For now, Memphis City Council members have more questions than consensus about which end is up on the proposed city budget for the fiscal year that is three weeks away.

Beyond the questions awaits a significant difference of opinion among council members about the general direction city finances should take with the new fiscal year and beyond.

2. Police Budget Passes Early Council Test - Thursday, May 09, 2013

The Memphis City Council’s budget committee approved the largest budget for any single city division Tuesday, May 7.

But the committee debate before the vote set the stage for what is expected to be more discussion about how much the Memphis Police Department needs to protect and serve.

3. Questions Kick Off City Budget Hearings - Thursday, April 25, 2013

Memphis City Council members opened budget committee hearings Tuesday, April 23, on the clock and with lots of questions about what seemed to some like different budget numbers from last year at this time by the administration of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.

4. CBU Names Sumner-Winter Director of Stewardship - Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Wendy Sumner-Winter has been appointed director of stewardship and donor engagement at Christian Brothers University. In the newly created position, Sumner-Winter will oversee planning, strategy development and implementation of initiatives to increase communication and connections with the CBU community, including donors, alumni and friends.

5. City Council Approves Hickory Hill Intermodal Yard - Saturday, February 23, 2013

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday, Feb. 19, a 30-acre intermodal container yard in Hickory Hill for the storage of the containers by The Marino Group/Container Maintenance Corp., which is working with Chism-Hardy Enterprises LLC on the new facility that will employ 94 people.

6. City Council Approves Hickory Hill Intermodal Yard - Thursday, February 21, 2013

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday, Feb. 19, a 30-acre intermodal container yard in Hickory Hill for the storage of the containers by The Marino Group/Container Maintenance Corp., which is working with Chism-Hardy Enterprises LLC on the new facility that will employ 94 people.

7. City Council Approves Fairgrounds TDZ Request - Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, Feb. 19, plans for a tourism development zone to capture sales tax revenue in a large area for a renovation of the Fairgrounds property at first.

The boundaries of the zone go to the state for approval and city Community and Housing Development division director Robert Lipscomb said such a proposal could be at the state building commission in Nashville in April.

8. Council Approves Property Tax Collection Merger - Thursday, December 20, 2012

Timing did what decades of offers and counter-offers couldn’t do when it came to changing who collects current and delinquent property taxes for Memphis.

The City Council approved Tuesday, Dec. 18, an interlocal agreement for Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir to collect property taxes for the city.

9. Council Reconsiders Golf Course Closings - Thursday, December 06, 2012

Four city golf courses were scheduled to close for the winter season on Dec. 1, with one of the four – Whitehaven – to close permanently.

That was the decision the Memphis City Council made last spring as it set the city budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.

10. Council Debates Golf Courses Fate - Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Four golf courses owned and run by the city of Memphis are closed for the winter season as the Memphis City Council continues to debate the fate of the Whitehaven golf course, one of the four, which was to be closed permanently starting this month.

11. Lease Brings New Breed Footprint to 3 Million Feet - Friday, October 12, 2012

New Breed Inc. is enhancing its Memphis operations with a new distribution warehouse lease in the Southeast industrial submarket.

12. City Council Mulls Future of Whitehaven Golf Course - Thursday, October 04, 2012

Memphis City Council members will take a second look at plans to close the Links of Whitehaven city golf course in November.

City Parks and Neighborhood director Janet Hooks told council members last month that Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s administration wants to instead close the Davy Crockett city golf course in Frayser despite council approval this past spring to close the nine-hole Whitehaven golf course.

13. Pera's Name Placed on Forum Lease - Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Memphis City Council Tuesday, Sept. 18, approved adding the name of the new owner of the Memphis Grizzlies basketball franchise to the lease on FedExForum.

The city and county own FedExForum and the NBA franchise leases the forum from both local governments.

14. Council Delays Anti-Discrimination Vote For Legal Opinions - Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The Memphis City Council amended an anti-discrimination ordinance covering city government to include banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.

But the council then delayed a vote on the ordinance for a month after the city attorney and the council’s attorney raised questions about whether the addition amounts to a change in the city charter.

15. Evans Joins American Esoteric as Vice President - Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Dr. Jess Evans has joined American Esoteric Laboratories as vice president of technical operations. In his new role, Evans is responsible for instrumentation, personnel, operational performance and quality assurance for the Memphis laboratory.

16. Council Approves Cut of City Funding For Vehicle Inspections - Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Memphis City Council members voted Tuesday, Aug. 21, to end city funding for vehicle inspections at the end of June 2013.

The 10-2 council vote followed months of discussion among council members about Shelby County government or the state of Tennessee assuming responsibility for the car and truck inspections.

17. Council OKs Chisca Funding - Thursday, August 09, 2012

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday, Aug. 7, sending $2 million in city funding to the Center City Development Corp. for blight remediation at the Chisca Hotel on South Main Street.

18. Proposed Gas Tax Advances to November Memphis Ballot - Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Memphis City Council members gave final approval Tuesday, Aug. 7, to a second ballot question for the Nov. 6 ballot in Memphis.

