Mayor Jim Strickland
Jim Strickland was sworn in as mayor of Memphis for a second term on January 1, 2020, with a continued pledge to reinvest in our neighborhoods and our citizens, and to keep growing our economy.
In partnership with the hard work of City employees, 911 call answer times have been drastically reduced; the percentage of city spending with minority and women-owned businesses has dramatically increased; and major development has occurred such as the retention of ServiceMaster, the expansion at St. Jude, IndigoAg, the Union Row development, Amazon, Loew’s, a $200 million Renasant Convention Center renovation and the FedEx Logistics move downtown— speak to the momentum of some $19 billion in recent, current or future development in the region.
Mayor Strickland’s vision is to reverse population loss through a strategy that reinvests in Memphis’ core and its neighborhoods — changing a long-held view that Memphis should grow outward. The mayor said his administration will focus on “building up, not building out,”, and through the implementation of the city’s first long-range plan in nearly 40 years—Memphis 3.0—we’re doing just that.
Public safety remains the mayor’s No. 1 priority. His initiative to rebuild the Memphis Police Department has resulted in two of the largest police recruit classes in more than a decade and the first annual net gain of officers in several years. Working with the Memphis City Council, Mayor Strickland’s administration have had four budgets without a tax increase. In keeping with Mayor Strickland’s commitment to infrastructure, he has doubled street paving from just four years ago. The state Comptroller and rating agencies have also applauded the city’s financial condition.
Mayor Strickland has prioritized a transparent and communicative government — including initiating a weekly email update to citizens that frankly tackles the city’s challenges as well as celebrates successes. (Subscribe to the mayor’s Weekly Update here.) The improvement of core city services and commitment to transparency and trust are part of what Mayor Strickland calls a “brilliant at the basics” philosophy of city government, where his administration tackles core city services to allow the growth of Memphis to multiply. Because of the intense focus in this area, the City of Memphis was recognized as one of the best run Cities in America by What Works Cities earning a silver certification. This was an independent and objective assessment of our ability to deliver as a data driven government….one of only 13 cities in America with this distinction.
Mayor Strickland is a 1982 graduate of Christian Brothers High School, a 1986 graduate of the University of Memphis and a 1989 graduate of the School of Law at the U of M. He practiced law at Glankler Brown PLLC from 1990 to 1998 and began practicing at Kustoff & Strickland PLLC, where he remained until becoming mayor.
Mayor Strickland was elected to the Memphis City Council in 2007, and served as its chairman in 2014. In eight years representing District 5, then-councilman Strickland became known for fighting for government transparency and public safety.
Community service has long been a part of Mayor Strickland’s life. He has served with various organizations, such as the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, where he continues to volunteer. He is a gold life member of the NAACP.
Mayor Strickland is married and has two children.
Contact Mayor Jim Strickland
Memphis City Hall
125 N. Main St. Room 700
Memphis, TN 38103
901-636-6000
mayor@memphistn.gov
For media inquires, contact Chief Communications Officer Allison Fouche
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