Paul Young is sworn in as the 65th mayor of Memphis with his wife, Dr. Jamila Smith-Young, and two children next to him on Jan. 1, 2024.
‘We are on a mission:’ Mayor Young says collective efforts will change city’s course
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Mayor-Elect Paul Young is now officially Memphis Mayor Paul Young.
An inauguration ceremony was held inside Downtown’s Renasant Convention Center on New Year’s Day.
In between musical celebrations, Young gave an impassioned speech about where the Bluff City is and where he pledged that it is headed.
He brought up the city’s pressing problem of widespread crime, repeatedly saying that the answers are not to come from one person, himself, but the collective leaders.
He referenced the Memphis City Council on stage after their swearing in ceremony.
He said “the time is now” for all the leaders to get on the same page and “step into a new chapter.”
“Our city, and our people are hurting. But we are Memphis, and our future depends on what we do now, it depends on our actions,” Young, the 65th Memphis mayor, said.
Young mentioned three specific actions he said he aims to do in his first 100 days in office, including:
- meet with community groups from each district to see what matters to them
- Meeting with Memphis Police leaders, the county district attorney, and activate special safety task force on crime
- Meet with business owners and faith leaders and listen to their concerns and then act.
“Collectively we are on a mission, a mission to save our city. It starts right now,” he said. “The past doesn’t matter, the future is all we are looing at.”
Young said while it won’t be easy to meet the city’s challenges, he is optimistic that it can become America’s safest and cleanest city, and one with the fastest-growing economy.
At one point during his speech he said the efforts were personal, mentioning his two children.
“The future of our young babies all we are thing about. And they are looking for leadership.”
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