Republican nominee for Tennessee governor Bill Lee opened the post-Labor Day leg of the race in Memphis Wednesday, Sept. 5, with a call for an “accelerated transformation of Shelby County.”

2. Harris, Lenoir to Battle for County Mayor - Thursday, May 3, 2018

Republican David Lenoir and Democrat Lee Harris will meet in the Aug. 2 county general election to decide who will be the next Shelby County mayor. Lenoir and Harris won their respective primaries easily Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

3. Lenoir and Harris Advance in County Mayor's Race - Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Republican David Lenoir and Democrat Lee Harris will meet in the Aug. 2 county general election to decide who will be the next Shelby County Mayor. Lenoir and Harris won their respective primaries easily Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

4. First Primaries Kick Off Busy Election Year - Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Shelby County voters go to the polls Tuesday, May 1, in the first of three elections this year that will take in county, state and federal offices by the time the last vote is counted in November.

The primary elections Tuesday for 23 Shelby County government offices are being watched closely by local Republican and Democratic leaders. They are watching the turnout and what the results say about the political temperament and activism of a county Hillary Clinton carried with 60 percent of the vote in the November 2016 presidential general election won by Republican Donald Trump.

5. Republican Contenders for Mayor Say City Paying for Monuments Misstep - Thursday, April 19, 2018

The three Republican contenders for Shelby County Mayor believe the city of Memphis acted improperly in removing Confederate monuments from city parks last year and is, in effect, paying the piper for challenging the Tennessee Legislature.

6. Early Voting Opens for May County Primaries - Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Early voting in the first of three 2018 elections in Shelby County opens Wednesday at 21 sites across the county and runs through April 26.

The primaries are led by contests for county mayor, all 13 seats on the county commission and most of the county’s elected offices. The remainder are in the other even-year election cycle or have an eight-year term of office that comes around next in 2022.

7. Last Word: Graceland's New Lawsuit, Memphis March For Our Lives and Trolley Test - Monday, March 26, 2018

Remember the comment from last week’s EDGE meeting by EDGE board member Tom Dyer who said the economic development body was likely to be sued no matter what it did on Graceland’s application for tax breaks on its “convention center” plan in Whitehaven? At week’s end, Graceland followed through with a lawsuit in Chancery Court against EDGE for delaying a decision on the matter. The lawsuit contends EDGE has no intention of making a decision on incentives and that Graceland is entitled to those incentives.

8. Harris, Chism Say PILOTs Not Effective Economic Development - Monday, March 26, 2018

The two Democratic contenders for Shelby County mayor say they don’t think tax abatement incentives, primarily payments in lieu of taxes – or PILOTs – are working as an economic development tool in Shelby County.

9. Candidates’ Choices - Friday, March 16, 2018

Polls, phone banking, messaging, yard signs, who is paid and who is a volunteer – all are elements of a campaign. And each is part of an overall strategy.

But most campaigns struggle with a schedule of which events to attend and which to forgo. And in the 2018 campaign season, the number of events is only growing as the May 1 county primary elections near, followed by the county general election and state and federal primaries in August, then the state and federal general elections in November.

10. Republican Mayoral Candidates Find Ways to Differentiate - Friday, March 9, 2018

The three contenders in the May Republican primary for Shelby County mayor didn’t disagree on much when they met this week at the Southwind clubhouse. But David Lenoir, Joy Touliatos and Terry Roland did try to distinguish themselves from the other two in a relatively spark-free first encounter as a trio.

11. Four County Commissioners Unopposed As May Ballot Filing Deadline Approaches - Thursday, February 15, 2018

With a noon deadline Thursday, Feb. 15, to make the May 1 Shelby County primary ballot, four incumbent county commissioners had no opposition filed in their re-election bids.

Five Republican primary races on the ballot for 23 county offices, including the 13 commission seats, were one-candidate affairs with two or more Democrats running in the competing primaries as of Tuesday. Two Democratic primary races were also one-candidate races against a field of multiple Republican contenders in the companion primary.

12. Luttrell Endorses Lenoir For Shelby County Mayor - Saturday, February 10, 2018

Outgoing Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has endorsed David Lenoir for county mayor.

13. Luttrell Endorses Lenoir For Shelby County Mayor - Friday, February 9, 2018

Outgoing Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has endorsed David Lenoir for county mayor.

