GENERAL INFORMATION
Name: Jeff Warren
Candidate for: City Council District 9, Position 3
Date of Birth: 11-19-1955
Occupation: Physician
Educational Background:
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- High School: Salisbury High School, 1974
- College: Yale University, 1978
- Masters/Ph.D (if applicable): Duke University Medical School, 1982
Family: My wife is a lifelong Memphian who has been involved in public service, and is a member of boards including Memphis Theological Seminary and Workers Interfaith Network, and is an elder at First Presbytarian Church. My sons are all graduates of Memphis City Schools, and the eldest has returned to start Believe Memphis Academy, a 4-8 grade middle school.
Community Involvement: Memphis City School/Shelby County School Board Member
Vice Chairman, Combined Shelby County School District
Board Member and Vice President, Memphis Medical Society
Elder, First Presbytarian Church
Soccer Coach, Junior and Senior High School Church League Soccer
Volunteer Coordinator, Soup Kitchen at First Presbytarian
Advisory Board Member, University of Memphis Department of Biomedical Engineering
WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA
Official Campaign Website: www.VoteJeffWarren.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffwarren901/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VoteJeffWarren1
CANDIDATE SURVEY:
What background/experience distinguishes you from the other candidates who want voters to elect them?
Warren’s response:
As a physician of Memphians for 30 years, I have seen patients from all parts of the city and from every economic background and understand their concerns and their hopes for a better Memphis. I have served 8 years as a School Board member to help improve educational opportunities for our citizens. I have run a business and employed over 50 people for over 20 years. I am committed to making Memphis a healthier and safer city.
What are the top three issues facing the City of Memphis?
Warren’s response:
-Decreasing the murder and violent crime rate.
-Using the monetary savings from that reduction in murders to invest in infrastructure of the neighborhoods most affected by that violence.
-Bringing back our summer park program where we employ college and high school youth to take care of our younger children in the parks daily with adult supervision and activities that stop the learning loss our poorest children experience each summer.
What do you propose to address the three issues you rank as top priorities?
Warren’s response:
-Increase police officer numbers to allow for community policing and data driven policing to stop these local cells of violence from killing each other and innocent people in blowback gun violence.
-Increasing intervention for victims of violence with social services to help with grieving and retaliatory violence and the results of PTSD.
-Funding to increase park growth programs which employ college aged youth to organize and supervise high school youth to provide programming for middle and elementary youth in our park system in every neighborhood. This program should allow local elderly residents to participate with programming and mentoring.
Do you favor the call for a half-cent sales tax increase to restore healthcare and retirement benefits for police officers and firefighters cut in 2014?
Warren’s response:
I will honor the voters’ choice in this matter. I have been endorsed by both the Police and Firefighters’ Associations.
Do you think the local PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program needs to be reformed? If so, why and how?
Warren’s response:
We need PILOTs to attract industry and growth but we need to have appropriate claw backs, which ensure these companies payback the taxes that they did not pay if they leave prematurely, so that they do not take advantage of the tax abatements and leave after their advantage has expired.
Do you see a risk of displacement and gentrification connected to the development boom in Memphis? If so, how would you address that risk from the position you seek?
Warren’s response:
Some of our developments have done a good job of avoiding displacement of local neighborhoods, but not all. A real economic expansion understands that it’s not a lump sum proposition, but everyone can gain without anyone losing. We need to make sure that as we improve neighborhoods we allow for mixed income housing in every neighborhood. We’re all stronger together.
African-American-owned businesses have made up only 1 percent of all Memphis business receipts for several decades. If elected, do you see playing a role in changing that statistic? If so, what do you think that role would entail?
Warren’s response:
I will encourage investment capital to consider and to commit to minority business opportunities that will be successful. As a school board member I pushed to increase our local and minority business percentages and will do so again as a council member. This money spent initially in the community is then spent three fold or more for other local businesses. We have the talent to make this happen.