On an 8-3 vote, the council approved on third and final reading the referendum ordinance that puts a one-cent-a-gallon local gas tax to Memphis voters. The same ballot will also include a referendum on a proposed half percent local sales tax hike the council approved in July.

19. Hoover Joins Agape As Director of Development - Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Brian Hoover has joined Agape Child & Family Services as director of development. In his new role, Hoover will be responsible for leading Agape’s development efforts, such as fundraising and special events. He will also oversee the organization’s marketing, public relations and volunteer initiatives.

20. Council Lowers Property Tax Rate, Approves $609M Budget - Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Memphis City Council members approved a $3.11 city property tax rate Tuesday, June 5, to fund a city operating budget of $609,802,357 and Memphis City Schools to the tune of $64,819,307.

The split council vote came nearly 14 hours after the council’s day started at City Hall with a budget committee session in which the basic elements of the ultimate budget compromise were mapped out before noon.

21. Executive Coach Burtch Earns Int’l Designation - Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Bill Burtch, founder and president of full-service management consultancy firm Harmony Coaching & Consulting, has received the Professional Certified Coach designation from the International Coach Federation, becoming the second PCC in Memphis. Burtch, who also holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources designation, focuses his consulting work in executive/team coaching, professional development training and human resources consulting.

22. Tax Hike At Center Of Budget Debate - Thursday, April 19, 2012

Even as he made his case for a 47-cent property tax hike Tuesday, April 17, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. outlined alternatives to the full tax hike.

“This is a product in progress,” he said after his annual budget address.

23. Wharton Budget Plan Includes Alternatives To 47 Cent Tax Hike - Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. took a $628.3 million city operating budget proposal Tuesday, April 17 to the Memphis City Council with a 47-cent property tax hike proposed to meet the city’s obligation to fund Memphis City Schools.

24. Council Rejects 18 Cent Property Tax Hike - Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Memphis City Council members voted Tuesday, March 20, to reject a one-time, 18-cent property tax hike to mop up an estimated $13 million in red ink for the current fiscal year.

Instead the council voted to use $10 million from the city’s reserve fund and cut $3.2 million in the existing budget including money for a voluntary buyout program of some sanitation workers that the Wharton administration has yet to activate.

25. A Few Simple Rules For ‘Brown-Bagging’ - Monday, March 19, 2012

We don’t hear the term “brown-bagging” much now. It was a holdover from the time when the city of Memphis did not allow liquor by the drink in restaurants, so if patrons wanted a cocktail, they had to bring their own liquor to the restaurant, often inside a brown paper bag, and pay for set-ups. The city did not rescind that ordinance until 1972.

26. Chamberlain Joins MBI - Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Jessica Chamberlain has joined MBI as a workspace consultant.

Hometown: Arlington, Tenn.

27. Council Weighs In on Electrolux Incentives - Thursday, January 05, 2012

Some Memphis City Council members want to at least slow the appropriation of local government funding to Electrolux North America Cooking Products if the company isn’t more responsive to hiring local for the construction of its Memphis manufacturing plant.

28. ‘Santa Claus’ Makes 100th Visit to Kids at St. Jude - Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis celebrated Christmas in the lobby of the Chili’s Care Center Monday, Dec. 19, with crafts, holiday treats and a special visit from Old St. Nick.

29. Airport CEO Larry Cox to Head Chamber Board - Thursday, December 01, 2011

The Greater Memphis Chamber has a new chairman of the board. Larry Cox, president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, has been elected by the chamber board to succeed former Smith & Nephew executive Joe DeVivo.

30. Airport CEO Larry Cox to Head Chamber Board - Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Greater Memphis Chamber has a new chairman of the board.

Larry Cox, president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, has been elected by the chamber board to succeed former Smith & Nephew executive Joe DeVivo. DeVivo now works for Albany, N.Y.-based medical device provider AngioDynamics.

31. Crystal Awards to Honor Memphis Philanthropists - Thursday, November 24, 2011

The 2011 Crystal Awards luncheon, honoring individuals, businesses and organizations for their outstanding philanthropic efforts in the greater Memphis community, will be held Tuesday, Nov. 29, at the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave.

32. Senators Offer Plan to Keep Postal Service Solvent - Thursday, November 03, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senators announced a bipartisan plan Wednesday to help keep the financially ailing Postal Service solvent and continue six-day mail delivery for at least two more years.

33. Uptown Phase Two Gets Go Ahead - Wednesday, October 19, 2011

After several delays, phase two of the plan for Uptown development cleared the Shelby County Commission Monday, Oct. 17.

But only after the commissioner whose district includes Uptown tried to shift the emphasis from continued development south of Chelsea Avenue moving west to new development north of Chelsea.

34. Council Holds First Post-Election Meeting - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

At their first set of meetings since the Oct. 6 city elections, Memphis City Council members take up some of the issues that surfaced in the campaigns while others have been delayed.

The Tuesday, Oct. 14, council session begins at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall, 125 N. Main St.

35. Wharton, Fullilove & Conrad Re-Elected -- Harris-Ford to Runoff - Friday, October 07, 2011
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. won a full four-year term of office as mayor Thursday, Oct. 6, two years after he claimed the mayor’s office in a special election.