14. Luttrell Endorses Lenoir for County Mayor - Thursday, February 8, 2018

Outgoing Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has endorsed David Lenoir for mayor.

15. Filing, Fundraising Pace Quickens in County Elections - Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Two of the five major contenders for Shelby County mayor in the May 1 primaries have six-figure campaign war chests and a third is just a few thousand dollars away.

That’s according to campaign finance statements filed last week with the Shelby County Election Commission for the period July 1, 2017, to the end of 2017.

16. Roland Pulls Petition For Mayor, Running As ‘Uniter’ - Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Shelby County commissioner Terry Roland has been campaigning for Shelby County mayor since last year.

When he pulled his qualifying petition Thursday, Jan. 11, to formally enter the May Republican primary for mayor, Roland did so with a slogan of bringing “positive change to Shelby County.”

17. Chism Files to Run For County Mayor - Saturday, January 6, 2018

Former Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism is the latest contender to file his qualifying petition for the May 1 county primaries.

18. Chism Files to Run For County Mayor - Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Former Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism is the latest contender to file his qualifying petition for the May 1 county primaries.

19. County Primary Filing Opens With Paperwork Flurry - Monday, November 20, 2017

A total of 37 prospective candidates in the May 2018 county primaries pulled qualifying petitions last week on the first day of the filing period Friday, Nov. 17.

And the first contenders through the doors at the Shelby County Election Commission in a period that extends to a February deadline confirms a few trends.

20. The Next Four Years - Saturday, November 18, 2017

A week before candidates for the 2018 Shelby County elections could pull qualifying petitions to run, Shelby County Commissioner David Reaves was thinking out loud on Facebook.

“Next four years,” was how it began.

21. Political Opening - Friday, November 17, 2017

The Shelby County Election Commission is moving its Downtown office Friday, Nov. 17, the same day that candidates can begin pulling qualifying petitions there and at its Shelby Farms offices to run in the 2018 county primaries.

22. Last Word: The Run, 70 Million Gallons a Day and More Shipping Containers - Monday, November 6, 2017

This will be another busy week on the political front with more candidates declaring their intentions in advance of Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, Republican contender for governor Randy Boyd ends his run across the state Tuesday morning on Mud Island – a variation on Lamar Alexander’s walk across the state in the 1978 Republican primary for Governor that remains a part of the state’s political folklore almost 40 years later.

23. Chism Vows Democratic Primary Battle with Harris for County Mayor - Monday, November 6, 2017

Former Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism kicked off his bid for county mayor last week by vowing to “beat up on” rival Democrat and state Sen. Lee Harris in the May 2018 countywide primary.

24. Harris Cites Effects of ‘Trump Approach’ on County Races - Friday, November 3, 2017

Three weeks into his run for Shelby County mayor on the 2018 ballot, state Sen. Lee Harris told a group of 30 supporters in Victorian Village Wednesday, Nov. 1, that he is running as a response to the “Trump approach.”

25. Mickell Lowery Uses Lessons From Council Race in Commission Bid - Thursday, October 26, 2017

Two years to the month after he conceded defeat in his first political outing, Mickell Lowery is returning to the local political arena – albeit a different part of the arena.

Lowery is running in the May Democratic primary for Shelby County Commission District 8, the seat held by Democrat Walter Bailey, who is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2018.

26. Harris To Run For County Mayor, Leave State Senate - Friday, October 6, 2017

State Sen. Lee Harris is running for Shelby County mayor starting with the May Democratic primary and will not seek re-election to the Senate.

27. Harris In Race For County Mayor, Exiting State Senate - Thursday, October 5, 2017

State Senator Lee Harris is running for Shelby County Mayor starting with the May Democratic primary and he will not seek re-election to the Senate.

28. Harris In Race For County Mayor, Exiting State Senate - Thursday, October 5, 2017

State Senator Lee Harris is running for Shelby County Mayor starting with the May Democratic primary and he will not seek re-election to the Senate.

29. Lenoir Starts Bid for County Mayor with Mix of Optimism and Challenge - Friday, September 29, 2017

Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir’s campaign for Shelby County mayor will talk about the economic resurgence in Memphis and Shelby County as a challenge to address longstanding problems.

And as Lenoir formally launched the long-anticipated bid Thursday, Sept. 28, in East Memphis, he touted his business experience and background as well as his two terms as county trustee.

