Mayor Lee Harris' Update on New Health Department Director Dr. Michelle Taylor

Every day dealing with COVID-19 is more political than the last. Our Health Department employees have been harassed and threatened.

The politicization of the pandemic has been a dangerous trend here and around the country, as we continue to battle COVID-19...

Mayor Lee Harris’ Update on Ongoing Mental Health Reform Slate

Over the course of many months, we have instituted a growing slate of mental health reforms to better the lives of Shelby County residents and our county employees.

As has been stated many times before, the coronavirus pandemic brought to the fore the some...

Mayor Lee Harris’ Update on the 2021 Mayor's Summer Work Experience Program

This week it was my privilege to welcome some of Shelby County’s best and brightest young people for the first day of our 2021 Mayor's Summer Work Experience program.

It’s an opportunity for participants to work a paying summer job and learn about Shelby C...

Mayor Lee Harris’ Update on COVID Vaccines for Sick and Shut-in Senior Citizens

With summer just a few weeks away, Shelby County and our nation seem well on the road toward a return to normalcy.

But as eager as we are to get back to our lives before the coronavirus pandemic, it is critical that we continue to make progress getting She...

Mayor Lee Harris’ Update on the Safe Leave Policy for Shelby County Employees

Last year my administration enacted a new Shelby County paid parental leave policy for employees whose families welcomed a new addition.

Unfortunately, there are other, less joyous circumstances that arise and force employees to be away from work.

Recently,...

Mayor Lee Harris’ Update on what CDC Changes Mean for Shelby County

The message last week was simple and profound: If you’re vaccinated, you’re safe. No masks, no social distancing.

That was the announcement a few days ago from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and President Joe Biden. Our ...

Mayor Lee Harris' Update on Local Oil Pipeline Legislation

This week we acknowledge a step forward in the protection of Shelby County neighborhoods and our valuable water resources from oil pipelines and the potential damage they can spawn.

On Monday, the Shelby County Commission approved in the first of three rea...

Mayor Lee Harris' Update on the Shelby County Community Gardens

Last year, when we made the decision to reestablish the Shelby County Community Gardens, the coronavirus had not yet touched our community and social distancing was not even in our vocabulary.

The intent then was to provide a free outdoor space for residen...

Mayor Lee Harris’ update on Removing Barriers to Mental Health Care for Shelby County Residents

My administration’s work toward better mental health care outcomes for our community has taken another step forward.

On Monday the Shelby County Commission approved a contract with Alliance Healthcare Services, a mental healthcare provider, that ...