Jay Bailey pictured marching bands and floats when his mother told him he was going on a march.

“We thought of it as a parade,” said Bailey, who was 6 years old in March 1968. “We thought of it as something fun.”

2. 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.

3. Give Up These 40 Things for Lent - Friday, February 15, 2013

40 THINGS TO DO WITHOUT. Lent has begun – a season of reflection and sacrifice for believers seeking spiritual strength, a season bridging the gray gloom of winter and the green promise of spring for those seeking renewal, a season of waffles and chicken hash for those seeking comfort in the caloric basement of Calvary Church – 40 days of all of that for me.

4. City Council Begins Move to Ballot on Sales Tax Hike - Saturday, February 09, 2013

The Memphis City Council approved on the first of three readings Tuesday, Feb. 5, the ordinance setting up a referendum on a citywide half cent sales tax hike to be held “by Sept. 30, 2013.”

5. City Council Begins Move to Ballot on Sales Tax Hike - Thursday, February 07, 2013

The Memphis City Council approved on the first of three readings Tuesday, Feb. 5, the ordinance setting up a referendum on a citywide half cent sales tax hike to be held “by Sept. 30, 2013.”

6. City Council Delays Forrest Park Discussion - Saturday, January 26, 2013

The Memphis City Council delayed to its first meeting in February a committee discussion about a proposal by council member Myron Lowery to rename Nathan Bedford Forrest Park to include the name of Ida B. Wells, the anti-lynching crusader of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

7. Council Delays Forrest Park Discussion - Thursday, January 24, 2013

The Memphis City Council delayed to its first meeting in February a committee discussion about a proposal by council member Myron Lowery to rename Nathan Bedford Forrest Park to include the name of Ida B. Wells, the anti-lynching crusader of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

8. Council Preps for Late Summer Sales Tax Hike Referendum - Wednesday, January 23, 2013

A referendum on a half percent city sales tax hike to fund a city pre kindergarten expansion and roll back the city property tax rate by 20 cents would happen in August or September instead of May.

9. Blue CRUSH Cuts Point to Larger Divide - Thursday, January 10, 2013

Crime numbers may be the most politically volatile set of statistics elected officials can debate or rely on.

The statistics mean little to someone who has been a crime victim. But they are a way of validating whether public money is being spent effectively. On the other hand, how crimes are counted always will be debated.

10. 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.

11. Vance Plan Could Move to Land Use Control Board - Thursday, October 18, 2012

Memphis City Council members recommended Tuesday, Oct. 16, sending a plan to the Land Use Control Board that calls for the revitalization of the Vance Avenue area and leaves the Foote Homes public housing development intact.

12. Police Union Slams Wharton in Armstrong Dispute - Thursday, September 27, 2012

A fatal police shooting Monday evening in Wooddale is turning into a question about whether Toney Armstrong will remain as Memphis Police Director.

Michael Williams, president of the Memphis Police Association, said Wednesday, Sept. 26, that Armstrong – director of police for a year and a half – “hasn’t really been given the opportunity to be the police director” by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.

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. 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.

16. City Leaders Look to New Governing Plan - Tuesday, August 21, 2012

When 10 of the 13 Memphis City Council members get together around a table it is usually in their committee room on the fifth floor of City Hall for their regular meetings.

But last week they gathered in Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s seventh-floor conference room at his request.

17. Gas Tax Would Raise MATA Funding - Thursday, August 09, 2012

If Memphis voters approve a gas tax increase on the Nov. 6 ballot, the Memphis Area Transit Authority will have what it has for years said it lacks to provide better service – a dedicated source of continuing funding.

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. Q2 Bankruptcies up 6.5 Percent - Friday, July 20, 2012

Bankruptcy filings in West Tennessee increased overall in the second quarter of 2012, although Chapter 7 bankruptcies, filed by the most hard-pressed debtors, fell slightly, according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.

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. Council Member Fullilove Files Bankruptcy - Friday, June 01, 2012

Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove has filed bankruptcy.

The Wednesday, May 30, filing in federal bankruptcy court lists $22,218 in liabilities Fullilove owes in “taxes and certain other debts owed to governmental units.”

22. Fullilove Files Bankruptcy - Thursday, May 31, 2012

Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove has filed bankruptcy.