30. Ford Opens Commission Bid as Lenoir Prepares To Launch Mayoral Bid - Friday, September 29, 2017

Campaign season for local, state and federal offices on the 2018 ballot has started.

On Wednesday, Sept. 27, Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford Jr. kicked off his bid for the Shelby County Commission at the offices of an East Memphis law firm. Meanwhile, Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir rallied supporters in advance of formally kicking off his bid for Shelby County Mayor at a Thursday, Sept. 28, announcement.

31. Last Word: Political Tide Comes In, First Tn and Pinnacle Settle and The No Compete - Thursday, September 28, 2017

In East Memphis Thursday afternoon, Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir will formally announce what has been evident for some time – he is running for Shelby County Mayor in 2018 starting with the May Republican primary. The primary field includes Shelby County Commissioner Terry Roland and Juvenile Court Clerk Joy Touliatos. Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism is the only declared Democratic mayoral contender as we speak. Look for that to change.

32. Ford Opens Commission Bid as Lenoir Prepares Formal Start of Mayoral Bid - Thursday, September 28, 2017

Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford Jr. kicked off his bid Wednesday, Sept. 27, for the Shelby County Commission on the 2018 ballot at the offices of an East Memphis law firm as Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir rallied supporters in advance of formally kicking off his bid for Shelby County Mayor at a Thursday announcement.

33. Touliatos Set To Make Run For Shelby County Mayor - Thursday, September 14, 2017

Since her office is not term limited, Juvenile Court Clerk Joy Touliatos could stay for a while in the clerk’s position she has held for nearly two terms.

Instead, Touliatos is running as a Republican for Shelby County Mayor in 2018 on a platform calling for cooperation among elected officials, lower taxes and smaller government.

34. Lane Touts Luttrell Endorsement in Sheriff's Race - Friday, September 8, 2017

Republican contender for Shelby County Sheriff Dale Lane is touting the support of every suburban mayor in the county, current Shelby County Mayor and former sheriff Mark Luttrell, and former county mayor Jim Rout.

35. Joy Touliatos Will Run For Shelby County Mayor - Saturday, August 26, 2017

Juvenile Court Clerk Joy Touliatos formally announced Thursday, Aug. 24, she is running for Shelby County mayor in the May 2018 Republican primary.

Touliatos is serving her second term as clerk, elected in 2010 and 2014, and has been a county employee for 22 years.

36. Joy Touliatos to Run for Shelby County Mayor - Thursday, August 24, 2017

Juvenile Court Clerk Joy Touliatos formally announced Thursday, Aug. 24, she is running for Shelby County mayor in the May 2018 Republican primary.

Touliatos is serving her second term as clerk, elected in 2010 and 2014, and has been a county employee for 22 years.

37. Last Word: After the Last Hole, Cutting County Property Taxes and A Recycled Gown - Tuesday, June 13, 2017

The story of how the Overton Park Conservancy raised $1 million in two months didn’t go according to the script. It wasn’t large donors, it was a lot of contributions of $250 or less it turns out, many from people who have never been to the park, the zoo or the greensward in particular whether it’s on foot or in a car. There were donations from Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and every state, except South Dakota.

38. 2,700 Vote Early, 3 Election Day Polls Move in House District 95 - Tuesday, June 13, 2017

A total of 2,700 citizens cast early votes ahead Thursday’s special state House District 95 election in eastern Shelby County. And on election day, three of the 14 polling places – two in Collierville and one in Germantown – will move from their regular locations.

39. The Week Ahead: June 5-11 - Monday, June 5, 2017

Hello, Memphis! This week, we’re getting into the swing of things with the FedEx St. Jude Golf Classic, jumping into the ring at the Germantown Charity Horse Show and catching a free flick at an outdoor movie screening. Check out the rest of our top picks in The Week Ahead…

40. Luttrell: Mend Issues That Divide Region - Thursday, May 18, 2017

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell says his hope for a more civil national political discourse may be “a little Alice in Wonderland.” And there are times when he sees local discussions veering in the direction of “Nashville and Washington,” he told the Memphis Rotary Club Tuesday, May 16.

41. 'Who is a Democrat?' - Friday, May 5, 2017

Through two meetings in less than a week, the leader of a reorganization of the Shelby County Democratic Party has heard one discussion more than any other issue raised in the gatherings.

“Who is a Democrat?” attorney and former local party chairman David Cocke said in defining the issue at the start of the second forum in Midtown Wednesday, May 3.

