Edmund Ford Jr. is pushing for a dedicated revenue stream for the Memphis Area Transit Authority and road projects while holding seats on the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission.

And it could take him through the 90 days he has before he must give up the council seat, Ford said this week.

2. Last Word: New Council Smell, Harris's First Pick and Detroit's Comeback - Wednesday, August 29, 2018

After months of renovation work, the new Memphis City Council committee room was ready for the council Tuesday on the fifth floor of City Hall. The council had been meeting in its chambers on the ground floor for the seven hours of committee meetings that precede the council’s main voting meeting at 3:30 p.m. two Tuesdays a month. The council room has that new council smell -- kind of ironic for a body that is about to get three new members by the end of the year.

3. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.

4. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.

5. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.

6. Managing Public Office With Private Lives is a Question of Balance - Saturday, August 11, 2018

They juggle work and home life just as their counterparts in the business world, but women in public office do so under the full-time weight of civic duties that sometimes lead to hazards in their lives.

7. De-Annexation Plan Encounters Council Resistance - Wednesday, July 25, 2018

The Strickland administration’s proposal to de-annex two more parts of the city – Southwind-Windyke and Rocky Point – got bad reviews Tuesday, July 24, in city council committee sessions on their way to the first of three council votes in August.

8. Council Approves 13-Year Contract with MRPP - Thursday, June 21, 2018

Memphis City Council members gave the Memphis River Parks Partnership a 13-year contract to manage and operate the city’s riverside parks Tuesday, June 19, with a 10-year renewal option.

The MRPP, which until earlier this year was the Riverfront Development Corp., sought a 10-year contract with the city in order to promote the stability of the organization in drawing private and philanthropic funding for the city’s riverfront plan.

9. Council Approves 13-Year Contract with MRPP, Makes End of Fiscal Year Moves - Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Memphis City Council members gave the Memphis River Parks Partnership a 13-year contract to manage and operate the city’s riverside parks Tuesday, June 19, with a 10-year renewal option.

The MRPP, which until earlier this year was the Riverfront Development Corp., sought a 10-year contract with the city in order to promote the stability of the organization in drawing private and philanthropic funding for the city’s riverfront plan.

10. Council Approves 13-Year Contract With MRPP, Makes End of Fiscal Year Moves - Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Memphis City Council members gave the Memphis River Parks Partnership a 13-year contract to manage and operate the city’s riverside parks Tuesday, June 19, with a 10-year renewal option.

The MRPP, which until earlier this year was the Riverfront Development Corp., sought a 10-year contract with the city in order to promote the stability of the organization in drawing private and philanthropic funding for the city’s riverfront plan.

11. Graceland Arena Controversy Shows Strings as it Broadens - Monday, May 21, 2018

Elvis Presley Enterprises and City Hall got together last week in Whitehaven on neutral ground to talk about Graceland’s expansion plan, specifically a 6,200-seat arena. And from a distance you could barely see the strings from the arena attached to the 1,000-job manufacturing facility Graceland has also talked about starting on Brooks Road.

12. Not Taking Sides - Friday, May 11, 2018

Elvis Presley Enterprises’ push to get city and county officials to back its plans for a Whitehaven arena hasn’t made very much progress, judging from discussions this month by the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission.

13. Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Puts $5 Million in Whitehaven Park Renovation - Wednesday, April 18, 2018

A Whitehaven park is getting a $5 million remake, including a $900,000 endowment fund to keep the new David Carnes Park ready for recreation.

14. Council to Discuss City Pre-K Funding Proposal - Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Memphis City Council members have their first discussion Tuesday, March 20, on Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland ’s proposal to provide $6 million in city funding to expand prekindergarten programs by 2020.

15. Events - Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Memphis International Airport will host the MEM Modernization Pre-Bid Networking Forum Thursday, March 8, from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis, 3700 Central Ave. Attendees will hear from airport officials, learn about the bidding process and meet eligible bidders who are being evaluated for the B Concourse modernization project. Local, minority- and women-owned businesses are encouraged to attend to learn about subcontracting opportunities. Visit flymemphis.com/prebidforum to learn more.

