, makes land use decisions, and approves, amends or rejects legislation. Members elect a chair and vice chair and organize into committees.^[1]

• Seats: 13. Seven members each represent one of Districts 1 to 7. Six more are elected from two super districts, Super Districts 8 and 9, with three members each. Every voter votes for four council members: one for their district and three for their super district.^[3]
• Term: four years, with a limit of two terms.^[3]
• Elections: in October, every four years, at the same time as the mayor: 2027, 2031, 2035.^[3]
• Meetings: the council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, and meetings are open to the public.^[1] Check the council's agenda page for the current schedule.

City Court

The Municipal Court judges and the City Court Clerk handle city traffic tickets. City Court is separate from the Shelby County General Sessions and Criminal Courts.^[1] The court has three divisions with one judge each: Kenya Hooks (Division 1), Varonica R. Cooper (Division 2) and Jayne Chandler (Division 3).^[6] The judges are chosen by voters.^[7]

Budget and property tax

1. The mayor proposes a budget to the council.^[1]
2. The council holds public budget hearings, which are open to the public.^[1]
3. The council approves the budget and sets the property tax rate.^[1]

Tennessee law requires the budget to show expected revenue, proposed spending, outstanding debt and comparisons with past years. It has an operating part (salaries, benefits, supplies and services) and a capital part (land, buildings, vehicles and other long-lived assets). The property tax fills the gap between planned spending and other revenue such as state and federal funds and fees.^[1]

For example, on April 21, 2026 the mayor presented a proposed $897 million budget for fiscal year 2027 that kept the city property tax rate at $3.39.^[8] Proposed and adopted budget books are posted by the Finance Division.^[9]

Divisions

The city has more than 15 divisions and departments.^[1] Some of the largest:

• Police and Fire
• Public Works: streets, sewers, bridges, code enforcement and Memphis City Beautiful
• Solid Waste: garbage collection, disposal and recycling
• Memphis Parks: community centers, pools, golf courses and programs
• Memphis Public Libraries: 18 branches
• Finance: budget, grants, purchasing and debt
• Engineering: design and upkeep of streets, bridges and traffic signals
• Planning and Development: a joint city-county division for zoning, permits and building codes
• Treasurer: city property tax payments and tax relief

How to take part

• Find your council members. Look up your district and super district on the county map or on My Reps.^[1]
• Attend meetings. Council meetings and budget hearings are open to the public.^[1] Members are listed on the council's site.
• Serve on a board. City boards and commissions fill seats as they open. See boards and commissions.^[1]
• Request public records under the Tennessee Public Records Act through the city's records portal.^[1]
• Report a problem such as a pothole or missed pickup by calling 311 or using Memphis 311.^[1]
• Get updates by email through the city's sign-up page.^[1]

Current officeholders

Meetings

• City Council meeting
  City CouncilTue, Nov 24, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
• City Council meeting
  City CouncilTue, Nov 10, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
• City Council meeting
  City CouncilTue, Oct 20, 2026 · Video · Agenda
• City Council meeting
  City CouncilThu, Oct 8, 2026 · Video
• City Council meeting
  City CouncilTue, Oct 6, 2026 · Video · Agenda
• City Council meeting
  City CouncilTue, Sep 15, 2026 · Video · Agenda
• City Council meeting
  City CouncilTue, Sep 1, 2026 · Video · Agenda

All meetings, with agendas, minutes and video

Sources

Last checked October 28, 2026. If something here is out of date, the linked source is the authority.

1. City of Memphis, "Gov Guide"
2. Memphis Public Libraries, Informed Voter: Memphis Mayor
3. Memphis Public Libraries, Informed Voter: Memphis City Council
4. Memphis Charter and Code of Ordinances (Municode)
5. Memphis Charter, qualifications for mayor and council (Municode)
6. City of Memphis, Municipal Court Judges
7. Daily Memphian, "Memphis Municipal Judge Division 2 election: Varonica Cooper wins"
8. Tri-State Defender, "Memphis Mayor Paul Young proposes $897M FY2027 budget" (Apr. 23, 2026)
9. City of Memphis, budget documents
10. City of Memphis, "Chris Winton appointed COO, Art Davis named CFO, and Greg Dotson named Interim City Engineer" (June 26, 2026)
11. Tri-State Defender, "Memphis City Council approves Paul Young's new CFO, chief administrative officer" (July 23, 2026)