Public Works seeks $16 million for FY26 paving to add 31 lane miles; city still far from recommended resurfacing cycle

Scott Morgan, director of the City of Memphis Division of Public Works, told the budget committee on May 7 that the department's FY26 operating budget is flat but the capital request includes a $16 million paving appropriation that would add about 31 lane miles.

"This year the request is 16,000,000, which will get us an extra 31 lane miles for FY '26," Morgan said during his presentation.

Morgan and committee members discussed the city's street inventory and condition. Public Works said the city maintains about 6,700 lane miles; with current funding the resurfacing cycle is "about a 45 year cycle," Morgan said, while the professional target would be closer to 25 years. Staff described a 2023 condition assessment using a vendor (RAS) that scored every street segment; about 23% of street segments were assessed as fair to poor and prioritized for reinvestment.

Morgan said FY26 will program a $6.5 million mid‑year transfer into Public Works for asphalt paving that was approved by resolution in FY25; the department is also coordinating with Engineering and external utilities to reduce repeat street cuts after paving. He noted the city operates its own asphalt plant and that short‑term capital investment in the plant is likely needed to stabilize production cycles.

Council members raised concerns about pothole response times and coordinated repairs following utility cuts. Morgan said crews average roughly 2.2 days from notification to fill potholes and that the city reported about 53,000 pothole fills in the fiscal year through April 21. The committee asked for an executive summary of the street condition assessment and more detail about the paving prioritization list.

No formal vote occurred; the presentation was an operational briefing ahead of later budget decisions.