42. Mills Looks To Spread Republican Reach in City - Tuesday, March 21, 2017

The Shelby County Republican Party is becoming more diverse and working to get back non-voting Republicans, its new permanent chairman says.

“For the longest time, we’ve talked about going into the African-American community, talked about going into the Hispanic community,” Lee Mills said. “But we haven’t actually done it and that’s our fault. We’ve got to reach out to them and we can’t reach out to them without going to them. So, we’re going to go to their communities and we’re going to find ways to do that.”

43. Mills Looks To Spread Republican Reach in 2018 County Elections - Monday, March 20, 2017

The chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party says the local party has to become more diverse and work to get back non-voting Republicans.

“For the longest time, we’ve talked about going into the African-American community, talked about going into the Hispanic community,” Lee Mills said. “But we haven’t actually done it and that’s our fault. We’ve got to reach out to them and we can’t reach out to them without going to them. So, we’re going to go to their communities and we’re going to find ways to do that.”

44. New Tri-State Defender Has Credibility, Influence in the Community - Thursday, February 9, 2017

When president and publisher Bernal E. Smith II speaks about his newspaper, The New Tri-State Defender, and how business is conducted today and what’s necessary for success going forward, he sounds like just about any other newspaper executive trying to navigate today’s quick-change media world.

45. Local Politicos Shift Focus to 2018 Given Expected Presidential Results - Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Former Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism threw a masquerade party two nights before Halloween on an excursion boat.

46. Local Democratic Party Troubles Follow Abysmal County Election Record - Tuesday, August 23, 2016

To those who don’t live and breathe politics, the Friday, Aug. 19, decision by Tennessee Democratic Party chairwoman Mary Mancini to decertify the Shelby County Democratic Party looks more serious than it is.

47. Last Word: Return of the Balloon Note, SCS and Migrant Teens & Greensward Doubts - Thursday, July 21, 2016

One of the prime culprits in the housing bubble burst that played a role in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression is back – the adjustable rate mortgage.

Numbers from Chandler Reports, the real estate information company that is part of The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc, show the number of such loans has spiked in the first half of this year and are the highest they’ve been since 2008, the year after the bubble burst nationally.

48. Chism Readying 2018 Bid for County Mayor - Thursday, July 21, 2016

Former Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism wants to be the Democratic nominee for Shelby County mayor in 2018, and he plans to begin his campaign after the November presidential election.

49. Last Word: Chips Moman, ServiceMaster Incentives and Crosstown High - Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Chips Moman has died. Word of his death Monday at a hospice in Georgia came two years after Moman was honored for his contributions to Memphis music and the city's history.

Those contributions were substantial and for quite a while they were overlooked – even while he was running the definition of a hit factory at American Sound Studios, a non-descript recording studio on Danny Thomas Boulevard at Chelsea Avenue in North Memphis.

50. Lack of Major State Races Tempers Political Picnic - Tuesday, June 14, 2016

'Hot' can be a political term. It can describe a close race or a very competitive race for elected office. When former Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism held his 16th annual political picnic Saturday, June 11, it was hot. And few of those at the Westwood gathering, other than perhaps the candidates, would describe this election season that way.

51. Local Democrats’ Differences Remain - Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Local Democratic Party leaders who backed pursuing a criminal complaint against former party chairman Bryan Carson said last week they hope to put the controversy over party finances behind them.

52. The Week Ahead: June 6-12 - Monday, June 6, 2016

Time to get this week started, Memphis! There’s plenty to keep you busy in this week’s roundup of need-to-know happenings, from the 50th anniversary of a seminal civil rights moment to a blast from the '80s-movie past...

53. Local Democrats’ Differences Remain - Monday, June 6, 2016

Local Democratic Party leaders who backed pursuing a criminal complaint against former party chairman Bryan Carson said last week they hope to put the controversy over party finances behind them.

54. Pope New Democratic Chairman as Party Pursues Complaint Against Carson - Friday, June 3, 2016

The interim chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party became the new chairman of the party Thursday, June 2. And the local party’s leadership voted to file a criminal complaint with the District Attorney General’s office against former chairman Bryan Carson over party finances.

55. Pope New Democratic Chairman as Party Pursues Complaint Against Carson - Friday, June 3, 2016

The interim chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party became the new chairman of the party Thursday, June 2. And the local party’s leadership voted to file a criminal complaint with the District Attorney General’s office against former chairman Bryan Carson over party finances.

