Find out where Shelby County candidates stand on key issues like housing, mobility, and more

What’s happening: Earlier this month, we brought you the story of BLDG Memphis and their mission to provide answers to Memphians’ most pressing questions when it comes to the Shelby County general election, which is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 4. The BLDG Memphis 2022 Municipal & State Election Candidate Questionnaire was sent to the candidates and now their answers have been posted to the BLDG Memphis website. Voters now have a record as to where each candidate stands — well, at least those candidates that responded to the questionnaire.

Who’s behind it: The BLDG Memphis 2022 Municipal & State Election Candidate Questionnaire was created by BLDG Memphis; the organization’s special partners, which include Frayser CDC, LISC Memphis, MICAH Memphis, and NAACP Memphis; and the 25 CDCs that make up the BLDG Memphis coalition.

[Read ‘It’s about information’: Community-driven questionnaires sent to Shelby County candidates on High Ground News.]

Who got it: The questionnaire was sent to the candidates for the offices of County Mayor, Assessor, Trustee, Environmental Court Judge, and all County Commission positions throughout Shelby County. Within, candidates are asked their positions on addressing issues of neighborhood equity and social justice, housing, mobility and public safety, blight, public transit, and solid waste.

Deveney Perry, BLDG Memphis Executive DirectorWhy it’s important: “A lot of our work centers around making investments in neighborhoods that we support, which are mostly distressed neighborhoods that have been historically disinvested and under-resourced,” Deveney Perry, executive director of BLDG Memphis, told High Ground earlier this month. “So our questionnaire is really wanting to understand those who are running for public office: How will you prioritize and support neighborhood issues? And our questionnaire is categorized around some of the key neighborhood issues that we seek to address through the community building industry.”

Where to see it: Click HERE to see the 2022 BLDG Memphis Candidate Questionnaire - Legislative Office Responses. And click HERE to see the 2022 BLDG Memphis Candidate Questionnaire - Executive Office Responses.



What’s next: Candidates will have the chance to further explain their positions at the BLDG Memphis Community Development Candidate Forum, which is scheduled for Tuesday, July 19, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Benjamin Hooks Library. The nonpartisan forum invites all candidates to attend and address the community and is free and open to the public.

The Shelby County general election and state and federal primaries will be held on Thursday, Aug. 4. Information about the candidates, absentee ballot requests, and polling times and locations can be found on the Shelby County Election Commission website, which is available online here.
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