Support Youth and Families

1. Implement a State Minimum Wage of $15.00 an Hour: Recognizing the importance of a

living wage to the health and welfare of all Tennessee residents, the Shelby County
Government calls for the establishment of a state minimum wage that helps to lift Tennessee
families out of poverty. Shelby County Government first increased its minimum wage to $15
in 2018.1 Since that time, they have raised the minimum wage for county employees to $15.44
and now $16.

2. Fund Mental Health Supports at Early Intervention Center for At-Risk Youth:
Shelby County recently launched a Youth and Family Resource Center in collaboration with
local law enforcement, school partners, service providers, and the youth and families they
seek to serve. The center provides assessment of youth, mental health supports, and referral
for services to help families and keep youth out of the justice system. The State of Tennessee
should help fund at least two additional mental health professionals to serve families at the
Shelby County Youth and Family Resource Center.

3. Support Military Families Through Expanded Veterans Service Offices: TCA § 58-
3-109 authorizes the establishment of the Veteran Services Office and requires accreditation
for Veterans Services Officers (VSO). Counties must also bear the costs of VSO salaries,
ancillary administrative costs, and required travel and training necessary to obtain
accreditation per State law. Our office advocates for an amendment to allow the State to
absorb all or part of these expenses.

4. Repurposing Vacant/Unused School Buildings: Give Shelby County Government the

option to take ownership of County School buildings that have been empty and unused for a
period of five (5) years as a measure to eliminate blight and to stimulate community activity.

5. Require Dedicated Climate Change Curriculum for Grades 3-12: According to the
United Nations, one million species are at risk of extinction. Humankind uses more resources
than we can generate each year and, according to the UN, “if we continue to live the way we

1The Commercial Appeal, 26 Nov. 2018, https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2018/11/26/shelby-

county-employees-get-15-hour-after-resolution-passes/2113504002/.

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 do today, we will need three earths by 2050.” Climate Change is a real and existential threat
to our next generation. The Union of Concerned Scientists have found that with no action on
climate change, Shelby County faces threats of 6 times more days above 105° by 2050, severe
weather, and more damage to our shared environment. We should empower youth with an
understanding of the human actions that contribute to climate change and how we may all
work together to lessen the effects on our shared environment.

6. Medications in Schools: To best serve the needs of the more than 100,000 Shelby County
school children, all liability against the school district and teachers should be removed to
allow teachers to administer over the counter pain relievers to school children on an as
needed basis with parents’ written permission.

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 Improve Access to Healthcare

7. Absorb Appropriations for Expanded Mental Health Court: Shelby County Mental
Health Court handles cases for individuals who suffer from severe mental illness and have
been charged with a nonviolent crime. In lieu of incarceration, participants can enter the
Mental Health Court program and receive healthcare, counseling, housing assistance, and
employment assistance as an alternative to incarceration. Amid the pandemic, Shelby
County used general fund dollars to supplement existing state funding and hire additional
case managers to double the size of the court’s case load. Shelby County Government would
ask that the State of Tennessee absorb the costs for two additional case managers by
increasing the Tennessee Certified Mental Health Recovery Court Program’s annual grant
to Shelby County from $130,000 Annually (2022) to at least $260,000 in 2023.2

8. Overturn “Human Life Protection Act” or Add Exceptions for Life of Mother, Rape,
and Incest: Render obsolete the amendments to Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
Chapter 15, Part 2, passed as the “Human Life Protection Act” which instituted a ban on
abortions when Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. In absence of overturning
law, please consider adding exceptions for the life of the mother, and victims of rape and
incest.

9. Support Expansion of West Tennessee’s Only Level One Trauma Hospital: Support
the capital improvement project requested by Regional One Health in partnership with the
University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Specifically, the State of Tennessee would
appropriate funding in the next several budget cycles to provide for construction of a new
public hospital in Shelby County. Regional One training to every medical doctor trained in
Tennessee. Regional One Health’s current campus has buildings in use that are over 70 years
old. With state support, the capital improvement project could deliver a world-class facility
that could serve as an official academic medical training facility for the State of Tennessee.

2 Effort to Double the Capacity of the Shelby County Mental Health Court

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 Increase Justice and Rehabilitation

10. Pass State-wide Fair Chance to Serve Legislation: It is vital that ex-offenders be given
every opportunity to reintegrate into society and serve the communities in which they live.
Shelby County Government removed questions about criminal records from applications for
volunteer positions on county boards and commissions. The State of Tennessee has positions
on boards and commissions that could benefit from legislation like Shelby County’s Fair
Chance to Serve.3

11. Reform Solitary Confinement for State Inmates: To better rehabilitate offenders and
reduce recidivism, corrections professionals around the country are reforming rules around
segregated housing for inmates. The State of Tennessee should consider best practices
including, but not limited to, a maximum for solitary confinement, a minimum number of
hours outside of cell daily, and additional mental health supports for inmates.

12. Change the Reimbursement Rate for Counties Housing State Convicted Felons to
Actual Reasonable Allowable Costs: So that County governments who contract with the
Tennessee Department of Corrections to house convicted felons and other state prisoners may
recuperate associated costs, increase the reimbursement rate for all State prisoners to a rate
of Actual Reasonable Allowable Costs not to exceed $80 per felon per day, per TCA § 41-8-
106.

3“Fair Chance to Serve” Packet, including letter to Shelby County Delegation and Shelby County’s Fair
Chance to Serve Ordinance.