The Wednesday, May 30, filing in federal bankruptcy court lists $22,218 in liabilities Fullilove owes in “taxes and certain other debts owed to governmental units.”

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. City Council To Mark MLK Anniversary - Tuesday, April 03, 2012

The Memphis City Council will mark the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the first city street named in honor of the civil rights leader who was killed in Memphis 44 years ago this week.

26. Council Nixes One-Time Tax Hike - Thursday, March 22, 2012

Almost a year after they approved a one-time, 18-cent property tax hike, the Memphis City Council this week rejected levying the additional tax bill.

And even the council’s most disparate elements were together, at least for now, on what they feel was a lack of follow-up by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s administration on the fine print that came with last June’s decision.

27. 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.

28. Elvis Presley Blvd. Center of Council Talks - Thursday, February 23, 2012

For decades what is now Elvis Presley Boulevard was the road to Memphis for those from Mississippi, whether they were coming to stay or coming to visit.

Much has changed since Elvis Presley moved into a home on a hill already named Graceland in the mid-1950s when Whitehaven was a country road not yet a part of the city of Memphis.

29. Audit: MPD Organized Crime Unit Didn’t Follow Spending Guidelines - Friday, January 27, 2012

An audit of the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit says the unit, which includes undercover drug investigations and other covert operations, “needs significant improvement” in obeying guidelines for the use of money in the OCU drug fund.

30. Audit: MPD Organized Crime Unit Didn’t Follow Spending Guidelines - Thursday, January 26, 2012

An audit of the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit says the unit, which includes undercover drug investigations and other covert operations, “needs significant improvement” in obeying guidelines for the use of money in the OCU drug fund.

31. Wharton Keeps Most Division Directors, Shifts Some Duties - Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. is keeping the same team of division directors except two for his full four year term of office that started Sunday.

But the administration’s lobbyist in Nashville, TaJuan Stout Mitchell, is retiring and the position will change to be more of a contact person with the Memphis City Council instead of state legislators in Nashville.

32. Green Light - Thursday, December 22, 2011

It may have been a murky day in Memphis, but neighborhood stakeholders didn’t let the afternoon rain dampen their support of the Overton Square redevelopment project during the Memphis City Council’s final meeting of the year.

33. Council Passes $16M Overton Square Funding - Wednesday, December 21, 2011

It may have been a murky day in Memphis, but neighborhood stakeholders didn’t let the afternoon rain dampen their support of the Overton Square redevelopment project during the Memphis City Council’s final meeting of the year.

34. Council Cautious About City Finances - Thursday, December 08, 2011

Memphis City Council members set the tone for the beginning of a new four-year term of office at their next to last meeting of 2011.

And the message is the council intends to be an equal partner with Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. in setting the city’s fiscal priorities, not waiting and then voting his proposals up or down.

35. Council to Discuss City Employee Bonuses - Tuesday, December 06, 2011

The day after the Shelby County Commission considered a one-time bonus for county government employees, the Memphis City Council will talk about a bonus for city employees.

The council takes up the item during an 8:30 a.m. committee session Tuesday, Dec. 6, at City Hall, 125 N. Main St. It could be added to the agenda for the full council meeting at 3:30 p.m.

36. Council Approves New Tow Rules, Delays Hotel Motel Tax Discussion - Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Memphis City Council members approved a new set of rules for the city’s wrecker industry including background checks for drivers, a Memphis Transportation Commission to enforce regulations and no moving towed vehicles until police clear the vehicle for towing.

37. Pedaling Ahead - Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Dedicated bicycle lanes on Madison Avenue between McNeil and Cooper streets should be painted and ready for two-wheeled traffic by Thanksgiving.

City road crews are about ready to begin repaving the stretch of Madison Avenue. And as the new pavement is put down, the new configuration of car and bike lanes and on-street parking will follow rapidly, said Kyle Wagenschutz, the city’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator.

38. Who’s To Blame? - Friday, October 21, 2011

IS THIS OUR BEST SHOT? Evidently, after one of our state legislators falls off a barstool, another will take the stool – then take the wheel of his car. Loaded with a loaded gun.

Ophelia, meet Curry.