56. Herenton Pitches Two New Schools For Juvenile Offenders - Friday, May 6, 2016

Former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton began Wednesday, May 4, with an appeal that got the attention of Shelby County Commissioners. “We don’t want your money,” he told 11 of the 13 commissioners in committee sessions as he pitched two new residential campuses for children in juvenile detention.

57. Chism Political Picnic Offers Pre-Campaign Snapshot - Monday, June 15, 2015

Memphis mayoral contender Jim Strickland saw a face he didn’t recognize Saturday, June 13, in the southwest Memphis crowd at former County Commissioner Sidney Chism’s annual political picnic.

58. County Budget Season Reflects Priorities, Angst - Monday, May 11, 2015

It’s that time of year in Downtown’s Civic Center Plaza.

In late April, May and into June, the budget committee sessions of the Memphis City Council and Shelby County Commission become the stage for the priorities – political and financial – of both bodies.

59. Well-Known Names Host Strickland Fundraiser - Thursday, March 26, 2015

At $1,500 per person or couple, a fundraiser Tuesday, March 24, for the mayoral campaign of Memphis City Council member Jim Strickland is an indication the campaign to the October city ballot is picking up in intensity.

60. Carson Departs, Problems Remain For Local Democrats - Tuesday, February 24, 2015

With about a month left in his term as chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party, Bryan Carson resigned Saturday, Feb. 21, after a confrontation behind closed doors with the party’s executive committee over his handling of the party’s bank accounts.

61. County Sees New Faces, New Directions - Thursday, January 1, 2015

There was a lot of moving around in Shelby County government in 2014, much of it the literal kind as the Vasco Smith County Administration Building was remodeled.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell got new offices in the renovation and the Shelby County Commission chambers got an upgrade as well with the commission offices and committee room moving from the fourth floor to the sixth floor.

62. Election Year Marks Passing of Generations - Monday, December 22, 2014

There were more than a few indications of the passing of political generations in Memphis this past year.

Political leaders left the scene to return to life out of office, got elected to other offices and, in some cases, passed away.

63. Commission Balks at Ford Appointments - Wednesday, September 24, 2014

When the Shelby County Commission moved back into its renovated chamber at the Vasco Smith Administration Building this month, the new chairman of the body, Justin Ford, had a new seating arrangement for the 13 members, including six newly elected commissioners.

64. Ford Chairmanship Continues Commission Tumult - Wednesday, September 10, 2014

The Democratic Shelby County commissioner considered a swing vote on controversial items during his first term on the commission won the chairmanship of the body Monday, Sept. 8, for the next year in a decidedly non-party line vote – at least in terms of those in his own party voting for him.

65. County Commissioners Bid Final Farewells - Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Shelby County Commission Chairman James Harvey began the group’s Monday, Aug. 18, meeting on a hopeful note.

66. Democratic Chairman Apologizes as Party Parses Defeats - Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Democrats don’t consider it a successful campaign season unless there is some kind of intra-party dust up, the political axiom goes.

That conventional political wisdom loses its validity the more Republicans win, and it suggests that when the differences within the party aren’t mended by a Democratic victory, a bigger skirmish is likely on the horizon.

67. Sheriff’s Race Reflects Different Law Enforcement Cultures - Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Bennie Cobb remembers how he got his first job in the local criminal justice system.

It was 1980, and Cobb – then 19 years old – went to apply for a job at the old City Jail.

68. Chism Picnic Reflects Summer Campaign Tone - Tuesday, June 24, 2014

From the stage at County Commissioner Sidney Chism’s annual political picnic Saturday, June 21, you could almost see the Aug. 7 election day.

69. Roland Challenges Brooks’ Votes - Monday, June 23, 2014

Shelby County Commissioner Terry Roland began taking steps last week to make a formal challenge of commission matters that have included votes by Commissioner Henri Brooks.

70. County Budget Season Not Over Yet - Wednesday, June 18, 2014

The Shelby County Commission defeated two competing versions of the county property tax rate for the new fiscal year on the second of three readings Monday, June 16.

But they both advance to third and final readings when the commission meets in July.

71. Schools Funding Compromise Avoids Legal Complications - Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Don’t expect to see construction work begin immediately at a school near you. But the Shelby County Commission’s approval Monday, May 12, of $52.1 million in capital funding for all seven of the public school systems in the county breaks the two-year intermission on schools construction funding that began with the 2011 move to a schools merger in Shelby County.

