Memphis Charter Commission
Sitting from left to right: Sharon Webb, Janis Fullilove, Sylvia Cox and Marsha Campbell
Standing from left to right: George Brown, Willie Brooks and Myron Lowery
What is the Memphis Charter Commission?
Memphis is a "home rule" city that operates under a contract --a charter-- that is determined by the electorate. Any municipality, after adopting home rule, may continue to operate under its existing charter, make amendments, or adopt a new charter to provide its governmental or proprietary powers. An amendment may be advanced by ordinance of any home rule municipality by a charter commission provided for by act of the General Assembly and elected by qualified voters.
Many Memphians believe that recent and current events are evidence that change is needed for Memphis. The Charter Commission is a non-partisan group that will review the current city Charter and recommend changes. The recommended changes will be presented to the citizens of Memphis in the form of voter referendums.
Memphis' prosperity, to an extent, will be determined by the Charter Commission's true insight.
Through the judgment of this Commission, Memphians gave birth to a change that will help Memphis progress in the right direction. The Charter Commission will have 2 years to review the charter and ordinances and formulate recommended changes. Those changes will be presented to the voters as a referendum - you, the citizens of Memphis, will ultimately accept or reject the recommended changes.
The Memphis Charter Commission wants to hear from YOU.
If you are a citizen of the City of Memphis and you want to participate in the process of making modifications to our charter, please communicate your issues and/or recommendations to the Commissioners.
You can provide input by sending an email to any or all of the Commissioners (see individual member pages for email addresses), or you can send a letter to:
Memphis Charter Commission
125 N. Main, 5th floor, City Hall
Memphis, TN, 38103.