Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris rolled out his county budget Wednesday with a headline item for Highland Heights: funding to kick off a brand‑new school to replace the aging Treadwell K‑8 campus. The plan sets aside an initial $11.9 million for the project and pairs it with a proposed property tax rate of $2.66 per $100 of assessed value for the coming fiscal year, along with a 1% across‑the‑board raise for county employees.
Numbers and details
According to WREG, Harris’ presentation designates $11.9 million as the first round of money for design work and early construction on a replacement campus for Treadwell. The county’s certified property tax rate before the proposal stands at $2.69 per $100 of assessed value, per the Daily Memphian.
Why Treadwell is on the list
The Treadwell campus, which includes Treadwell Middle School, serves students in the Highland Heights area and is listed at 920 N. Highland Street in federal school directories, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The site remains a neighborhood anchor, even as district and county planners continue to single out older school facilities as candidates for replacement.
Budget tradeoffs and timeline
County needs‑assessment materials have repeatedly flagged Treadwell among the older school buildings that warrant capital investment, which helps explain the targeted allocation in Harris’ plan. Local reporting has also highlighted that Harris is prioritizing new schools and a hospital campus ahead of a new jail. Commissioners have until the end of June to decide what to do with the proposal before the new fiscal year begins July 1, according to the mayor’s presentation and local coverage of the budget calendar.
Mayor frames the plan
“This budget is lean and mean,” Harris said during his presentation, arguing that his administration found efficiencies that allow for a small tax rate adjustment while still putting money into priority projects. He pitched the modest raise for county employees and the focused capital spending as an attempt to balance relief for taxpayers with targeted investment in neighborhood infrastructure.
What comes next
The budget plan now heads to the Shelby County Commission for review, public hearings and potential amendments before a final vote. If commissioners adopt it, the budget would take effect with the new fiscal year on July 1. County materials and local reporting outline the commission’s schedule for budget deliberations and how residents can track hearings and votes.