16. Events - Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Leadership Memphis hosts its 2018 Leadership Awards Luncheon Wednesday, March 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Memphis, 939 Ridge Lake Blvd. Social and business entrepreneur Josh McManus will present the keynote, and the organization will honor three community leaders and eight SUCCESS high school students for their outstanding leadership and community service. Tickets are $50. Visit leadershipmemphis.org for details and tickets.

17. Council and Commission Talk Pre-K and Workforce Development - Monday, March 5, 2018

When 20 of the 26 Memphis City Council members and Shelby County Commissioners got together Thursday, March 1, at Beale Street Landing, the idea of county government providing funds to expand access to prekindergarten got resistance on the county side.

18. The Week Ahead: February 26-March 4 - Monday, February 26, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! There are plenty of business, government and sporting events to keep your interest this week, along with the annual farm and gin show. And Shakespeare could inspire some Shelby County students to have their works published in a literary magazine.

19. Council Debate on MLGW Rates Reveals Trust Issues - Thursday, February 8, 2018

It began after the Tom Lee storm last Memorial Day weekend – a burst of sudden, intense winds that knocked out power to 188,000 homes and businesses as well as toppling the circa-1950s obelisk memorial to Tom Lee Downtown.

20. Shelby County Prekindergarten Push Remains in General Terms for Now - Saturday, January 13, 2018

Nearly six years after voters defeated two ballot questions in as many years that would have provided a tax revenue steam for universal prekindergarten, the pre-K quest is back.

The return of a coordinated civic and political push for pre-K comes about five years after a combination of state and federal funding as well as a shift of county government’s early childhood Head Start contract to Shelby County Schools.

21. City, County Governments on Different Paths - Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and the city council members are half way through their four-year terms of office with the new year.

22. Groundswell of Support - Saturday, December 16, 2017

(From left to right) Alberto Garibi, Joann Massey, Bruce Lerner, Robert Knecht, Patrice Robinson and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland celebrate the groundbreaking for the partnership between PeroxyChem and the Maynard C. Stiles Wastewater Treatment Plant. In partnership with the city of Memphis, PeroxyChem’s production will result in reliability of supply and save the city the cost of shipment, while also creating local jobs with a particular focus on hiring minority-owned subcontractors.

23. What to Give Them for Christmas - Friday, December 15, 2017

GIVE THEM TOMORROW. See the children. See them run. 

See the children. See them play. 
See the children. See them see. 
See the children. See them learn. 
See the children. See all that’s possible.

24. Committee Outlines MLGW Proposals to Hike Rates - Saturday, December 9, 2017

Memphis City Council members paved the way Tuesday, Dec. 5, for a vote in two weeks on proposed increases to Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division electric, gas and water rates in the new year.

A council committee is recommending the following:

25. Committee Outlines MLGW Rate Hike Recommendations - Thursday, December 7, 2017

Memphis City Council members paved the way Tuesday, Dec. 5, for a vote in two weeks on proposed increases to Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division electric, gas and water rates in the new year.

A council committee is recommending the following:

26. Will Pre-K Put the City of Memphis Back in the Education Business? - Friday, December 1, 2017

For the first time since the city of Memphis ceased funding schools after the historic merger of city and county districts, it’s looking to get back into education – by putting dollars into pre-K classrooms.

27. Boyd Re-Elected As City Council Chairman - Saturday, November 11, 2017

The Memphis City Council re-elected Berlin Boyd as chairman of the body for 2018. He was elected to another one-year term Tuesday, Nov. 7, without opposition. Council member Frank Colvett was elected vice chairman over council member Janis Fullilove, who is currently vice chairman.

28. Boyd Re-Elected As City Council Chairman - Thursday, November 9, 2017

The Memphis City Council re-elected Berlin Boyd as chairman of the body for 2018. He was elected to another one-year term Tuesday, Nov. 7, without opposition. Council member Frank Colvett was elected vice chairman over council member Janis Fullilove, who is currently vice chairman.