72. Brown Contempt Jailing Maps Political Challenge - Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The arrest of the Democratic nominee for Shelby County district attorney general Monday, March 24, is the best indication yet of the tumult within the local Democratic Party as it attempts to win countywide offices four years after losing every race to Republicans.

73. Commission Votes Down Family-Planning Rebid - Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Shelby County commissioners voted down a bid Monday, March 24, to rebid the county’s contract for federally funded family-planning services with Christ Community Health Services.

Some commissioners branded Commissioner Steve Mulroy’s effort to urge County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s administration to rebid the contract as a political effort. Mulroy is taking criticism from former Commissioner Deidre Malone in the three-way Democratic primary race for county mayor for his vote in favor of the contract in 2011.

74. Commission Votes Down Family Planning Services Rebid Resolution - Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Shelby County Commissioners voted down a bid Monday, March 24, to rebid the county’s contract for federally-funded family planning services with Christ Community Health Services.

And the commission rejected an August referendum item on eliminating any residency requirement from the Shelby County Charter for county government employees as well as Shelby County Schools teachers.

75. County Commissioners Review Ethics Code - Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Shelby County Commissioners take their first look Wednesday, March 19, at possible changes to county government’s ethics code.

The changes, proposed by Commissioner Steve Mulroy, touch on issues raised earlier this year when a panel of the county ethics commission considered and ultimately dismissed a complaint filed by Commissioner Terry Roland against fellow Commissioner Sidney Chism.

76. Shelby County Party Heads Look Ahead to Primaries - Tuesday, March 11, 2014

As Shelby County Democrats try to improve on losing every countywide office to Republicans in the 2010 county elections, party leaders are also warning political figures who identify as Democrats not to cross party lines.

77. Commission to Vote on Crosstown Funding - Monday, March 10, 2014

Shelby County Commissioners will vote Monday, March 10, on $5 million in public infrastructure funding for the Crosstown redevelopment project.

The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St. Follow the meeting @tdnpols, www.twitter.com/tdnpols.

78. Commission Sets Up in Temporary Space - Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Shelby County Commissioners will serve out the remaining seven months of their current four-year term of office by staying upstairs at the county administration building in their committee room.

The Monday, Feb. 10, commission meeting was the first in the expanded committee room as the ground floor chambers where the commission normally holds its twice-monthly voting meetings is renovated.

79. School Board Pay Raise Returns to Commission - Monday, February 10, 2014

Shelby County Commissioners vote Monday, Feb. 10, on a $20,800 pay raise for Shelby County School board members.

The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith Administration Building.

Follow the meeting @tdnpols, www.twitter.com/tdnpols.

80. Ethics Complaint Against Chism Dismissed - Monday, February 3, 2014

It was commissioner against commissioner in the highest profile use so far of Shelby County government’s current ethics policy.

And the dispute that affected the commission’s deliberations on a county property tax rate ended last week with a three-citizen panel dismissing County Commissioner Terry Roland’s complaint against fellow Commissioner Sidney Chism.

81. Ethics Panel Dismisses Roland Complaint Against Chism - Friday, January 31, 2014

The highest profile use of Shelby County government’s ethics policy since it was implemented in 2008 has ended with the three-citizen panel hearing a complaint by County Commissioner Terry Roland against fellow Commissioner Sidney Chism dismissing Roland’s claim.

82. Ethics Panel Dismisses Roland Complaint Against Chism - Friday, January 31, 2014

The highest profile use of Shelby County government’s ethics policy since it was implemented in 2008 has ended with the three-citizen panel hearing a complaint by County Commissioner Terry Roland against fellow Commissioner Sidney Chism dismissing Roland’s claim.

83. Newest County Commissioner Takes Seat - Wednesday, January 15, 2014

The newest Shelby County Commissioner is not a newcomer to politics.

But there will be something of a learning curve for former Germantown Alderman Mark Billingsley because of the uniqueness of each local legislative body from boards of aldermen to councils to school boards. The uniqueness isn’t in the structures of those bodies as much as it is in the personalities that come together on them.

84. Billingsley Is Newest County Commissioner As "Tax Dead" Program Advances - Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Former Germantown alderman Mark Billingsley is the newest Shelby County Commissioner.