And all 12 of the Memphis City Council members seeking re-election won new four year terms in the city election cycle, marking the largest return of incumbents to the 13-member council in the 43-year history of the mayor-council form of government.

36. Fate of Ramesses Statue Still Hangs in Balance - Thursday, October 06, 2011

The fate of the Ramesses statue outside The Pyramid was delayed for another two weeks at City Hall as a Memphis City Council member again derailed the effort to move the monolith to the University of Memphis campus.

37. Taking a Stand - Thursday, October 06, 2011

Memphis City Council members are going for a record return of incumbents to the legislative body with the Thursday, Oct. 6, city elections.

And Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. is running for a percentage of votes that will give a mandate to his drive to move the city’s political mindset away from personalities and confrontation.

38. Council Considers Pyramid’s Ramesses - Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Now that the city of Memphis has issued a bid request to start demolition of the interior of The Pyramid, the Memphis City Council is revisiting the fate of the Ramesses statue outside The Pyramid.

39. CA Moves Forward With Pay Wall - Monday, September 26, 2011

The E.W. Scripps Co. has selected its largest-circulation newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, as a guinea pig market for a paid digital content plan.

40. Vote for Me - Monday, September 12, 2011

Four years after the biggest turnover on the Memphis City Council, the Oct. 6 city elections could see the biggest return of incumbents ever on the council. Early voting begins Friday, Sept. 16.

Twelve of the 13 incumbents are seeking re-election. It would have been 13 had Barbara Swearengen Ware not taken a plea deal on an official misconduct charge.

41. Biden Calls for New Clean Energy Policy for US - Wednesday, August 31, 2011

LAS VEGAS (AP) – The United States can't lead the world in the 21st century with its current energy policy, Vice President Joe Biden told alternative technology supporters Tuesday at a clean energy summit in Las Vegas.

42. Let There Be Light - Monday, August 29, 2011

This fall, a group of 1,000 Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division customers move deeper into a three-year, futuristic-sounding “Smart Grid” test project that began this past January.

They volunteered last year to get new automated meters for their homes, and half of them got a wireless digital counter top readout for inside their homes that allows them to watch their electricity usage. With a computer dashboard readout they can also follow trends for energy usage over time, and the device even suggests scenarios for cutting costs.

43. New Uptown Financing Clears City Council - Thursday, August 04, 2011

After weeks of delay, the Memphis City Council this week approved two resolutions that create the financing for the next round of development in the Uptown area including the Uptown West area north of The Pyramid by the Wolf River and the Wolf River Harbor.

44. Council to Approve Schools Budget - Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Memphis City Council members meet Tuesday, Aug. 2, to approve a budget for Memphis City Schools that is expected to include a monthly payment plan to cover $68.4 million in city funding.

Passage of the item on the regular council agenda would end a funding standoff between City Hall and Memphis City Schools that threatened to delay the Aug. 8 start of classes for the 2011-2012 school year.

45. Budget Redux - Monday, August 01, 2011

Every July 1, the city’s budget deliberations are supposed to be over and the fiscal year should be under way.

Even when that happens, which is most of the time, there is an understanding that the budget is a plan that may change because of conditions that cause Memphis to spend more than it planned or for revenues to fluctuate. But items like how much to pay city employees are always set in stone. Except this year.

46. 4 Council Members - All 3 City Court Judges To Run Unopposed In Oct. Elections - Friday, July 22, 2011

Four incumbent Memphis City Council members and all three incumbent City Court Judges were effectively re-elected at the Thursday, July 21, noon deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions for the Oct. 6 Memphis ballot.

47. Council Approves Redistricting Plan - Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Memphis City Council members approved a redistricting plan for the council just two days before the filing deadline for the Oct. 6 city elections.

All 13 city council seats are on the ballot as well as citywide races for Memphis Mayor, City Court Clerk and the three city court judges.

48. Budget Issues Resurface at City Council - Thursday, July 07, 2011

The Memphis City Council this week ventured back into the just closed budget season via a city charter amendment for the November 2012 ballot.

A referendum ordinance by council member Kemp Conrad and council chairman Myron Lowery would require the city administration to submit a five-year operating budget plan to the council along with a five- to 10-year capital improvements budget plan and consolidate the two budgets into one presentation.

49. City Council Still Debating Budget Decision - Wednesday, July 06, 2011

In some ways, the city budget season isn’t over just yet.

Memphis City Council member Joe Brown moved Tuesday, July 5, to reverse an effective 4.6 percent pay cut for city employees through 12 unpaid furlough days.

50. Council Races Slow to Develop - Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Only two weeks remain before the qualifying deadline for candidates on the Oct. 6 Memphis election ballot, but there aren’t very many names on the ballot so far – just 13.

Yet there are many more qualifying petitions still making the rounds in several city council districts.

51. Pieces of the Puzzle - Monday, June 27, 2011

Memphis City Council members left the city property tax rate at $3.19 Tuesday, June 21, as they ended their budget season.

But they added 18 cents to the tax rate on a one time basis with a separate resolution.

