Shelby County Mayor
Wharton is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets."
Wharton initiated Operation Safe Community and developed a program to connect prisoners with the skills to succeed in life and to support their families. He increased funding for the drug court. He is credited with working to toughen gun laws and seeking passage of laws that make criminals pay into a special program to help victims.
Wharton improved the management and accountability of the County's Head Start program. His reforms attracted the attention of the United States Congress, where he was called to testify before the House Committee on Education, with many of his subsequent recommendations being translated into changes to public policy. In the way of early childhood development, he also was a strong advocate "Books from Birth," a unique early-childhood education program which provides books for over 28,000 children in Memphis and Shelby County every year.
Between 2008 and 2009, Wharton convened and led the community wide effort which led to the drafting of Sustainable Shelby, an environmentally sustainable agenda for the county.
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