On the second ballot Monday, Jan. 13, commissioners appointed Billingsley to fill the vacancy created by the resignation this month of Wyatt Bunker, who became mayor of Lakeland last year.

85. Commission to Have New Faces in 2014 - Friday, December 20, 2013

When Shelby County Commissioners said farewell to one of their own this week at the commission’s last meeting of 2013, it was the latest in a series of changes that will remake the 13-member body by this time next year.

86. Commission Appoints Avant To School Board, Keeps Shafer As Budget Chair - Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners appointed Shante Avant, a mother who has worked for the Women’s Foundation and other local nonprofits for 17 years, as the newest members of the countywide school board.

87. Commission Appoints Avant To School Board, Keeps Shafer As Budget Chair - Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners appointed Shante Avant, a mother who has worked for the Women’s Foundation and other local nonprofits for 17 years, as the newest members of the countywide school board.

88. Fire, Ambulance Utility District Idea Stalls - Wednesday, August 21, 2013

The idea of a utility district for fire and ambulance services in unincorporated Shelby County and several of the suburban towns and cities was voted down Monday, Aug. 19, by the Shelby County Commission.

89. Mays’ Ruling to Impact Future Schools Talks - Friday, August 9, 2013

The political stakes were high for some on the Shelby County Commission.

The majority on the body who voted to contest in court the creation of municipal school districts in Shelby County’s six suburban towns and cities was just as intent on playing a role in who went on the countywide school board a month into the first school year of the merger.

90. School Board Vacancy Collides With Redistricting - Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners have scrapped a plan to fill a vacancy on the countywide school board for now because it comes close to the Sept. 1 conversion of the 23-member school board to a smaller group.

91. Issues of County Budget Season Remain - Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Shelby County property tax rate of $4.38 is ready for the tax bills that are to go out starting later this month.

But with the county budget season now over, some of the major themes of the Shelby County Commission’s debate over taxes are likely to remain in play.

92. Commission Approves $4.38 Property Tax Rate - Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners approved a $4.38 county property tax rate Monday, July 22, ending a budget season that spilled into the first 22 days of the new fiscal year.

The key to the 7-5 vote on third and final reading of the ordinance was Commissioner Justin Ford changing his “no” vote earlier this month back to a “yes” vote and Commissioner Sidney Chism announcing he would no longer abstain from voting on the matter because of a day care center his family operates.

93. Tax Rate Delay Could Affect County Cash Flow - Thursday, July 11, 2013

Shelby County property taxes aren’t due until October, but the tax bills were to go out to taxpayers later this month.

And that could cause some cash flow problems if a new county property tax rate isn’t set soon.

94. Commission Awaits Next Budget Steps - Wednesday, July 10, 2013

When Shelby County Commissioners get together Wednesday, July 17, for committee sessions, they will probably begin to fill in some of the blank space left in the wake of their decision this week to vote down a $4.38 county property tax rate.

95. Commission Votes Down $4.38 Tax Rate - Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners voted down a $4.38 county property tax rate Monday, July 8, in a decision that could reopen the county’s operating budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.

At the least, the commission vote means it will be mid August at the earliest before the commission sets a tax rate. But if the commission lowers the tax rate from $4.38, it would force reconsideration of a county operating budget that is based on that higher tax rate.

96. Commission to Vote on $4.38 Tax Rate - Monday, July 8, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners take a final vote Monday, July 8, on a new county property tax rate of $4.38.

The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St.

97. Commission Approves Schools Budget - Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Two weeks out from the formal start of the merger of Shelby County’s two public school systems, critics of the merger on the Shelby County Commission portrayed it as about the Memphis City Schools’ or the Shelby County Schools’ way of doing things.

98. Schools Payroll Changed Back As Commission Okays Schools Budget - Tuesday, June 18, 2013

A week after announcing a change in when Shelby County Schools teachers get paid in the schools merger that begins July 1, interim schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson changed course. The change keeps teachers from the two systems on different pay schedules for the first year of the merger.

99. Chism Pushing for Younger Democratic Contenders - Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Candidates in the 2014 elections for Shelby County Commission emerged at Commissioner Sidney Chism’s political picnic over the weekend.

100. Funding Conundrum - Friday, May 24, 2013

There were times this week at the Shelby County Commission when the debate over school funding and the schools merger made the superintendent of the consolidated school system more spectator than presenter.