52. City Council Rejects 18-Cent Property Tax Hike - Wednesday, June 08, 2011

The city of Memphis operating budget for the fiscal year to come July 1 is $11 million from being balanced.

The Memphis City Council voted on a series of 16 budget amendments Tuesday, June 7 in a marathon council session that began at 9 a.m. with the budget committee and ended shortly after 10 p.m.

53. Conrad’s City Budget Plan Offers Balance - Friday, June 03, 2011

At week’s end, Memphis City Council members and Shelby County commissioners were each moving toward final votes next week on budgets for both local governments.

And each body is debating whether to do what’s necessary to balance their respective budgets before the July 1 start of the new fiscal year or to dig deeper for long-term shifts in the scope of their governments.

54. Grubb & Ellis Survives, Prospers in Economy - Monday, May 30, 2011

Like everybody else in the real estate business, the last 36 months or so have been trying times for Grubb & Ellis Co. Memphis, a commercial realty firm that splits its business between leasing/management and sales.

55. Special Coverage: Mid-South Flooding - Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Coverage of the rising waters in the Memphis area

Police Manually Checking Memphis River Gauge

The gauge that is the official measurement of the Mississippi River at Memphis has been on the blink since last week as the river has approached historic levels.

56. Council to Consider Sewer Fee, Postponing Layoffs - Tuesday, May 03, 2011

A voting majority of Memphis City Council members seem to have reached an early agreement on lowering the city sewer fee.

At a 10 a.m. council committee session Tuesday, council members will discuss the proposed ordinance sponsored by eight of the 12 council members to cut the maximum monthly residential sanitary sewer fee from $50 to $25.

57. Budget Decisions to Yield ‘Good’ or ‘Tough’ Year - Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Several Memphis City Council members will propose ideas to raise city revenues in place of city layoffs and service cutbacks in the new budget year.

The outlines of the coming proposals surfaced on the opening day Monday of hearings by the council’s budget committee.

58. Cuts Point To City’s Shaky Budget Plan - Thursday, April 21, 2011

About this point three years ago, the current Memphis City Council – only four or five months in office – took the daring move of cutting the city’s property tax rate by 18 cents and cut funding to Memphis City Schools by $57 million.

59. Cypress Realty Holdings Buys Millington Perkins Site - Tuesday, January 11, 2011

8472 New Wilkinsville Road
Millington, TN 38053
Sale Amount: $1.3 Million

60. Consensus Seeker - Wednesday, October 27, 2010

With a few unscripted remarks in late 2009, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. laid out what could be considered the theme of his just-ended first year in office.

It came while addressing the media last fall about changes he was making to the Memphis Animal Shelter, which Shelby County sheriff’s deputies raided in the early morning hours to investigate allegations of animal cruelty.

61. Retry: Anti-Discrimination Ordinance in Council Committee - Tuesday, October 26, 2010

A proposed city anti-discrimination ordinance surfaces again Tuesday at an 8:30 a.m. Memphis City Council committee session.

The ordinance would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression in the city government’s hiring practices.

62. Unemployed Find Old Jobs Now Require More Skills - Tuesday, October 12, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The jobs crisis has brought an unwelcome discovery for many unemployed Americans: Job openings in their old fields exist. Yet they no longer qualify for them.

They're running into a trend that took root during the recession. Companies became more productive by doing more with fewer workers. Some asked staffers to take on a broader array of duties – duties that used to be spread among multiple jobs. Now, someone who hopes to get those jobs must meet the new requirements.

63. Pinnacle Weighing Options for HQ Relocation - Monday, July 19, 2010

Pinnacle Airline Corp.’s pending headquarters relocation marks the second time in little more than a year that a transportation company has mulled over where to move a significant part of its operation.

64. Brown Says He Will Vote for Regulation Overhaul - Tuesday, July 13, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts helped move sweeping financial legislation closer to passage Monday, announcing that after some misgivings he will support the regulatory overhaul after all.

65. Pension Bomb - Monday, July 12, 2010

For years, government pension liabilities – the lifetime retirement benefits paid to everyone from local cops to garbage collectors – have been the equivalent of ticking time bombs.

They were assembled when governments like Memphis and Shelby County, among many others, mixed together some explosive materials.

66. Opening the City To Reality - Monday, June 14, 2010

There is a disconnect among members of the City Council about the job of government.

They seem to believe the city of Memphis has responsibilities to provide jobs to as many people as possible and that the city then has an obligation that bars it from ever firing or laying off those workers, ever cutting their pay and probably daring not to give them at least a 3 percent pay raise every year.

67. Caravan Event A 'Blowout' Success - Monday, June 07, 2010

Two of Memphis’ biggest musical assets came together last week when Ardent Studios hosted the Beale Street Caravan’s annual Blowout fundraiser.

Ardent has been bringing in major talent to Memphis for years: The Vaughn Brothers, the White Stripes, ZZ Top and B.B. King have all recorded there. The Beale Street Caravan has been exposing the world to Memphis music for years.