29. Council Explores Pre-Kindergarten Funding, But Sidesteps Idea to Increase Hotel Tax - Thursday, November 9, 2017

Memphis City Council members discussed a way to fund prekindergarten in Memphis public schools Tuesday, Nov. 7, but stayed away from specifics of a hike in the hotel-motel tax to the state cap of 5 percent.

30. Council Funds Beale Crowd Consultant, Abolishes $5 Cover - Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Memphis City Council members voted Tuesday, Nov. 7, to approve $50,000 in funding for a crowd control consultant for the Beale Street entertainment district and to end the $5 cover charge for entry into the district on spring and summer Saturday nights after 10 p.m.

31. Beale Street Task Force Goes Back to Work - Friday, October 27, 2017

The Beale Street Task Force has gone back to work on its recommendations to the Memphis City Council, and council member Martavius Jones is considering a proposal to hire a consultant to make recommendations on security measures for the entertainment district.

32. Beale Task Force Goes Back To Work - Thursday, October 26, 2017

The Beale Street Task Force has gone back to work on its recommendations to the Memphis City Council. And council member Martavius Jones is considering a proposal to hire a consultant to make recommendations on security measures for the entertainment district possibly funded with some of the money the city collected from a summer of a $5 cover charge on Saturday nights after 10 p.m.

33. City Lays Out Numerous Paths to Statue Removal - Thursday, October 19, 2017

City officials laid out numerous paths forward in the Confederate monuments controversy Tuesday, Oct. 17, that include closing Health Sciences Park entirely or building a memorial to lynching victims in the park plaza where a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest is now the centerpiece.

34. City Lays Out Numerous Options in Confederate Monuments Controversy - Wednesday, October 18, 2017

The city administration and Memphis City Council laid out numerous paths forward in the Confederate monuments controversy Tuesday, Oct. 17, that include closing Health Sciences Park entirely or building a memorial to lynching victims in the park plaza where a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest is now the centerpiece.

35. Whitehaven Boom Gets Arena Catalyst - Monday, September 4, 2017

As she looked across Elvis Presley Boulevard from the parking lot of the new Tri-State Bank headquarters at Elvis Presley and Farrow Road last week, Memphis City Council member Patrice Robinson took in the view of the new five-bay retail strip and looked north at another new strip soon to come online, and talked about a third in the works.

36. The King's Castle: Graceland, Whitehaven open 40th anniversary Elvis Week - Friday, August 11, 2017

It begins with a trivia contest and a sock hop. Those are the first two events Friday, Aug. 11, at the top of a crowded Elvis Week itinerary that marks 40 years since Elvis Presley died at Graceland.

37. City Council Members Express Uncertainty, Doubt Over Instant Runoff Voting - Monday, July 31, 2017

Memphis City Council chairman Berlin Boyd questions why there should be runoff elections for the seven single-member district seats of the council.

Boyd made the comment as he and other council members continued to react to plans by the Shelby County Election Commission to implement Instant Runoff Voting, or Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), starting with the 2019 city elections.

38. Juxtaposing Views Greet Voting Change - Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Memphis City Council members Edmund Ford Jr. and Patrice Robinson have each been on the winning side of a council runoff election and share a district border along Elvis Presley Boulevard in Whitehaven.

39. Task Force Experiences Beale Crowd Late Saturday - Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Among the thousands of people on Beale Street Saturday night after 11 p.m. were three Memphis City Council members and six Beale Street Task Force members.

The nine took in some of the late night revelry, stopping at several nightspots. But for the most part, they paid close attention to the entertainment district’s recently modified cover charge and the five checkpoints to enter and exit Beale Street on Saturday evenings in the spring and summer.

40. City Council Pushes Back at Administration - Thursday, June 22, 2017

Sometimes there are seven votes. Other times there aren’t. But Memphis City Council debates increasingly point to different thoughts about the city’s course as outlined by the administration of Mayor Jim Strickland.

