Derek Mills: We Don’t Need to Raise Taxes
Derek Mills, a 29-year law enforcement veteran, is running for Shelby County Commissioner (District 2) — and his top issue is to increase public safety, he told Starnes County on Monday. Listen to his full interview here.
“I’ve seen our community change in ways where the number one problem people have … it’s public safety and taxes,” said Mills. “Well, we’ve got a handle on that. The Memphis Safe Task Force is really getting a great handle on that. Now as far as taxes, we don’t need to raise taxes. We may not be able to lower them, but they don’t need to be raised.”
Mills said he wants to see “people who have given their life here stay here, and continue to be a part of this community.”
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“Police presence deters crime. We were very short handed, the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office,” he told Starnes.
As a lifetime Collierville resident, Mills said, “We have got a great community, there’s so much to do here, we just have to highlight it.”
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In the Sheriff’s Office, Mills is currently the Assistant Chief Deputy for Patrol, Patrol Services, Detective Bureau, and Community/Legislative Affairs Bureau. He also serves as the 2025 Vice-President of the Memphis Metropolitan Association of Chiefs of Police. The association is a 200+ membership organization of sheriffs, chiefs, university, health care, and corporate security directors.
Mills is also a proponent of increasing accountability and transparency when it comes to how public tax dollars are spent: “We have way too many programs going on with our money.”
On his Facebook campaign page, Mills shares regular updates about meeting with groups such as the Memphis Young Republicans, the Shelby County GOP, and local law enforcement authorities.
Categorized:Local News politics