Handpicked experts on the transition team for newly elected Shelby County Mayor Mickell Lowery presented policy proposals at a meeting Thursday, Sept. 24, to begin shaping the county’s future under the new administration.
Some 70 volunteers assigned to nine working groups have spent weeks studying separate policy areas. With only 25 days between the election and the Aug. 31 swearing-in ceremony, the team worked at a brisk pace to help the new mayor develop a comprehensive plan for county governance, fiscal stability and economic development.
“I am thankful for this group for helping map out that strategy because it’s one thing to talk about it on the campaign trail,” said Lowery. “It’s another thing to put those things into action to where they are showing real results for our citizens.”
The county’s finances remain a top concern. On the same day as the policy presentation meeting, credit rating agency Moody’s downgraded the county’s finances because of a drop in its fund balance. In late fiscal 2026, cash reserves fell to 15.5% of the county’s overall budget. And the county was forced to borrow $125 million to cover a $100 million budget shortfall.
Former county Mayor Lee Harris, for his part, prioritized low property taxes during his eight years in office. In fact, the fiscal 2027 budget represents the only property tax increase of his tenure. Homeowners benefitted while the county’s revenues suffered.
Lowery, who voted as a county commissioner in favor of the fiscal 2027 tax increase, plans to take further action to secure the county’s finances during the first year of his term. A fiscal stability working group will assess all county departments to develop a clear financial picture.
Still, capital improvement projects rely on a solid credit rating to keep borrowing costs down. And Lowery is already considering a few major projects such as a new jail. Instead of making repairs and updates to the crumbling Shelby County jail, the second-generation politician is pushing for the construction of a new campus to likely house several of the county’s law enforcement divisions.
As a commissioner, he rejected a proposed jail in North Memphis. Other locations that were once considered for development or expansion include Shelby Farms and the current downtown facility.
The federal Safe Memphis Task Force – with its high arrest volume, since its inception a year ago – has exacerbated the need for a larger correctional complex. On days when bookings spike, the population of the Shelby County Main Jail at 201 Poplar in downtown Memphis swells to more than 3,000 inmates. The jail was built in 1981 to house only 1,200 detainees.
Implementing violence intervention programs and accelerating court proceedings are additional solutions proposed in the transition team’s plan. And a new $22 million mental healthcare facility is expected to reduce overcrowding in the understaffed jail.
Lowery also intends to focus on early education for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. But the current enrollment goal for universal pre-K across the county has fallen short, and further expansion would require more funding. The county, bound by fiscal 2026 spending levels, must adhere to a strict ratio to jointly fund the initiative with the city, which has refused to increase its share of total funding. If the county increased its contribution, the joint ordinance passed in 2019 to establish countywide universal pre-K would be nullified.
To promote economic growth, the transition team’s policy recommendations include supporting small businesses by integrating self-employment assistance and incubators with career centers. Job training programs would be cross-referenced with industry and employer labor shortages to fill gaps. Earn-to-learn vocational career pathways would also be available to underemployed workers and people living in underserved zip codes.
“I’m very optimistic. I think that all of these groups have spent weeks of their time and our time delving into these issues,” said Darrell Cobbins, chair of the transition team. “They are subject matter experts in and of themselves, and I think it will serve the mayor well to take their recommendations and put them to work.”
The mayor also hopes to attract private-sector enterprises, including technology, manufacturing and healthcare, by leveraging the county’s status as a large-scale logistics hub and partnering with the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce and the Shelby County Joint Economic and Community Development Board.
“I’ve already met with all of the municipal mayors and the suburban mayors as a group,” he said. “I’ve had multiple conversations with Mayor (Paul) Young and we are having an upcoming meeting with all of the municipal mayors to talk about the One Shelby strategy.”
Lowery said he intends to provide a 100-day status report to county residents to share his administration’s progress.
