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A Last Chance Budget for Memphis?

City of Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee State Comptroller Justin Wilson is telling Memphis officials that their next budget may be the last clear chance the city has to determine its own future.

Wilson tells the Commercial Appeal that he’s getting full cooperation from the city administration and what he called "good, fair, hard questions" from the council. He says he believes council members will make good choices themselves to balance the budget.

Mayor A C Wharton, the Comptroller and members of the City Council all say they expect the city’s long-running fiscal challenges to be addressed as the next fiscal budget is finalized.

One of the ways the Wharton Administration hopes to trim the budget is by privatizing garbage collection. Sanitation workers are fighting the move, saying it could result in job cuts of more than 500 workers.