The Assessor Risks Questions About Fairness and Impartiality
It is the responsibility of the county assessor to identify, locate, and determine the fair market...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Oct 19, 2026 | City of Memphis Government, Downtown Revitalization, Shelby County government, Taxation | 3
It is the responsibility of the county assessor to identify, locate, and determine the fair market...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Sep 28, 2026 | City of Memphis Government, Shelby County government, Taxation, Tourism | 0
After last week’s report that the Memphis tourism industry is on decline, it seems a perfect time...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Sep 14, 2026 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Shelby County government, Taxation | 0
A favorite economist and urban thinker here is Joe Cortright whose wisdom is regularly posted to...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Mar 5, 2026 | Taxation | 0
It appears that Germantown is barreling ahead to approve the first TIF tax break to developers in...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Feb 19, 2026 | Economic Development, Federal Government, Federal Policy, Taxation | 0
When the federal government introduced Opportunity Zones (OZs) as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Jan 26, 2026 | City of Memphis Government, Taxation, Tennessee Legislature | 2
Tennessee Senator Brent Taylor and Tennessee Representative Tom Leatherwood have filed a bill in...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Dec 15, 2025 | City of Memphis Government, Shelby County government, Taxation | 0
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners is expected today to once again perfunctorily approve Tax...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Sep 5, 2025 | City of Memphis Government, Shelby County government, Taxation | 1
Many of us have wished for a long time that our community had a website that allows us to test how...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Aug 28, 2025 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Shelby County government, Taxation | 2
Nothing is certain but death and taxes, so says the proverb. Here in Memphis, it is just as...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Aug 25, 2025 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Memphis History, Taxation | 0
The “breaking news” headline on TV news said: “Proposal would reinvest xAI tax revenue into...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Aug 14, 2025 | City of Memphis Government, Politics and Government, Taxation | 1
The following is my City Journal column in Memphis magazine that was published in February: It’s...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Jun 25, 2025 | City of Memphis Government, Shelby County government, Taxation, Tennessee Legislature | 0
The certified tax state law, the so-called “truth in taxation” law, mandates that local...
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by Bill Day. Memphian Bill Day is two-time winner of the RFK Journalism Award in Cartooning. His cartoons are syndicated internationally by Cagle Cartoons. Cartoons Archive →
Smart City Memphis has been called the oldest, continuously operating in its original form, independent blog in the U.S. Its aim since 2005 has been to connect the dots and provide perspective on issues and policies shaping Memphis. Primary author is Tom Jones, City Journal columnist at Memphis magazine, author of two books and a museum exhibition, and consultant on public policy and strategic planning. He has written articles for MLK50, The Commercial Appeal, and USA Today. The blog was called one of the most intriguing blogs in the U.S. by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change; The Commercial Appeal said it “provides some of the most well-thought-out thinking about Memphis’ past, present, and future you’ll find anywhere,” and the Memphis Flyer said: “This incredibly well-written blog sets out to solve the city’s ills – from the mayor to MATA – with out-of-the-box thinking, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ideas.” If you have questions, submissions, or ideas for posts, please email Tom Jones, at tjones@smartcityconsulting.com.