Q&A: Memphis City Council Super District 8, Position 3 candidates talk priorities, experience
The race is packed for the open seat on the Memphis City Council representing Super District 8, Position 3.
The seat is currently held by Council Chairman Martavius Jones, who is ending his time on the council due to term limits. Seven candidates are vying for the seat.
All but two seats on the Memphis City Council are contested in this year's election, scheduled for Oct. 5 with early voting running from Sept. 15 through Sept. 30.
The Commercial Appeal reached out to each candidate running for City Council to ask for written answers to questions about background and priorities if elected.
To read responses from candidates for other City Council districts, click here.
To see a full list of all the candidates who qualified for the upcoming Memphis Municipal Election, click here.
Responses have been edited for length and AP style.
Berlin Boyd
Q: What is your background and any experience relevant to this elected office?A: I’m a third-generation Memphis and previous Memphis City Councilman. I was Chairman of the Council for two years and have 20+ years of community leadership experience.
Q: Why are you running for this position?A: I am running to come back to fight for our city. I have the proven track record to ensure we have better law enforcement and crime-fighting tactics.
Q: What would three of your top priorities be for your district if elected?A:
Crime
Infrastructure
Blight
Q: What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing Memphis?
A: MLGW ― we must invest in our utilities infrastructure. It’s no longer acceptable to allow our rate-paying citizens to be in the dark whenever we are faced with a storm.
Lucille Catron
Catron did not respond to emails inviting participation in this Q&A.
Yolanda Cooper-Sutton
Q: What is your background and any experience relevant to this elected office?A: My professional career and community service in Memphis for the past 25 years have prepared me to be elected to Position 3, Super District 8. I am a former business owner/entrepreneur for over 17 years, a former community coordinator of a major corporation responsible for identifying/distributing resources to under-served communities, a current patient health care advocate for a health care agency and a volunteer (past and present) for various Memphis community organizations.
Q: Why are you running for this position?A: I am campaigning for this position because a vacancy will exist when the existing Super District 8, Position 3 commissioner’s 2nd term expires, which will be a changing of the guard and a passing of the mantle. I am prepared, willing, and ready to carry the torch and provide BOLD, PROGRESSIVE, RESPONSIBLE AND INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP that Super District 8 needs and deserves for the unusual times in which we are living.
Q: What would three of your top priorities be for your district if elected?A: (1)Begin to reduce crime and gun violence by declaring them both to be public health epidemics and collaborating with all elected government officials and community leaders to implement solutions; (2) Improve and upgrade the utility infrastructure under MLGW to address the extreme weather caused by climate change facing Memphis and improve and upgrade internet service and connectivity in neglected neighborhoods; and (3) Begin to reduce poverty by reallocating Memphis’s resources more equitably (e.g. building more community centers for our youth, etc.).
Q: What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing Memphis?A: The greatest challenges facing Memphis are many: reducing and eradicating poverty and the exploitation of the poor and marginalized people, crime reduction, stopping the proliferation of guns and gun violence, improving public safety and public transportation, providing better internet and internet connectivity in under-served neighborhoods, building more affordable housing and quality public housing for low-income families, improving the public schools, reducing the food deserts in poor neighborhoods and addressing the trash/litter problem.
Brian Harris
Q: What is your background and any experience relevant to this elected office?A: I am a native Memphian who grew up in Southwest Memphis (Westwood) and attended legacy Memphis City Schools K-12. I am a proud graduate of Overton High School. I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership from Bethel University. I received my Executive Master of Business Administration Summa Cum Laude (4.0) from Bethel University in May 2023. I have 23 years senior executive leadership experience with Fortune 500 companies such as Apple Incorporated, Amazon and Best Buy, where I was responsible for leading teams and operational budgets in excess of $600 million.
Q: Why are you running for this position?A: I am running for Memphis City Council Super District 8-3 because I love the City of Memphis. I am a native son who has remained in Memphis all of my life. I am a son, a brother, a father, a mentor, a leader and a change agent. I have the experience and transferrable skill set in business, education, finance and more importantly the receipts for serving people in every segment of the city from our children, our youth, our elderly and those in need. We need and deserve inclusive leadership that will ensure that every citizen, be it rich or poor, Black or white, gay or straight has a seat at the table. Brian Harris is all about Memphis and is committed to building strong families and thriving communities.