68. Midtown Target - Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Two years ago this month, awed silence greeted real estate developer Tom Marsh as he clicked through slides and walked a neighborhood group through his team’s plan.

69. Sheriff's Race Attracts Hard-Boiled Veterans - Monday, April 19, 2010

Most of the Democratic and Republican candidates for Shelby County sheriff gathered last month in the office of outgoing Sheriff Mark Luttrell.

70. Herenton Takes Aim at August Primary - Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton said he and U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, may agree on some issues as they campaign in the August Democratic primary for the 9th District congressional seat.

71. What’s Coming Up This Election Season - Monday, March 15, 2010

After a year of turbulence, the Memphis political scene continues to remake itself.

The May 4 and Aug. 5 elections don’t have the focused drama of last October’s special election for Memphis mayor, but they represent new chapters in a story that could end with a new generation of political leaders and at least a passing of the political baton.

72. Council Battles Funding Issues - Thursday, February 25, 2010

As Memphis political leaders made another trip to Nashville this week seeking money for The MED, others questioned the hospital’s life expectancy.

Memphis City Council members this week delayed a vote on $2 million in emergency funding for The MED until April.

73. Brown's Independence Could Face Senate Test - Monday, February 08, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Scott Brown says he's a different kind of Republican, a centrist willing to work with Senate Democrats to fix health care and the ailing economy.

74. MED Funding a State Issue, Leaders Say - Friday, January 29, 2010

The issue of double taxation reared its head this week as a plan to provide $12 million in local emergency funding for the Regional Medical Center at Memphis scored $10 million.

The county funding cleared the Shelby County Commission on a 9-3 vote after lots of debate Monday.

75. School Funding Debate Marches On - Thursday, January 28, 2010

The city of Memphis is pursuing a last appeal in the Memphis school funding court case, and the City Council this week came up with a plan to provide $50 million in court-ordered funding to the school system.

76. Obama Announces Initiatives for Middle Class - Tuesday, January 26, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Monday offered help for people struggling to pay bills and care for their families, appealing to a middle-class he says has been "under assault for a long time."

77. Visible School Names Ellis To Modern Music Ministry Faculty - Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Bill Ellis has been hired to the Visible School faculty in the Modern Music Ministry program.

Ellis will teach guitar, the history of pop music and hands-on courses in world music and ethnomusicology.

78. No Scrimping on Christmas Trees This Year - Friday, December 11, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Some families may be cutting back on expensive Christmas gifts under the tree this year, but they aren't settling for a limp Charlie Brown sapling for the holidays.

79. City’s Dilemma: Fight Crime or Bust Blight? - Thursday, December 03, 2009

Some Memphis City Council members question whether the city’s crackdown on crime is coming at the expense of efforts to eliminate or prevent blight in neighborhoods.

That sentiment surfaced in a council committee session this week. It came the same week that Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. talked of an emerging anti-crime strategy at his first town hall meeting.

80. Wharton Infuses City Government With Global Ideas - Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Kerry Hayes’ job title shows how much has changed at 125 N. Main St. since former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton retired this summer and set off a scramble to replace him.

81. A City in Transition - Monday, November 09, 2009

Just before sunrise on a rainy Tuesday morning, the armed officers raided the city office. They didn’t make any arrests, but they took files, interviewed employees and served search warrants. And they temporarily closed the Memphis Animal Shelter.

82. Lowery Looks Back on Mayoral Tenure - Friday, November 06, 2009

Myron Lowery felt his return from the mayor’s office back to being a City Council member even before he ended his tenure as mayor pro tempore.

83. Council Chairman Collins Readies For New Regime - Monday, October 26, 2009

Memphis City Council Chairman Harold Collins will have a very good seat for today’s swearing-in ceremony of Memphis Mayor-elect A C Wharton Jr.

84. Chaotic Council Welcomes Wharton To ‘Land of Fire’ - Thursday, October 22, 2009

Memphis Mayor-elect A C Wharton Jr. got an early welcome to the ways of City Hall in the week before he took the oath of office.

It came from the City Council he will serve with for the next two years.

85. Morris Confirmed As City Atty. - Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Memphis Mayor elect A C Wharton Jr. was put to the test by Memphis City Council members before he even takes office.

The council approved his indirect nomination of Herman Morris as the new city attorney.

And it approved his five indirect nominees to the Metro Charter Commission.

But there was a lot of discussion among council members this afternoon and evening about:

-Morris being paid $140,000 a year as city attorney, $15 thousand more than his predecessor, Elbert Jefferson.

-Whether Morris was the choice of outgoing Mayor Pro Tempore Myron Lowery or Wharton. The answer was Wharton with Lowery making the appointment since he is still mayor.

In another rapid move, Wharton and Lowery teamed up to appoint the five city of Memphis representatives to the Metro Charter Commission. All five nominees were recommended by members of the City Council. Normally, the council votes on such groups of nominees to one body with a single vote on the slate. The council voted separately on all five.

The original five nominees were:

-Damon Griffin, an assistant District Attorney General.

-Carmen Sandoval, an administrative director at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

-Steve Ross, a freelance video and technical director who also has a popular political blog.

