There are 338 article(s) tagged Lee Harris:

• May 2025

  • County Commission braces for another budget battle

    Shelby County commissioners drew battle lines at their Monday, May 19, session as they go into the home stretch of their budget season.

    By Bill Dries 7 hours ago

  • Political Roundup: ‘Some of these devils want me to be gone,’ Ford Jr. said

    Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. calls out political rivals, campaigning for 2026 has already started and county budget hearings will be missing a lot of key people.

    By Bill Dries May 18, 2025

  • Fractured ties between Shelby County mayor, Commission could make budget season bumpy

    The Shelby County government budget season opens Wednesday, May 14, in County Commission committee sessions. There is more than dollar figures and the county property tax rate at stake.

    By Bill Dries May 14, 2025

  • County ethics proposals could face ‘can of Raid’ and ‘house shoes’

    Two ethics proposals return to the Shelby County Commission Monday. County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr., who faces criminal charges himself, is accusing others of wrongdoing.

    By Bill Dries May 05, 2025

• April 2025

  • New Frayser high groundbreaking a milestone for MSCS facility plan

    “This is the rebuild and transformation of Frayser, but this is also a moment, a forerunner, of things to come,” said Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, who first proposed building the school five years ago.

    By Laura Testino April 04, 2025

• March 2025

  • For years, Mayor has tried to appoint new members to ethics board. County Commission hasn’t taken a single vote

    Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has produced six letters, going back to April 2021, in which he asked the County Commission to vote on new ethics board members. 

    By Bill Dries March 20, 2025

  • After 17 years in elected office, Edmund Ford Jr. is at a crossroads

    The Shelby County commissioner faces federal bribery and tax-evasion charges as he nears the end of his second term on the Board of Commissioners and after 11 years on the Memphis City Council before that.

    By Bill Dries March 10, 2025

  • Harris wants to suspend Ford Jr. from making more county grants

    Mayor Lee Harris also said he wants to meet with attorneys and other elected officials to see if further steps need to be taken.

    By Bill Dries March 03, 2025

• February 2025

  • Some Shelby County mayor contenders make first steps

    As the end of Lee Harris’ tenure as Shelby County mayor nears, potential successors start laying the groundwork for their campaigns. 

    By Bill Dries February 03, 2025

• January 2025

  • Mayor Harris says new Regional One plans still include hope for state funding

    Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris talked of the new hospital site as a connection of the Medical District to Downtown, where there is now a lot of vacant land and blight.

    Related content:

    County mayor in Nashville working on alternatives to MSCS takeover bill

    By Bill Dries January 29, 2025

  • County mayor in Nashville working on alternatives to MSCS takeover bill

    Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris was in Nashville on Monday trying to talk lawmakers out of a state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. He says there are some alternatives being discussed.

    By Bill Dries January 28, 2025

  • County mayor, judge say they have plan to take over juvenile-detention center

    Mayor Lee Harris and Judge Tarik Sugarmon talk on “Behind The Headlines” about the compromise they have taken to Sheriff Floyd Bonner about administration of the county’s juvenile-detention center.

    By Bill Dries January 25, 2025

• December 2024

  • $34M in added Frayser school funding clears test vote

    The County Commission votes Monday on shifting the funding for the construction of a new Frayser high school. In committees, County Mayor Lee Harris and some Frayser students pushed to get construction started.

    By Bill Dries December 13, 2024

  • Mayor explores adding $34M for Frayser school

    Shelby County commissioners discuss a $34 million shift in capital funding Wednesday, Dec. 11, from a new Cordova high school to the new Frayser high school.

    By Bill Dries December 11, 2024

• November 2024

  • Election eve reveals bipartisan fears from different perspectives

    Partisans on both sides were still rallying voters to turn out on the Tuesday, Nov. 5, presidential general election day with similar appeals but with very different motivations and beliefs.

    By Bill Dries November 06, 2024

• August 2024

  • Aug. 1 Election Day sets stage for November

    Thursday, Aug. 1, is an Election Day that Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris called “a practice run for November.” 

    By Bill Dries August 03, 2024

• July 2024

  • New bridge gets formal launch with ‘old bridge’ in background

    Federal, state and local leaders gathered Thursday, July 18, by the river at the Metal Museum to talk about the path to the $800 million project.

    By Bill Dries July 19, 2024

  • County Commission could override Mayor Harris veto on land bank reform

    The commission gave final approval to sweeping changes to the Shelby County Land Bank at its last meeting in June. Mayor Lee Harris vetoed the resolution saying it costs too much and is an unclear plan. The commission meets in special session Wednesday, July 17, to vote on overriding Harris’ veto.

    By Bill Dries July 15, 2024

• June 2024

  • Mayor Harris talks about the compromises of county budget season

    Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris breaks down how county commissioners settled amid budget season, including keeping vacant positions on the books and local opposition to the Regional One Health rebuild. 

    By Bill Dries June 21, 2024

• May 2024

  • Harris wants Baptist and Methodist involved in Regional One project

    Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris told the Memphis Rotary Club he has asked leaders of both of the city’s health care giants about becoming involved in the rebuild of Regional One Health. But he also admitted the discussions haven’t gotten very far yet.

    By Bill Dries May 14, 2024

  • Regional One transformation could begin this summer

    Reginald Coopwood says on “Behind The Headlines” the hospital’s shift to an academic center involves growing medical specialties that could fund itself. Coopwood also addressed calls for more funding from Arkansas and Mississippi.

    By Bill Dries May 04, 2024

  • Shelby County budget proposal ups its share of Regional One rebuild

    Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris talks about the move to county financing of the first phase of the project over the next decade. Meanwhile, CEO of Regional One said the anticipated state funding didn’t come through this year. 

    By Bill Dries May 03, 2024

  • County mayor proposes budget with no property-tax hike

    The budget proposal includes a 6% pay raise for county employees. The county commission begins budget hearings later this month with votes on the plan some time in June.

    By Bill Dries May 01, 2024

• April 2024

  • Mayor Harris to propose county pay raise

    The 6% proposed raise for all county employees comes two years after Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris proposed and the Shelby County Board of Commissioners approved a 5% pay hike.

    By Bill Dries April 30, 2024

• March 2024

  • Sen. Hagerty, Mayor Young focus on crime problem from ‘30,000 feet’

    Sen. Bill Hagerty, Mayor Paul Young, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and other local officials focused on steps and initiatives that the group could agree on. 

    By Bill Dries March 27, 2024