Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris (D) is attempting to sell a lofty proposal that would raise taxes to fund projects around town, but some of the county commissioners aren’t buying it.
The proposal would charge drivers an extra $50 in wheel taxes to build a $9.9 million new high school in Frayser and rebuild Regional One Hospital, which has a $350 million price tag.
KWAM is where Memphis goes for breaking news. Click here to download our free app and listen to KWAM on your smart phone.Commissioners Mick Wright (R), Amber Mills (R) and Edmund Ford Jr. (D) told KWAM they will be voting against raising taxes just to pay for Harris’ projects.
Here’s what each commissioner said about increasing the wheel tax:
Ford Jr.: “I’m not supporting this item cause I have no trust whatsoever that the money will go where it’s supposed to go.”
Mills: “I call this wheel tax ‘lazy legislation.’ He’s not wanting to put in the work to find the money. There are ways to do this without going to the taxpayers.”Wright: “I don’t support it. Actually, yesterday I moved a motion to eliminate the wheel tax.:
Passing the wheel tax requires 9 votes, meaning it would stall out if all four Republican commissioners voted against it.
The commission are set to take the first vote on the measure Monday.