-Jim Strickland, attorney and Memphis city council member.

-Rev. Ralph White, pastor of Bloomfield Full Gospel Baptist Church and candidate for Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk in past elections as well as in the 2010 elections.

Strickland was named just this week to Wharton’s transition team. But he is giving up the transition team spot to serve on the charter group. Council members Bill Boyd and Joe Brown voted against Strickland’s appointment saying they considered it to be a conflict of interest for an elected official to serve on the commission. Brown didn’t vote on the other nominations. Council member Wanda Halbert passed on Strickland.

Ross encountered vocal resistance during committee sessions from council members upset with critical comments he has made on his blog about council members. Council member Shea Flinn, who recommended Ross, came to his defense during an emotional committee discussion – clashing with Brown as Lowery and Wharton watched from the end of the council committee table.

“I’m a real man,” Brown told Flinn at the end of the exchange. “I’m a real black man. I hope you are a real white man.”

By the time the council voted, Wharton and Lowery decided to pull his nomination and instead nominated Richard Smith, a FedEx executive and son of FedEx founder Fred Smith. Council member Janis Fullilove was the only no vote. Halbert recused herself because she works at FedEx. Brown and Boyd did not vote.

86. Wharton Picks Morris for City Attorney Post - Wednesday, October 21, 2009
 

Memphis Mayor elect A C Wharton Jr. was put to the test by Memphis City Council members before he even takes office.

The council Tuesday approved his indirect nomination of Herman Morris as the new city attorney. And it approved his five indirect nominees to the Metro Charter Commission.

But there was a lot of discussion among council members this afternoon and evening about:

• Morris being paid $140,000 a year as city attorney, $15 thousand more than his predecessor, Elbert Jefferson.

• Whether Morris was the choice of outgoing Mayor Pro Tempore Myron Lowery or Wharton. The answer was Wharton with Lowery making the appointment since he is still mayor.

In another rapid move, Wharton and Lowery teamed up to appoint the five city of Memphis representatives to the Metro Charter Commission. All five nominees were recommended by members of the City Council. Normally, the council votes on such groups of nominees to one body with a single vote on the slate. The council voted separately on all five.

The original five nominees were:

• Damon Griffin, an assistant District Attorney General.
• Carmen Sandoval, an administrative director at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• Steve Ross, a freelance video and technical director who also has a popular political blog.
• Jim Strickland, attorney and Memphis city council member.
• Rev. Ralph White, pastor of Bloomfield Full Gospel Baptist Church and candidate for Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk in past elections as well as in the 2010 elections.

Strickland was named just this week to Wharton’s transition team. But he is giving up the transition team spot to serve on the charter group. Council members Bill Boyd and Joe Brown voted against Strickland’s appointment saying they considered it to be a conflict of interest for an elected official to serve on the commission. Brown didn’t vote on the other nominations. Council member Wanda Halbert passed on Strickland.

Ross encountered vocal resistance during committee sessions from council members upset with critical comments he has made on his blog about council members. Council member Shea Flinn, who recommended Ross, came to his defense during an emotional committee discussion – clashing with Brown as Lowery and Wharton watched from the end of the council committee table.

“I’m a real man,” Brown told Flinn at the end of the exchange. “I’m a real black man. I hope you are a real white man.”

By the time the council voted, Wharton and Lowery decided to pull his nomination and instead nominated Richard Smith, a FedEx executive and son of FedEx founder Fred Smith. Council member Janis Fullilove was the only no vote. Halbert recused herself because she works at FedEx. Brown and Boyd did not vote.

87. Mayor's Race Set at 25 Candidates - Friday, September 11, 2009

The Shelby County Election Commission has approved a field of 25 candidates for the Oct. 15 special election for Memphis mayor.

The vote came hours after the Thursday deadline for any candidates to withdraw.

88. 25 In Final Field For City Mayor - Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Shelby County Election Commission has approved a field of 25 candidates for the Oct. 15 special election for Memphis mayor.

The vote came hours after the Thursday deadline for any candidates to withdraw.

89. Jefferson, Boyd in Council Crosshairs - Friday, September 11, 2009

A resolution will come before the Memphis City Council Tuesday authorizing Memphis Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery to immediately remove City Attorney Elbert Jefferson from office.

90. Update: City Attorney Out Rest Of Week - Thursday, September 10, 2009
Memphis Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery’s scheduled meeting with City Attorney Elbert Jefferson will have to wait until next week at the earliest.

Jefferson and Lowery had been scheduled to meet Tuesday, but the embattled city attorney called in sick. He also called in sick Wednesday and indicated he would be out for the rest of this week.

Jefferson’s fate appears to be in question after last week’s revelation that he authorized a more than $55,000 payment to the lawyer of former Mayor Willie Herenton shortly before Herenton retired at the end of July. At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Lowery declined to say what he planned to talk about with Jefferson.

Jefferson’s future is also likely to be a hot topic at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Councilman Bill Morrison appears set to introduce a resolution authorizing Lowery to immediately remove Jefferson from office. The draft language of the resolution cites Jefferson’s “approval of a rushed payment of city funds” to Herenton’s attorney “in a private matter” and Jefferson’s failure to notify Lowery and Lowery’s chief administrative officer, Jack Sammons.

