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Paul Young
65th Mayor of Memphis
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2024
Preceded by	Jim Strickland
Personal details
Born	(1979-10-07) October 7, 1979 (age 45) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Tennessee (BS) University of Memphis (MS, MBA)
Salary	$210,000

Paul Young (born October 7, 1979) is an American politician who is the 65th and current mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. He has served since January 1, 2024, and is the fifth African-American mayor of Memphis.

Early life and education

Young was born on October 7, 1979, to Dr. William Young, a Vietnam War veteran, and Rev. Diane Young. He grew up in the Oakhaven neighborhood of Memphis. His father became the chaplain of Methodist Hospital when Paul was two years of age, the first African-American to do so. William Young also founded a church in Bolivar, Tennessee, when Paul was seven. Diane and William founded the Healing Center Full Gospel Baptist Church in Oakhaven when Paul was 11. Paul's parents were surrogate parents for many children while Paul was growing up. Paul attended East High School in Memphis. He earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee. He decided to pursue a master's degree in city and regional planning after hearing a sermon from his mother. He also has a degree in business administration.

Pre-mayoral career

Young was president and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission, during COVID-19. As CEO of the DMC, he stated the need for a grocery store in the downtown area, and one year later the opening of the South Point grocery store was announced.

Mayoral campaign

Young's 2023 mayoral campaign focused on strengthening the Memphis economy and creating more jobs. His platform included proposals for technology and development. Young's platform addressed systemic issues such as poverty and crime, with a focus on neighborhood safety and expanding opportunities.

Campaign strategy

Young's campaign used a multi-step strategy to engage voters. The campaign worked with VoteShift, a firm specializing in strategies for candidates focused on racial equity. Content was shared across various platforms, including YouTube and story ads. In a Reddit AMA on October 3, 2023, Young engaged with Memphians and answered questions about the future of Memphis. During the AMA, Reddit users asked for his views on Memphis's current state, particularly from his perspective as a resident.  

Election results

In the 2023 Memphis mayoral election, Paul Young received 24,408 votes from 98 precincts, 4,500 more than his nearest competitor, Floyd Bonner Jr. The second closest competitor was Willie Herenton, a former Memphis mayor. The vote was split among 17 candidates on the ballot. This was the first election since 1971 where an incumbent was not seeking re-election. A total of 88,699 votes were cast, representing 23.8% of registered voters.

Mayor of Memphis

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Young was elected mayor of Memphis in the 2023 Memphis mayoral election. He was sworn in on January 1, 2024.

Public safety

Mayor Paul Young has focused on public safety through initiatives such as Operation Code Zero. Operation Code Zero was introduced to reduce crime by increasing police presence in high-crime and high-traffic tourist areas. Young is also overseeing the installation of $10–15 million worth of AI-powered cameras across Memphis to address concerns over crime and shootings.

Transportation and infrastructure

Young replaced the entire MATA (Memphis Area Transit Authority) board. This followed a period of significant financial deficits in the system. Public approval of MATA declined from 75% in 2018 to 38% in more recent years. A large portion of buses required engine repairs. Young ordered a forensic audit of MATA's finances to identify inefficiencies and areas of unnecessary spending.

Fiscal responsibility

Young implemented several tax increases aimed at improving city services and infrastructure, including a 49-cent property tax hike, a $30 increase in vehicle registrations, and a $12 increase on solid waste fees. The administration created public dashboards, including one from the Memphis Police Department, that tracks data points like homicide rates. The administration aims to create a system that addresses the current needs of the city while preparing for future growth.

Economic development and housing

Young's administration supported financial incentives to encourage investment in affordable housing. Young has also committed to increasing funding for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Additionally, Young's transition team recommended establishing a small business support network to help accelerate the growth of businesses. In August 2024, Paul Young and police Chief C.J. Davis announced $3 million to compensate businesses recovering from crime. 