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 Strengthen Democracy

13. Pass Recall Legislation that Expands Accountability for County Officials: Residents
should have ability to hold elected officials accountable. The current requirements are so
stringent that it is likely impossible for residents of a county to gather enough signatures to
hold a recall election for county officials. Tennessee Code Annotated should be amended to
provide county residents who are dissatisfied with the performance of an elected official a
reasonable path to a recall election.

14. Expand Ethics Commission Authority: Authorize County ethics commissions to receive,
investigate, and act on sexual harassment complaints brought against elected officials, and
amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 17 to include sexual harassment in the
definition of ethical standards as conduct that can be regulated.

15. Increase Opportunities for Voter Registration: Enact same and late day voter
registration legislation to enhance opportunities for Tennesseans to participate in elections.
“Late day” registration refers to the idea that residents can register up to three days before
an election.

16. Bring Election Commission Counsel In-House: Render obsolete TCA 2-12-
101 stipulations requiring the Shelby County Government to furnish private hourly counsel
at a great expense to represent Election Commissioners in lawsuits involving municipal
elections. Shelby County Election Commissioners should be represented by in-house County
lawyers to save costs.

17. Adjust Financial Disclosure Agreement Due Date: Proposal to adjust the due date for
the Regular Financial Disclosure Agreement from the tenth of the month every quarter to
the fifteenth of the month to grant lawmakers, many of whom campaign endlessly, more time
to comply with regulations. Doing so would also bring the state in line with Federal
standards.

18. Release of Early and Absentee Voting Results: To expedite the release of election results
and to bring parity to all Tennessee counties, Shelby County Government calls for a clarifying
amendment to TCA § 2-6-304(e) to allow a county election commission to count and release
the results of early and absentee votes at the publicized closing times for all county polling
places.

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NEWS

Mayor Lee Harris: Minimum wage of $15 per

hour set for all Shelby County employees,
including temp workers
Micaela A Watts
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Published 10:17 a.m. CT Nov. 26, 2018 Updated 7:31 a.m. CT Nov. 30, 2018

All Shelby County employees, including temp workers, will be paid at least $15 an hour.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has received support for his administrative action to raise the
minimum pay rate from 16 elected officials, including the Shelby County Commission.

Under the new initiative, 340 active county employees will see their pay increase by January 1,
2019. This includes all law clerks, custodial workers and secretarial staff. 

The pay increase does not require an amendment to the current budget, but will draw on current
resources instead. 

In a statement, Harris spoke to the importance of the resolution applying to temporary workers. 

“The same reasons used to lift the wages for the full-time workers can be applied to our temporary
employees,” Harris said. “This is an important statement of commitment to pay our employees,
even those who are not full-time.”

The Memorandum of Understanding sent out by Harris' team says the pay increase shall remain
in effect until Dec. 31, 2019, or when the county's living wage equals or exceeds $15 an hour,
whichever is sooner. 

Harris began circulating the memorandum a month ago shortly after his election.

Currently, the county's living wage is set at $14.48 an hour, according to the memorandum. 

The pay increase amounts to a 50-cent raise for Felisa Jones, a temporary clerical specialist with
the county.

Jones, the single mother of a high school student and a fifth-grader, said the $15-per-hour pay
rate would mean a lot for the care of her active kids. 
“Being a single mom, $15 helps a lot in my household," Jones said in an Instagram post shared by
Harris. 

The initiative gained support from 16 elected county officials and county commissioners. Harris
also acknowledges that the initiative is a continuation of work started by former Shelby County
mayor Mark Luttrell's administration. 

The city of Memphis has seen numerous public demonstrations in support of a $15 an hour
minimum wage in the past few years as the Fight for $15 movement gained momentum across the
country. 

Marches advocating for the $15 an hour living wage have taken place in Memphis as recently as
February this year. 

Exiting Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson announced in March that the
school system would raise minimum pay to $15 an hour for all full-time employees.

 
 Mental Health
Reforms to Lighten
the Load
EFFORT TO DOUBLE THE CAPACITY OF THE
SHELBY COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH COURT
Shelby County Government has expanded access to mental health care and improve public safety by
doubling the capacity of the Shelby County Mental Health Court. The expansion includes additional case
managers to support participants, expanded mental health resources, and extended courtroom hours.

ABOUT SHELBY COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH COURT

Shelby County Mental Health Court was established in 2016. Mental Health Court provides healthcare,
counseling, housing assistance, and employment assistance as an alternative to incarceration. Qualifying
participants suffer from severe mental illness and have been charged with a nonviolent crime. In lieu of
incarceration, participants can enter the Mental Health Court program and receive a mental health
treatment plan. Mental Health Court meets weekly on Tuesday afternoon to address their current
caseload.

In 2022, Shelby County Government's investment doubled Mental Health Court’s capacity by adding
case managers and resources to serve participants.

WHY INVEST IN MENTAL HEALTH COURT?

According to the United States Department of Justice, more than two-
thirds of inmates in local jails have or have had a serious mental health
problem, compared to 20% of the general population. The World
Health Organization has recognized this problem and recommends
"More than 2/3
that people with mental illness be diverted from the criminal justice of inmates in
system to mental health services.
local jails have
The creation of Mental Health Courts is one way that local
governments have attempted to balance the obligation of the criminal or have had a
justice system with helping those accused of crimes who have severe
mental illnesses and cooccurring substance abuse issues. Mental Health
mental health
Courts aim to connect the accused with appropriate mental health
supports instead of incarceration. These programs do not just benefit
problem."
the accused, they reduce crime. Participants in mental health courts

-U.S. Department of Justice Report

have lower rates of recidivism than individuals who go through the
traditional criminal justice system.
August 2022