The Memphis City Council on Dec. 16 approved a series of funding measures to support parks, public safety and community nonprofits, council leaders said in a post-meeting recap.

Council leaders said the council voted to accept more than $630,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice to support Memphis Police Department efforts to reduce violent crime. The council also passed a resolution allocating more than $3,900,000 for phase two of the Bellevue Tennis Center project, which includes design work for improvements at Jesse Turner Park Campus and the Audubon Park Golf Clubhouse.

A separate resolution approved the appropriation of more than $2,100,000 in Accelerate Memphis funds to 10 Memphis Parks projects, Swearingen Washington said. The council additionally approved $2,600,000 in city council community grant funds to local nonprofit organizations to support work addressing crime, poverty and youth empowerment.

Ford Canale, the council chairman who gave the recap, announced a 2% raise for all Memphis Fire Department employees. Council leaders said the council also appropriated more than $1,900,000 to add locker-room facilities for female firefighters.

Council members also noted a Budget & Audit Committee resolution to allocate $730,000 to four Memphis Parks projects and said the council held an executive-session presentation from the Tennessee Golf Foundation; the recap did not include further detail on that presentation.

Council statements in the recap listed the approvals and funding amounts but did not include vote tallies, mover/second records or implementation timelines in the excerpt provided.

Votes at a glance

• Accept DOJ grant for MPD: more than $630,000 — outcome: accepted (vote tally not specified).

• Bellevue Tennis Center Phase 2: more than $3,900,000 — outcome: passed (vote tally not specified).

• Accelerate Memphis to 10 parks: more than $2,100,000 — outcome: approved (vote tally not specified).

• Budget & Audit parks allocation: $730,000 to four parks — outcome: proposed/presented (action noted in committee recap; vote details not specified).

• Fire Department raise: 2% across department — outcome: announced as approved (vote details not specified).

• Locker-room funding for female firefighters: more than $1,900,000 — outcome: appropriated (vote tally not specified).

• City council community grants: $2,600,000 — outcome: approved (vote tally not specified).

What council members said

Jana Swearingen Washington, chairwoman-elect, said the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee heard an update from the Memphis Police Department and that "crime is still down in all categories." Ford Canale thanked nonprofit partners and highlighted the council's investments in public safety and parks.

What’s next

Council statements included project timelines when available: Ford Canale said the Elvis Presley Boulevard improvement project’s first phase is complete and the overall project is expected to finish in 2027. The recap did not include implementation dates or reporting schedules for the newly approved appropriations. The council announced its next meeting for Jan. 13, 2026.