Personal life

Paul is married to Jamila Smith-Paul. Jamila is a nurse practitioner and assistant professor at University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Paul and Jamila have two children, aged 12 and eight. Paul has two siblings, Dorcas Young Griffin, an older sister, and Rev. David Young. Dorcas is the Shelby County Government Deputy Chief Administrative Officer. Rev. David Young is a pastor. Paul has two half siblings. His half-brother William Jr. has struggled with homelessness, despite his family's efforts. Paul's father William died of congestive heart failure at the age of 77 on October 5, 2022, five days after Paul launched his mayoral campaign.

Young is a fan of hip-hop. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi.

References

1. ^ Waters, David (2024-01-03). "Meet Paul Young: How a preachers' kid became the new mayor of Memphis". Institute for Public Service Reporting - Memphis. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
2. Anthony, Kontji (2021-03-19). "Paul Young named president and CEO of Downtown Memphis Commission". www.actionnews5.com. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
3. Chandler, Jennifer (March 4, 2022). "South Point Grocery opens: What to expect at the new Downtown Memphis grocery store".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
4. Scott, Chadd. "New Mayor Paul Young Putting Arts And Culture To Work For Memphis". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
5. Steimer, Jacob (2023-09-20). "Paul Young: 'We have to build up this additional support for public safety'". MLK50: Justice Through Journalism. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
6. "VoteShift - Building Winning Movements". VoteShift. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
7. Bornong, Amy (2024-01-23). "An Adtech Strategy For Political Victory in Memphis". Equativ. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
8. PaulYoungMemphis (2023-10-03). "I'm Paul Young, candidate for Mayor of Memphis. AMA!". r/memphis. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
9. "Paul Young wins the Memphis mayoral race". localmemphis.com. 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
10. "Turnout | Shelby County Election Commission, TN". www.electionsshelbytn.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
11. "Paul Young declares victory, becoming next mayor of Memphis". FOX13 Memphis. 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
12. "Meet Paul Young, Memphis's next mayor". localmemphis.com. October 5, 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
13. Brown, Jackson (January 1, 2024). "Paul Young sworn in as Memphis' next Mayor". ABC24.
14. Williams, Imani (2024-02-27). "Operation Code Zero: Mayor Young speaks on new operation to fight crime". www.actionnews5.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
15. Peterson, Joyce; Coombs, Lydian (2024-10-23). "Crime crackdown: Memphis mayor working with MPD to blanket city with AI-powered camera network". www.actionnews5.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
16. "Memphis Mayor Paul Young replaces MATA board". FOX13 Memphis. 2024-10-11. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
17. "New MATA board suspends cuts, fare implementation until February". localmemphis.com. 2024-10-22. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
18. "Memphis Mayor Paul Young's first six months in office | What do Memphians think of his progress?". localmemphis.com. 2024-07-01. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
19. Williams, Imani (2024-06-10). "New data dashboard gives deeper look at crime trends in the city". www.actionnews5.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
20. Journalism”, Jacob Steimer, MLK50: Justice Through (2024-06-12). "Memphis needs affordable housing. But it's gotten harder to build • Tennessee Lookout". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved 2024-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
21. A. O. L. Staff (2024-03-07). "Mayor Paul Young's transition team outlines crime prevention, economic development ideas". www.aol.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
22. "City sets aside $3M to help small businesses recover from crime". WREG.com. 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
23. Roman, Leigh Ann (2024-01-29). "Memphis' First Lady, UT Health Science Center Nursing Alumna Encourages: "See the Good in Our City"". UTHSC News. Retrieved 2024-11-27.

• 1979 births
• 21st-century African-American politicians
• 21st-century mayors of places in Tennessee
• African-American mayors in Tennessee
• African-American people in Tennessee politics
• Living people
• Mayors of Memphis, Tennessee
• Politicians from Memphis, Tennessee
• Tennessee Democrats
• University of Memphis alumni
• University of Tennessee alumni
• East High School (Memphis, Tennessee) alumni