Memphis City Council sets lobbyist disclosure referendum for Nov. 3, 2026 vote

The Memphis City Council has Referendum Ordinance No. 5977 on its July 7, 2026 agenda for second reading. If the charter-referendum measure advances and voters approve it, the ordinance would place a lobbyist registration and disclosure question before the public in the Nov. 3, 2026 State General Election.

What Referendum Ordinance No. 5977 would do

On the July 7 docket, the ordinance is described as a referendum ordinance that would amend the City’s Home Rule Charter to “establish lobbyist registration and disclosure requirements” and to submit the proposed referendum to qualified voters. It also states the charter amendment would take effect only if a majority of qualified voters approve the measure at the election.

The ordinance’s published ballot question would ask voters to amend the Home Rule Charter so the City Council—by ordinance—must create a lobbyist registration and disclosure process “to ensure transparency and accountability.”

Ballot question language

Shall the Home Rule Charter of the City of Memphis, Tennessee, be amended to require the Memphis City Council, by ordinance, to create a lobbyist registration and disclosure process to ensure transparency and accountability?

The ordinance reprint in the public notice lists the election as November 3, 2026.

What this could change for paid advocacy tied to City Hall

The ordinance’s “whereas” clauses say the measure is intended to support public transparency while recognizing First Amendment rights. They also say a lobbyist registration requirement would require lobbyists to register annually and file their state-mandated disclosure statements with the City of Memphis.

But the referendum itself is not a final set of day-to-day rules. The ordinance is structured so the City Council would have to create the process later through ordinances if voters approve the charter change.

Timeline: council consideration first, voter approval ultimately

• July 7, 2026: Referendum Ordinance No. 5977 is on the Memphis City Council agenda for second reading; the agenda posting lists “No Recommendation.”
• Nov. 3, 2026: The election date specified in the ordinance’s public notice.
• Effective date if approved: The ordinance says the charter amendment would take effect for the purposes set forth 60 days after approval by a majority of the qualified voters voting thereon.
• After adoption: The published ordinance directs the Comptroller to deliver/certify steps related to placing the amendment on the ballot and to receive certification of results from the Shelby County Election Commission. It also authorizes the Mayor to appropriate a sum sufficient to pay ballot-inclusion costs and the cost of seeking a declaratory judgment about enforceability if voters approve.

What residents and organizations can do now

• Read the exact ballot question wording tied to Referendum Ordinance No. 5977 and decide whether more lobbyist registration/disclosure is the right approach for Memphis.
• If your organization uses paid advocates to engage with City decision-makers, consider how an eventual registration/disclosure process could affect your internal tracking and public documentation—if voters approve the charter amendment.

Sources

• Daily Memphian: Agenda for the July 7, 2026 City Council Meeting
• City of Memphis: City Council Meeting Agenda hub
• Memphis Daily News (Public Notices): Referendum Ordinance No. 5977 notice/reprint