Financial trustworthiness: the Trustee is the county's banker and custodian of tax revenue, handling several hundred million dollars of property-tax collections annually for Shelby County.
Working knowledge of Tennessee property-tax law, including tax-relief programs for seniors, disabled residents, and veterans, plus the city/county dual collection structure for Memphis-area taxpayers.
Investment and cash-management competence for county funds under state-law constraints.
Monthly settlement and reporting discipline (collections settle by the 10th of each month).
Accessible customer service for taxpayers paying bills, disputing assessments, or seeking relief; ability to administer a large, partly-online operation.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.