39. Council Looks Into NBA Revenue Lock Out - Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Memphis City Council members voted Tuesday, Oct. 18, to have their attorney “explore all options” for recovering any revenues lost in the National Basketball Association lock-out.

The resolution, proposed by council chairman Myron Lowery, is aimed at revenues from ticket sales at FedExForum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies, that are used to pay off the debt of building the $250 million arena.

40. Fullilove Wants Madison Bike Lane Talks but ‘Not Trying to Interfere’ - Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove wants to talk more about dedicated bicycle lanes on Madison Avenue at the council’s Tuesday, Oct. 18, afternoon session.

41. Fullilove Wants Madison Bike Lane Talks but ‘Not Trying to Interfere’ - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove wants to talk more about dedicated bicycle lanes on Madison Avenue at the council’s Tuesday, Oct. 18, afternoon session.

42. 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.

43. Despite Low Turnout, Incumbents See Big Wins - Monday, October 10, 2011

Memphis voters kept the turnout in last week’s city elections at less than 20 percent. About 18 percent of the city’s 426,580 or so voters showed up for the Thursday, Oct. 6, elections.

Some politicos doubted turnout would move into double digits until the relatively healthy 7.6 percent turnout for early voters made it clear.

44. 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.

45. Fullilove Backs Ford in Other Council Race - Thursday, October 06, 2011

The day before Thursday, Oct. 6’s city elections, Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove endorsed District 7 council candidate Kemba Ford.

46. 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.

47. Unions Continue Budget Battle in Thursday’s Election - Wednesday, October 05, 2011

No ballot questions are to be decided in the Thursday, Oct. 6, Memphis elections. But at least one of the City Council races will be viewed as a referendum on the clout of the city’s municipal labor unions.

48. Get Out the Vote - Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The overall numbers through the first two weeks of early voting seem to indicate a low overall turnout including Election Day in the set of city elections to be decided Oct. 6.

But within the early vote numbers are some indications of voter hotspots.

49. Wharton Makes Choices In Council Races - Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. has a ballot for the Memphis City Council races on the Oct. 6 ballot.

The ballot hit the streets this weekend, as the last full week of early voting began, with a set of Wharton endorsements in some but not all of the 13 council races on the ballot.

50. Council Rejects Charter Change Referendum on Tax Hike Votes - Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Memphis City Council members rejected a Nov. 2012 ballot referendum that would have let city voters decide on a charter amendment requiring a 2/3rds council vote to approve any property tax hike above the percentage increase in inflation or population growth.

51. City Candidates Meet in Forum - Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The crowds are small and the questions familiar. The forums for candidates on the Oct. 6 Memphis ballot, in other words, are a lot like past forums.

There were about 25 people in the audience Monday evening, Sept. 19, for the League of Women Voters City Council forum at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library in East Memphis that featured seven candidates for super district seats.

52. City Council Change Should Continue - Monday, September 12, 2011

Every organization can use an influx of fresh thinking, new ideas and a questioning of the status quo.

That is what the current City Council brought to the table four years ago when they took office as the legislative branch to the longest-serving mayor in Memphis history. Nine of the council’s 13 members were newly elected.

53. 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.

54. Campaigns Heat Up as Election Nears - Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Those running in the Oct. 6 city elections were getting signs up the weekend before the Labor Day weekend and preparing for the sprint to early voting, which begins Sept. 16, and Election Day.

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. campaigned in Orange Mound on a Saturday afternoon not quite as hot as previous Saturdays. Wharton and his campaign have aimed their Saturday door-to-door campaigning at 10 specific precincts. The goal is to create a spike in voter turnout as well as votes for Wharton who is seeking election to a full four-year term after taking office following the October 2009 special mayoral election.

55. Local Democrats Take City Election Straw Poll - Tuesday, August 23, 2011

It was more fundraiser than legitimate poll.

The Shelby County Democratic Party raised more than $2,000 with a straw poll in which party regulars paid $25 a ballot to show their preferences in races in the Oct. 6 city of Memphis elections with a separate ballot for the mayor’s race.

56. Wharton Seeks Compromise on Madison Bike Lanes - Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. is considering a compromise in the Madison Avenue bicycle lane controversy that would leave some parts of the avenue between Cleveland and Cooper streets without dedicated bicycle lanes.

