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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
People may find themselves spending more money when they head to Downtown Memphis, as the city’s mayor looks for a way to increase revenue for security, beautification, and aid for the homeless.
Mayor Paul Young is considering the implementation of a new sales tax that would help to provide those additional funds.
His announcement comes just after 901 FC, the city’s professional soccer team, announced that it was leaving the city due to inadequate funding for a soccer stadium. The Memphis Redbirds also released a statement saying they were considering a similar move if funds were not made available to provide renovations to AutoZone Park, which was last remodeled nearly a decade ago.
Former Mayor Jim Strickland announced in 2022 that the city had a plan to provide renovations to both AutoZone Park and the FedEx Forum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team. The plan also included the construction of a soccer stadium.
A spokesperson for the city says the mayor is asking for a sales tax of half-percent. It would be a single-item tax on food and other items sold in the Downtown area. This would amount to 25 cents in tax added to a $50 purchase.
Funding would be used for renovations but would also be allocated to increased security in the area, a growing concern for residents and business owners alike. The area has been hit with carjackings, break-ins, and fatal shootings in recent months.
“So we currently have the Blue Suede Brigade team that helps us to keep eyes and ears on the streets and this would add to the dollar that we spend there to expand our reach,” said Downtown Memphis Commission President and CEO Chandell Ryan.
Officials say Nashville implemented a similar tax, referred to commonly as a “hamburger tax.”
Not everyone is in agreement, however. Former Memphis City Council Chairman Martavius Jones says the focus is not broad enough to help the whole city.
“It would be just for the downtown area, and I still would ask what’s the plan for the remainder of Memphis,” Jones said.
Both the General Assembly and the City Council would have to approve the increased tax before it could go into effect.
One Response
I just have one question. Why is it liberals do not LEARN from past failures?
Pass gun control laws… crime goes up. Pass more gun control laws… crime goes up even more.
Look at Chicago. No matter how many gun control laws, the crime keeps going up.
How can they have such cognitive disconnect with reality.