The resolution reads, in part:

“Whereas, recent revelations that the current city attorney and chief ethics officer Elbert Jefferson is being investigated by federal authorities about his approval of a rushed payment of $55,000 of city funds to an attorney hired to represent Willie W. Herenton in a private matter; his failure to notify the mayor pro tem and CAO that he had been questioned by the FBI about such actions; and his failure to notify his superiors, Mayor Pro Tem and CAO, that records involving the aforementioned payment were recently subpoenaed by the grand jury, cause great concern about the city attorney’s abilities and judgment.

“Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Memphis City Council urges Mayor Pro Tem Lowery to immediately remove Elbert Jefferson from the Office of City Attorney based on these questionable practices.”

In an interview with The Daily News Tuesday night, Herenton took issue with the description of the payment to Robert Spence as “rushed.”

The word "RUSH" is stamped on a check request Jefferson approved for Spence's payment. But Herenton said many of the contracts he left unsigned or requests unauthorized were rushed by various city division directors.

“In my 17 years, I bet you I've signed hundreds of rushed (requests). But in the newspaper it became 'Herenton's trying to get his legal fees paid,'” Herenton said.

Jefferson was the last of four city attorneys Herenton worked with in his more than 17 years as mayor. Herenton praised Jefferson’s work and said he has become a victim of “ruthless, reckless politics.”

“I have nothing but respect for Elbert,” Herenton said. “It is unfortunate that he finds himself caught up in the political arena, where Mayor Pro Tem Lowery is exercising some vindictiveness.”

Lowery told The Daily News Tuesday night that Jefferson’s recent questioning about the Spence payment by FBI agents backs up Lowery’s actions and comments.

Spence’s work involved representing the former mayor during an investigation whose subject appeared to wander over the past year.

It included Herenton's one-time option to buy the land where the Greyhound bus terminal now stands on Union Avenue. Some recent grand jury testimony focused on money paid to Herenton aide Pete Aviotti by business leaders for Herenton's annual Christmas party.

Spence told The Daily News earlier this week his client has not received a letter from prosecutors or any other type of notification that Herenton is the target of the investigation. Prosecutors sometimes make such a notification, but it is not required.

Jefferson, meanwhile, is not the only person who may be on the hot seat Tuesday before the City Council. Another resolution has been drafted that seeks to vacate Councilman Bill Boyd’s seat.

That resolution, sponsored by Councilman Joe Brown, reads:

“Whereas, it has been reported that council member William Boyd has attempted to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the authority of the mayor of Memphis and the city attorney to settle a lawsuit; and whereas the charter prohibits any council member interfering with the mayor’s administrative powers; and whereas the charter provides that any council member that interferes with the mayor’s administrative powers may be removed from office.

“Now, therefore, be it resolved that the position held by William Boyd, councilman, District 2, be declared vacant for violating the city charter or, alternatively, that the city take such court action necessary to have him removed from office.”
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Boyd has filed a motion to intervene in a bitter court fight involving a legal settlement between the city and former Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division chief Joseph Lee. In a motion to dismiss the complaint Boyd wants to be part of, Jefferson said the city was appropriately exercising its authority in settling the suit Lee filed.

Boyd disagrees and thinks the more than $426,000 paid to Lee should be recovered by the city.

“The plain language of the charter gives the mayor and city attorney exclusive power and authority to settle lawsuits if the city is a party to such suits,” Jefferson’s motion reads. “This power is not subject to approval of the Memphis City Council or the public.”

Without mentioning Boyd’s request to intervene in the case, Jefferson’s motion to dismiss also cites a section of the city charter that prohibits council members from interfering with the operation of the city’s administrative departments.

The charter goes on to stipulate that the office of any council member found to be in violation of that part of the charter could be vacated.

91. Field of 28 For Mayor Meets Filing Deadline With Enough Signatures - Thursday, September 03, 2009
 

A field of 28 candidates had filed petitions with enough valid signatures to run in the Oct. 15 special election for Memphis mayor by today’s noon deadline.

Shelby County Election Commission administrator Richard Holden told The Daily News several contenders had their petitions rejected once election commission staff checked the signatures.

Each person signing must be a registered voter in the city of Memphis and list the address that is on their voter registration record.

A total of 33 petitions were filed by the noon deadline. But several candidates were disqualified for not having enough signatures. And then three were returned to the list of candidates after a second check of their petitions. Those who returned to candidate status included Memphis school board member Sharon Webb.

Those who made today's cut have until noon Sept. 10 to withdraw from the race. The field will then become final.