57. Fullilove Calls Madison Bike Lanes 'Disaster' - Friday, August 19, 2011

Add Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove to the list of those opposed to dedicated bicycle lanes on Madison Avenue between Cleveland and Cooper streets.

58. 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.

59. 14 Apply For Council Appointment - Friday, July 15, 2011

Fourteen citizens had applied by the noon Thursday, July 14, deadline for the District 7 vacancy on the Memphis City Council.

The council will fill the vacancy created by the June resignation of council member Barbara Swearengen Ware at a special July 22 council meeting.

60. 14 Apply For Council Appointment - Thursday, July 14, 2011

Fourteen citizens had applied by the noon Thursday, July 14, deadline for the District 7 vacancy on the Memphis City Council.

The council will fill the vacancy created by the June resignation of council member Barbara Swearengen Ware at a special July 22 council meeting.

61. 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.

62. 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.

63. District Lines Up in Air as Races Near - Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The fields for the 13 Memphis City Council races on the October ballot are forming ever so tentatively with about six weeks to the filing deadline.

And the tentativeness is partially a result of the uncertainty about where the council district lines will fall.

64. 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.

65. Council Prepares for Long Budget Session - Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Memphis City Council members have a long day ahead Tuesday, June 7, at City Hall with lots of numbers and important decisions.

The council will either finish its budget season Tuesday or could go into an overtime period that could stretch past the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.

66. 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.

67. Mayors Launch Office of Sustainability - Tuesday, May 24, 2011

When Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell launch their joint office of sustainability this week, it will be the latest move in a continuing realignment of both local governments.

68. Wharton, City Council Mix it Up Over Budget - Thursday, May 05, 2011

The Memphis City Council should vote on an operating budget for the city at its first meeting in June.

There is no schedule for working out the council’s sizeable and long-building difference of opinion on how to balance the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

69. Council, Wharton Spar Over LayOffs - Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Memphis City Council members and Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. mixed it up Tuesday evening about where the line is drawn between the two branches of city government when it comes to planned city layoffs.

70. 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.

71. 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.

72. 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.

73. City, State Leaders Hammer Out Schools Consolidation Bill - Monday, February 07, 2011

The Tennessee Legislature begins its working session Monday evening with schools consolidation legislation the first bill on the floor for the state House and the state Senate. And if the legislation passes it will be the first bill to go to the desk of the new governor, Bill Haslam.

74. Dear Santa - Friday, December 17, 2010

Dear Santa, Please consider my gift list for our local elected officials. After all, they’ve been giving it to us all year.

To all: Common Sense – a simple grid for MATA routes, consolidated city and county services, cutting the grass, sidewalk maintenance, paying attention to review board and appointed commission recommendations.

75. Council Opposes Consolidation Resolution - Thursday, October 28, 2010

Memphis City Council members won’t be taking a stand for or against the consolidation charter on the Nov. 2 ballot.

A move by council member Janis Fullilove to add a resolution opposing the charter to Tuesday’s council agenda fell flat during the council’s executive session.

76. 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.

77. City Mulls Hiking Sanitation Fees - Friday, June 04, 2010

Although there is no city property tax hike tied to the city budget the Memphis City Council will vote on next week, a $4.50 increase in the city solid waste fee is on the table as the council prepares for the new fiscal year July 1.

78. MCS Funding Raises Flags for City Budget Audit - Friday, February 05, 2010

Resolving the legal spat between the Memphis City Council and Memphis City Schools that’s put millions of dollars at stake probably won’t blow a hole in the city’s budget.

That’s the opinion former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton’s administration and the city’s legal counsel shared with the independent auditors who reviewed the city’s books during the fiscal year that ended June 30. The auditors noted the city’s opinion in their just-released review of the city’s financials.

79. 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.

80. 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.

81. 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.

82. 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.

83. Bond Issuance Approved for Airport Garage - Friday, September 18, 2009

Plans for a new parking garage and rental car facility at Memphis International Airport took a step forward Thursday when the airport’s board of commissioners approved a resolution to issue bonds for the building, one of the largest individual projects in the airport’s history.

