Politics
Memphis Mayor's 2026 Revenue Sharing Ordinance: How District Allocations Compare to Nashville and Birmingham
Memphis residents will receive $18 per capita in neighborhood project funds under the ordinance, a figure set higher than the $14 level applied in Nashville.
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How we reported this
The Memphis mayor's office began rolling out the 2026 Revenue Sharing Ordinance on July 1, directing a fixed share of local sales tax receipts to 14 city council districts. The ordinance applies to every Memphis address and sets the amount available for street resurfacing, park upgrades and small business facade grants in each district.
State formula adjustments drive current rollout
Tennessee revised its municipal aid calculations in the spring 2026 session, requiring cities to adopt local ordinances by June 30. Memphis completed its version ahead of the deadline, while Nashville and Birmingham adjusted their own rules in the same period. The change shifts how much of each city's own revenue stays inside neighborhood boundaries rather than moving to general funds.
Under the ordinance, District 7 in southeast Memphis receives $2.4 million for sidewalk repairs scheduled to begin in September. District 3 in the north receives $1.9 million for a community center roof replacement. Residents in both areas will see the work listed on the city's public project tracker by August.
The 2026 city budget document records a total allocation of $11.3 million across all districts. This equals $18 per resident when divided by the 2025 census estimate of 630,000 people. Nashville's comparable ordinance sets the same per-resident amount at $14, and Birmingham's at $15, according to the three cities' posted budget summaries.
Next steps for project selection
District advisory boards must submit ranked project lists to the mayor's office by August 15. The lists will be reviewed against engineering cost estimates before final approval in September. Payments to contractors are projected to start in October for the first round of approved work.
City finance staff will issue quarterly reports on spending progress beginning in December. Residents can review the reports on the Memphis city website under the revenue sharing tab.