Q: What would three of your top priorities be for your district if elected?A: Poverty reduction and economic development within the nineteen zip codes in the district, youth advocacy and programming and public safety.
Q: What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing Memphis?A: In my opinion, the greatest challenges facing Memphis are socioeconomic inequalities which encompass poverty, educational disparities, household income gaps and high crime rates.
Damon Curry Morris
Q: What is your background and any experience relevant to this elected office?A: I am a lifelong Memphian who has been involved in all aspects of this city. As a former educator and activist, the experience that I carry for this position is my vast connections to the community and the boots-on-the-ground work I have done for over 25 years. Things such as youth programs, fighting homelessness and advocacy for the disabled.
Q: Why are you running for this position?A: I am running for this position because the people feel that their voice has been silenced in the last few years as part of decision-making processes as services diminish. The people want someone who will be a strong voice and a listening ear to their needs. I will be that person.
Q: What would three of your top priorities be for your district if elected?A: Three of my top priorities for the district, if elected, would be poverty, youth development and education.
Q: What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing Memphis?A: One of the biggest challenges facing Memphis is poverty. This is tied to every aspect of this city. If this is not tackled first, we cannot progress this city forward. Even though Memphis is out the business of education, should it be? We must prepare for the future and that comes through education.
Jerred Price
Q: What is your background and any experience relevant to this elected office? A: My background starts in the housing projects of Arkansas and being raised by a single mother. I knew early on, if I wanted to achieve great things, I would have to work hard. After working in retail & insurance for many years, I am now a small business entrepreneur who owns a roofing and remodeling company. I have a wide-ranging background from community organizing to serving the community on several different boards and working with multiple organizations.
Q: Why are you running for this position?A: Simple, I want to continue serving my city. I am a proven community servant, with proven results for the people. I am honored to have been endorsed by more community leaders and elected officials than any other candidate in my race and have raised more money than any other campaign. After serving two years as president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association and four years as Memphis City Beautiful Commissioner, I am now ready for my next chapter of service: YOUR NEXT COUNCILMAN!
Q: What would three of your top priorities be for your district if elected?A: Simple: safety/crime, economic development and investing in communities who need it most. For far too long, we have seen certain neighborhoods reap all the benefits of growth and investments, while others have been left in the dark. Let’s change that. Metaphorically speaking, if Memphis was a boat, and the back and front of the boat are doing fine, but the middle has a hole in the floor, the whole boat will eventually sink.
Q: What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing Memphis? A: Crime, education and investing in PEOPLE! Let’s focus on community policing and growing the connection between our police and the people of our communities: TRUST is a MUST. With trust, the communities can assist in helping identify criminals and crime hot spots. But we need to ensure that repeat violent offenders are not released to pose further danger to our citizens. Let’s also invest more funding into after-school youth programs & keep our community centers open longer in the summer for the kiddos.
Paul Randolph Jr.
Q: What is your background and any experience relevant to this elected office? A: I’m a physician specializing in OBGYN for 28 years. I’m the sole proprietor for Randolph Women’s Center on S. Parkway E., which I started alongside my father Dr. Paul Randolph Sr. in 1995 and have managed the practice since his passing. I have experience in business and management. I have served the south Memphis community and surrounding as an OBGYN. I would like to do more for my community and serve in a different capacity.
Q: Why are you running for this position?A: I decided to run for city councilman because I want to be more active in the community and help to improve the current situation in the City of Memphis. I have retired and will now have more time to be involved.
Q: What would three of your top priorities be for your district if elected?A:1) Crime. Stop focusing on more police and start addressing the root of the problem.2) Address the food desert in South Memphis.3) Affordable housing and improve economic status for working families.
Q: What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing Memphis?A: Public safety and crime.
Katherine Burgess covers government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis City Council Super District 8, Position 3 candidates on top issues