84. Today’s Council Activities Expected to Be ‘Ugly’ - Tuesday, September 15, 2009

One of the final battles in a political war that’s engulfed the city’s legal division since August is likely to get under way today.

City Attorney Elbert Jefferson Jr. told Memphis City Council Chairman Harold Collins late last week he plans to appear before the council today to defend some of his recent actions.

85. Gov’t Watchdog Saino Among Lowery Appointments - Friday, September 04, 2009

At the Memphis City Council’s recent personnel committee meeting, committee members quickly worked through a slate of mayoral appointments to city boards and commissions.

With little comment, committee members passed from one name to the next after hearing brief introductions. Nominees were reappointed to boards such as the Memphis-Shelby County Board of Equalization, the Civil Service Commission and the Memphis-Shelby County Convention Center Commission.

86. Metro Charter Update: Rockier Reception, But Far From Over - Thursday, September 03, 2009

The formation of a metro charter commission cleared the Shelby County Commission but ran into some turbulence on the Memphis City Council this week.

The discussions by both bodies have demonstrated the complexity of the most significant move toward local government consolidation in nearly 40 years. It also has shown the power other political events can exert on the issue.

87. City Council Questions Consolidation Fast Track - Wednesday, September 02, 2009
 

Most of the members of the Memphis City Council Tuesday talked over the move toward appointment of a Metro Charter Commission.

And they decided they need more time to talk even more before a vote. The resolution would set in motion the appointment of the group that would draft a charter to consolidate Memphis city and Shelby County governments.

The issue for most of the eleven council members expressing on opinion wasn’t the concept of consolidation. The issue was timing and the push toward consolidation by Memphis Mayor Pro Tempore Myron Lowery, Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Shelby County Commission chair Deidre Malone.

“Clearly some decisions have been made. … I’ve got a big problem with that,” said council member Wanda Halbert who is running for Memphis mayor in the Oct. 15 special election.

Lowery, a rival in the election, said voting for a charter commission was not a commitment to a specific form of consolidated government.

“Somebody had to make the decision to present it to you,” Lowery told the council. “And that’s what we have done. But the final option is up to you. And if you agree the final voice will be the citizens.”

Any charter proposal by the appointed commission would go to city and county voters in a pair of referenda – one inside the city of Memphis and the other in the county outside of Memphis. The proposal must win in both elections in order to consolidate the governments. The resolution sets the date for the election as Nov. 2010.

“Why now?” council member Janis Fullilove asked.

“There’s never going to be a great time. Why not now?” Lowery responded. “We have wasted so many years. We would like to give the citizens of this county to say yes or no.”

As Memphis Mayor, Lowery would have five appointments to the 15 member body. Those appointees would have to be confirmed by the City Council. Lowery said he will only consider citizens recommended by council members. Wharton is already soliciting names from the County Commission for his ten appointees to the body, which must be confirmed by the County Commission.

Wharton, who is also running for Memphis Mayor, has said he will wait for Lowery to make his picks first. But if the council doesn’t approve the resolution at its Sept. 15 or Oct. 6 meetings, Lowery might not be making the city appointments. And Wharton might not be making ten appointments as county mayor, but five as city mayor.

For council member Jim Strickland the timing of other political events, including the special election and next year’s county elections, was a factor.

“I’m in favor of consolidation,” Strickland began. “But I’m not convinced next year is the right time to move forward. And I have serious concerns that the efforts so far do not reflect an ability to successfully pass this measure.”

Strickland, like Halbert, was also troubled by several suggestions in the power point presentation used by Lowery and Wharton and Malone that all three have said are “suggestions.”

“There are several things that appear to have already been discussed and almost decided – smaller districts, creating an office of innovation and strategic vision, that (Memphis Light Gas and Water Division) should not be sold without a referendum,” Strickland said.

The council is scheduled to talk over the resolution in two weeks during its executive session and the item is on the agenda for the full council to vote on later that same day.

This week’s council discussion came the day after Shelby County commissioners voted 9-2 in favor of the same resolution creating the Metro Charter Commission.

“There is a conventional wisdom out there. … Everyone in the city is jumping for joy to get this and everyone in the county is real reticent about it. And so, the entire sales job has to be directed to the county,” said Council member Shea Flinn, sponsor of the resolution on the city side of the proposition. “Nothing could be farther from the truth. The city will be dramatically impacted as well.”