The candidates include: 

• Leo Awghowhat
• Kenneth Baroff
• Joe Brown, Memphis City Council member
• Randy L. Cagle
• Charles Carpenter, attorney
• Carol Chumney, former City Council member
• Dewey Clark, former aide to and witness against jailed Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell
• James M. Clingan
• Menelik Fombi, a candidate for Memphis City Schools Board in past elections
• Wanda Halbert, chairwoman, City Council budget committee
• Johnny Hatcher
• Robert “Prince Mongo” Hodges  
• Constance Houston
• Dewayne Jones
• E.C. Jones, former City Council member
• Jerry Lawler, entertainer and former professional wrestler
• Myron Lowery, Memphis mayor pro tem
• Ernie Lunati
• Harrel C. Moore  
• Mary T. Shelby-Wright, perennial candidate for numerous offices
• Detric W. Stigall
• Silky Sullivan, restaurant owner and entrepreneur
• David Vinciarelli
• Vuong Vaughn Vo
• Sharon Webb, Memphis school board member
• Kenneth T. Whalum Jr., pastor of New Olivet Baptist Church and Memphis school board member
• A C Wharton Jr., Shelby County mayor
• John Willingham, former Shelby County commissioner

Sullivan showed up at the Election Commission in a white Rolls Royce wearing a white suit.

“When you see this white suit, you know I’m coming at you,” he told reporters as he outlined a plan to turn The Pyramid over to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital instead of the proposed lease to Bass Pro Shops.

“It’s going to be a dogfight,” Sullivan said of the mayor’s race.

When someone asked if he would still be in the race after next week’s withdrawal deadline, Sullivan said he was in “to the violent end.”

“You know you can’t win,” political blogger and radio talk show host Thaddeus Matthews said to Sullivan.

“Why not?” Sullivan replied.

Anthony Willoughby, the last candidate to file before noon, told reporters he was a Realtor-broker who played a role in the development of Banneker Estates in southwest Memphis, the subdivision developed by former Mayor Willie Herenton.

“I’m not a politician,” Willoughby said. “I’m going to run on that statement.”

Willoughby didn't have enough qualified signatures, though. So he won't be running.

Daniko Flowers, a construction worker still wearing his safety vest, showed up at five minutes before noon and checked out a petition. He returned at three minutes past noon and was not allowed to file. Flowers only had 18 signatures on the petition anyway.

92. Mayor’s Race Gets ‘Crazy’ As Election Day Approaches - Tuesday, August 25, 2009

“It’s crazy now,” Memphis Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery told members of the Downtown Neighborhood Association last week.

Lowery was contemplating the possibility of more than 30 candidates in the Oct. 15 special election for mayor. He described it as “the circus that’s getting ready to happen in this city.”

93. City Attorney Dispute Moves Into Chancery Court Today - Wednesday, August 05, 2009

A turbulent turn of office at City Hall moves into a courtroom two blocks away this afternoon.

Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery delayed a City Council vote Tuesday on Veronica Coleman Davis as his nominee to be city attorney.

94. UPDATE: Council Vote On City Attorney Delayed - Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Memphis Mayor Myron Lowery today delayed a City Council vote on Veronica Coleman Davis as his nominee to be city attorney.

Lowery told council members he wanted the delay to let a Chancery Court hearing tomorrow resolve any legal issues.

95. Election Commission to Consider Mayoral Deadline - Thursday, July 09, 2009

The Shelby County Election Commission today is setting the stage for the next step in the coming special election for Memphis mayor.

The commission will meet at 4:30 p.m. to consider setting a deadline for candidates to file and a date for the election itself sometime in late October. In setting the dates, the commission would abide by terms of the Memphis Charter. The charter calls for a special election three months after a vacancy in the mayor’s office if there is no regularly scheduled election within six months of the date the office becomes vacant.

96. City Council Declares Mayoral Vacancy At End Of July - Wednesday, July 08, 2009

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday on a 7-6 vote a resolution declaring the mayor’s office vacant as of July 31.

The vote came after a debate in which council members questioned each other’s motives, Mayor Willie Herenton’s word and several legal opinions.

97. UPDATE: Council Approves Mayoral Vacancy Effective July 31 - Tuesday, July 07, 2009

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday on a 7-6 vote a resolution declaring the mayor’s office vacant as of July 31.

The vote came after a debate in which council members questioned each other’s motives, Mayor Willie Herenton’s word and several legal opinions.

98. Money Cut From Schools Considered for City Pay Raises - Friday, June 12, 2009

When City Council members voted earlier this year to cut all funding to the Shelby County Health Department, the Herenton administration followed up.

It proposed and the County Commission accepted a plan to provide one last dose of city funding for the county agency in exchange for a buyout of the county’s share of The Pyramid.

99. Events - Friday, May 29, 2009

The Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence will present a workshop titled “All About the New 990” today from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Alliance office, 5100 Poplar Ave., Suite 502. A question-and-answer Brown Bag Session titled “Don’t Dread the Audit” will follow at 12:30 p.m. Lee Hood, manager at Whitehorn Tankersley & Co. PLLC, will lead the workshop. Cost is $65 for members, $125 for nonmembers and $55 for those in the Program for Nonprofit Excellence. For more information, call 684-6605 or visit www.npexcellence.org.

100. Events - Thursday, May 28, 2009

The Memphis Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis will hold a forum today from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn-University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. The forum will illustrate how the faith-based community is responding to the economic crisis and its efforts to promote neighborhood stabilization.