How Do We Solve Population Decline?
Last month, Mayor Paul Young broke with the tradition observed by recent mayors of Memphis by acknowledging the fact that the city’s population is in steady decline. Now, a new state law could change the way sales tax revenue is allocated to municipalities based on what proportion of Tennesseans live there.
Population loss affects more than sales tax revenue: it also means less revenue in property taxes and fewer patrons for local businesses. So what do we do about this?
Mobility = Mobility
MATA has officially extended its fare-free pilot through March 31, with further expansion beyond that possible as well. The city council also approved a measure to reallocate millions of dollars from the Bus Rapid Transit system to shore up MATA’s existing operations.
MATA has long been underfunded compared to the need across Memphis. Ridership has dwindled as routes have been cut, and access has been hard to achieve for our sprawling city. Without physical mobility, we will never achieve economic mobility, so how do we fix Memphis’ public transit?
What is the best way to handle school closures?
The Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board voted to approve the closure of five schools, in line with the recommendation of Superintendent Roderick Richmond. According to the Daily Memphian, three of the closures were not discussed during the meeting and were approved unanimously, while two received more pushback.
In this update, we discuss what makes for a successful school transition, what the research shows us about the impact of closures, and how families can best navigate the change.
Redevelopment: Beale Street and the Northside Square Project
Amidst the twisting roller coaster of major news surrounding the Grizzlies, you may have missed an even more consequential announcement affecting the future of the team. Last week, the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) announced that it had been awarded $74 million from the state of Tennessee for the purposes of improving the Beale Street corridor. According to the Daily Memphian, the money will be used to improve public safety and generally uplift the perception of downtown for residents and businesses alike.
It got us thinking: What does good development look like? How does it help the people who live in the areas where it is happening? How do we ensure that residents are not displaced by development or revitalization efforts? Where should we be targeting investments in Memphis?
Back in Nash
The Tennessee General Assembly opened its 2026 session this week during a time of growing economic anxiety. During this session, bills around cutting taxes including the grocery tax are top of mind for legislators to alleviate the financial burdens families face.
Some other issues we will see them address include childcare, school vouchers, state intervention in Memphis-Shelby County Schools, and immigration.