Council member Bill Morrison said the meetings among Wharton, Lowery and Malone weren’t the right way to approach the council even though the trio only talked of a structure for establishing a plan for a consolidated government.

“You have two weeks to fix what some of us felt like has left us out,” Morrison told Flinn. “There does seem to be things that have already been decided on. That may just be a perception.”

88. UPDATE: City Council Puts Off Metro Charter Commission Vote For Two Weeks - Tuesday, September 01, 2009
 

Most of the members of the Memphis City Council Tuesday talked over the move toward appointment of a Metro Charter Commission.

And they decided they need more time to talk even more before a vote. The resolution would set in motion the appointment of the group that would draft a charter to consolidate Memphis city and Shelby County governments.

The issue for most of the eleven council members expressing on opinion wasn’t the concept of consolidation. The issue was timing and the push toward consolidation by Memphis Mayor Pro Tempore Myron Lowery, Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Shelby County Commission chair Deidre Malone.

“Clearly some decisions have been made. … I’ve got a big problem with that,” said council member Wanda Halbert who is running for Memphis mayor in the Oct. 15 special election.

Lowery, a rival in the election, said voting for a charter commission was not a commitment to a specific form of consolidated government.

“Somebody had to make the decision to present it to you,” Lowery told the council. “And that’s what we have done. But the final option is up to you. And if you agree the final voice will be the citizens.”

Any charter proposal by the appointed commission would go to city and county voters in a pair of referenda – one inside the city of Memphis and the other in the county outside of Memphis. The proposal must win in both elections in order to consolidate the governments. The resolution sets the date for the election as Nov. 2010.

“Why now?” council member Janis Fullilove asked.

“There’s never going to be a great time. Why not now?” Lowery responded. “We have wasted so many years. We would like to give the citizens of this county to say yes or no.”

As Memphis Mayor, Lowery would have five appointments to the 15 member body. Those appointees would have to be confirmed by the City Council. Lowery said he will only consider citizens recommended by council members. Wharton is already soliciting names from the County Commission for his ten appointees to the body, which must be confirmed by the County Commission.

Wharton, who is also running for Memphis Mayor, has said he will wait for Lowery to make his picks first. But if the council doesn’t approve the resolution at its Sept. 15 or Oct. 6 meetings, Lowery might not be making the city appointments. And Wharton might not be making ten appointments as county mayor, but five as city mayor.

For council member Jim Strickland the timing of other political events, including the special election and next year’s county elections, was a factor.

“I’m in favor of consolidation,” Strickland began. “But I’m not convinced next year is the right time to move forward. And I have serious concerns that the efforts so far do not reflect an ability to successfully pass this measure.”

Strickland, like Halbert, was also troubled by several suggestions in the power point presentation used by Lowery and Wharton and Malone that all three have said are “suggestions.”

“There are several things that appear to have already been discussed and almost decided – smaller districts, creating an office of innovation and strategic vision, that (Memphis Light Gas and Water Division) should not be sold without a referendum,” Strickland said.

The council is scheduled to talk over the resolution in two weeks during its executive session and the item is on the agenda for the full council to vote on later that same day.

This week’s council discussion came the day after Shelby County commissioners voted 9-2 in favor of the same resolution creating the Metro Charter Commission.

“There is a conventional wisdom out there. … Everyone in the city is jumping for joy to get this and everyone in the county is real reticent about it. And so, the entire sales job has to be directed to the county,” said Council member Shea Flinn, sponsor of the resolution on the city side of the proposition. “Nothing could be farther from the truth. The city will be dramatically impacted as well.”

Council member Bill Morrison said the meetings among Wharton, Lowery and Malone weren’t the right way to approach the council even though the trio only talked of a structure for establishing a plan for a consolidated government.

“You have two weeks to fix what some of us felt like has left us out,” Morrison told Flinn. “There does seem to be things that have already been decided on. That may just be a perception.”

89. Proceed With Consolidation Effort, But Be Reasonable, Astute, Honest - Monday, August 31, 2009

Maybe proponents of a city-county consolidation charter should have waited for the political dust to settle before embarking on such a sweeping effort. On the other hand, it’s difficult to see when a period of calm might descend to help things along.

