MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis City Council voted to spend $2 million on summer jobs for teens hoping to curb youth violence.
The program, created by councilwoman Wanda Halbert, will help fund jobs for 1,000 teens this summer.
“That’s great. Summer is six months from now. We would like to have a city-wide program doubled in size within the next couple months,” Mayor A C Wharton’s Chief Administrative Officer George Little said.
At the same time, members plan to cut money from the mayor’s youth violence prevention programs, and instead could put money towards rape kid testing and possibly Christmas lights.
Little said the council’s actions may prevent part of the mayor’s plan from happening.
“On the other hand, they put $50,000 in for Christmas lights in two neighborhoods,” Little said.
Councilman Lee Harris suggested the Christmas lights idea, saying his district has been fighting for lights for a couple of years.
The two neighborhoods include Raleigh/Frayser area and the Fairgrounds/airport area.
“The highest priority is neighborhoods in the city of Memphis. That’s the highest priority. Supporting citizens that are active and trying to reinvigorate their neighborhoods,” Harris said. “That’s the number one problem in Memphis. We are not investing in our neighborhoods, and our neighborhoods are in deep rapid decline.”
As youth violence continues to rise, Wharton’s administration said it will fight for their plan that includes spending $1,250,000 on adding another 500 kids to the Youth Ambassador Program, which builds and prepares teens for the future.
“This is a program that has not had a single child arrested. Eighty percent go on to post secondary school,” Little said.
Some council members aren’t impressed, suggesting the money should go towards rape kit testing instead.
“When you have a limited budget, you can’t fund everything,” councilman Jim Strickland said. “It was a budgetary choice, I think, focusing on the summer when crime is higher. Crime is higher in the summer when kids are out of school. That’s a better use of funds.”
“Even if you put more money into sexual assault kit testing, the lab can only test so many testing. more money does not mean more kits will get tested,” Little said.
The council is also talking about cutting the city’s Gun Down program, which tries to intervene and stop gun violence among young adults.
Little said it’s a huge success, and the city wants to expand it to other neighborhoods, but the grant funding it runs out at the end of this year.
Some council members want to cut the program by $62,000, which will eliminate an employee.
“I think the best Christmas gift we could give Memphis is a safe, secure city,” said Little.
Not all council members like Strickland are for Christmas lights.
Nothing discussed Tuesday, besides the summer programs, is finalized. The city will spend the next several months working out the budget.
