The budget is a moral document

Why is your park still closed?
Where did your tax money go?

Memphis and Shelby County spend over $2 billion of your money every year. These tools help you understand where it goes — and what you can do about it.

Try the Budget Simulator Budget 101 — Start Here
$100M Challenge My Property Tax How to Take Action
$875M
City of Memphis
Annual Budget
$1.4B
Shelby County
Annual Budget
9
City Council
Districts
13
County Commission
Districts

Interactive Tools to Empower Residents

Explore how your tax dollars are used and voice your priorities

Budget Simulator

Compare your budget priorities with current spending and see the impact of your choices.

Start Budgeting

Tax Calculator

Calculate your property tax based on home value and explore how tax changes impact you.

Calculate Now

Tax Rate Simulator

See how changes to property tax rates impact revenue and what that funding could provide.

Simulate Rates

Budget Review

Explore budget trends across departments and fiscal years with interactive data tables.

Review Budgets

Information Hub

Access educational resources about Memphis and Shelby County budgets and tax systems.

Learn More

Community Voice

See how Memphis & Shelby County residents collectively say they'd spend the budget — aggregated from real priorities.

See the Data
$875M
Memphis City Budget (FY2026)
$1.4B
Shelby County Budget (FY2025)
$2.71
City Tax Rate (per $100)
$3.45
County Tax Rate (per $100)

About This Tool

The Memphis & Shelby County Budget Explorer is an educational initiative from the Moral Budget Coalition.

Our goal is to make complex budget and tax information accessible to all residents, enabling more informed community participation in local government decisions.

Through interactive visualizations and simplified explanations, we help you understand:

  • How your tax dollars are currently allocated
  • How property taxes work and impact different communities
  • What funding could provide for community priorities
  • How to advocate for a budget that reflects community needs
About the Coalition

Why Budgets Matter

"Budgets are not simply financial documents; they are moral documents that reflect our values and priorities as a community."

Moral Budget Coalition

The way we allocate public resources determines what services are available, which neighborhoods receive investment, and how we address community needs.

By understanding how budgets work and engaging in the process, residents can help shape a city and county that works for everyone.

Ready to explore your local budget?

Start with our budget simulator to see how tax dollars are spent and compare with your own priorities.

Get Started