90. Compromise 101: Who’s going to fund the schools? - Monday, August 03, 2009

In the year he’s been head of the Memphis school system, Superintendent Kriner Cash has been virtually unflappable.

Since the Memphis school board hired him in July 2008, Cash has doggedly pitched a detailed plan for the school system’s renewal with dozens of specific goals in a well-traveled PowerPoint presentation.

91. City Council Denies The Iris Motel Ownership - Thursday, July 09, 2009

Memphis City Council members refused this week to approve a waiver permitting new ownership of The Iris Motel at 1950 Elvis Presley Blvd.

The 1-12 vote came after the new owner, who didn’t give his full name, denied it would remain what it has been for decades – an hourly rate motel. He also said he had made $250,000 worth of improvements to the property.

92. Fullilove Arrested For License Fraud - Thursday, July 09, 2009

After a long day at City Hall Tuesday, Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove was arrested Wednesday by Tennessee Highway Patrol officers on charges of driver’s license fraud and driving on a revoked license. The THP officers also seized her car.

93. 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.

94. 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.

95. 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.

96. Pyramid Funding Details Shift to Legal Front - Thursday, May 07, 2009

Now the attorneys begin drafting a contract.

This week, the Memphis City Council signed off on a three-part deal that gives the city of Memphis complete ownership of The Pyramid and continues city funding of the Shelby County Health Department for one more fiscal year.

97. Pyramid-Health Dept. Deal Approved By Council - Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Memphis City Council members Tuesday approved an $8.5 million deal giving the city complete ownership of The Pyramid and providing a last installment of city funding for the local Health Department.

98. City Council Approves Pyramid - Health Dept. Deal - Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Memphis City Council members tonight approved an $8.5 million deal giving the city complete ownership of The Pyramid and providing a last installment of city funding for the local Health Department.

99. Council Wants new set of Budget Plans from City Admin. - Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Shelby County Chancellor Kenny Armstrong stayed his decision that the city of Memphis immediately pay $57 million to Memphis City Schools for the 2008-2009 school year while the city’s appeal of that decision is pending.

But the Memphis City Council wants to get prepared for the financial shock of that decision anyway.

The council’s budget committee Monday asked the city administration to come back with multiple budget scenarios that include across-the-board division cuts and as well as lesser cuts. The goal is to give the council some flexibility and put as many options on the table as possible.

As it did during the council’s first budget meeting last week, Monday’s meeting included an intense discussion among council members about whether the budget presented this month by Memphis mayor Willie Herenton, which included no property tax increase and 3 percent raises for city employees, was indeed a balanced budget.

The sticking point is Armstrong’s decision that the city must restore $57 million in funding to MCS, a decision the city is appealing. A budget that does not take that decision into account or at least begin preparing for it is an incomplete plan, according to some council members.

Herenton’s budget proposal he made to council members included no recommendation on school funding, though he later sent the council a letter with a non-binding recommendation that the council allocate 82 cents on the city’s tax rate toward school funding.

“This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the difference between perception being reality and reality being reality,” councilman Shea Flinn said. “What we’re talking about is the perception about who’s costing taxpayers more money.

“I’m not looking to assign blame, but we have to address this. The chancellor has spoken, and he didn’t speak for us.”

Councilman Jim Strickland presented a resolution Monday along those cost-cutting lines. His idea was to reach into the city’s finance division – the first division up before the council Monday – and recommend more than $480,000 in cuts in the division’s spending.

Council member Janis Fullilove made a motion to amend that motion and sought to allow the administration to come back with a plan of its own on how cuts elsewhere can be made.

“I accept that as a friendly amendment,” Strickland said.

Replied Fullilove: “Thank you. Give me a hug.”

Even though the budget committee asked the administration to come back with multiple budget plans, the council then decided to continue its own budget discussion on a parallel track rather than putting everything on hold and waiting to see what the administration comes back with.

100. Council Takes Time to Remember Teamwork - Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Now, fellow members of the Memphis City Council, be it resolved: Yes, we can.

Such is the nature of a seemingly out of the ordinary resolution up for discussion this afternoon by the council.