41. City Council Approves DROP Freeze, Delays Stormwater and Sewer Fee Votes - Wednesday, June 21, 2017

The city has its third voluntary freeze on retirements in two years with a Tuesday, June 20, vote by the Memphis City Council. But it came after lots of council debate about whether the freeze might have the opposite overall effect of stabilizing the Memphis Police force at the top for future growth in the ranks below or whether it will prompt the middle ranks to exit quicker if they can’t rise in the ranks.

42. Whitehaven Unveils New Development Direction - Friday, June 16, 2017

It’s been 10 months since Rev. Earle Fisher was among the individuals turned away from Graceland’s annual candlelight vigil by Memphis police in a reaction to possible protests at the event.

43. Whitehaven Leaders Unveil New Economic Development Group - Thursday, June 15, 2017

It’s been 10 months since Rev. Earle Fisher was among those turned away from Graceland’s annual candlelight vigil by Memphis Police in a reaction to possible protests at the vigil commemorating the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death.

44. Railgarten Could Be Back At Memphis City Council - Saturday, June 10, 2017

The Memphis City Council may have more questions about the Railgarten bar/restaurant in Midtown.

The council questioned the development’s addition of intermodal containers and an outside area after the council approved a special use permit earlier this year.

45. Railgarten Could Be Back At Memphis City Council - Thursday, June 8, 2017

The Memphis City Council may have more questions about the Railgarten bar/restaurant in Midtown.

The council questioned the development’s addition of intermodal containers and an outside area after the council approved a special use permit earlier this year.

46. City Council Settles Budget, But Other Issues Remain - Thursday, June 8, 2017

The budget season at City Hall is over with the Tuesday, June 6, Memphis City Council vote approving a $680 million city operating budget, an $81.3 million capital budget and a $3.27 city property tax rate.

47. City Council Completes Budget Season, Says Larger Issues of Priorities Remain - Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, June 6, a $680 million city operating budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, an $81.3 million capital budget and a $3.27 city property tax rate.

48. City Council to Hold Railgarten Hearing May 23; Uses Impasse Panels for First Time - Thursday, May 11, 2017

Memphis City Council members will hold an evidentiary hearing in two weeks to sort out a Midtown restaurant-bar that ran afoul of approvals needed to open with annexes including intermodal containers and an outdoor area.

49. Council Moves to Operating Budget Examination - Thursday, May 4, 2017

Memphis City Council members open budget hearings Thursday, May 5, on Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s $680 million operating budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

50. Council Opens City Hall Budget Season - Wednesday, May 3, 2017

With an eye on the clock in the City Council committee room and rap of a gavel, council budget committee chairman Edmund Ford Jr. opened city budget hearings Tuesday, May 2.

“This is going to be kind of boring,” Ford said of the two afternoons spent by the committee on Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s capital budget -- $158.9 million in spending on one-time non-recurring items, mostly construction projects done in several phases over several years.

51. City of Memphis Budget Could Face Bumpy Road - Thursday, April 27, 2017

Memphis City Council budget hearings begin Tuesday, May 2, at City Hall starting with Mayor Jim Strickland’s $77.8 million capital budget proposal for one-time spending on construction projects and similar expenses that are normally financed with bonds.

52. Strickland Delivers $680 Million Operating Budget to Council - Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland delivered a $680 million city government operating budget proposal to the Memphis City Council Tuesday, April 25, with no property tax increase and no use of city reserves to balance it.

53. Council Approves $6.1 Million Crime Grant - Thursday, March 9, 2017

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, March 7, a $6.1 million four-year grant from the Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission to Memphis police for retention bonuses.

And the council moved a step closer to final approval later this month of changes to the city’s impasse proceeding for resolving stalled contract talks between unions and the city administration. The ordinance with the changes was approved Tuesday on the second of three readings.

54. Last Word: Reappraisal Roller Coaster, Closing the Airport Post Office and District 95 - Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Four years ago was a very different time in the world of property reappraisals. For the first time in the memory of most, if not all, of the local elected officials looking at how much money they would have, the 2013 reappraisal of property for tax purposes didn’t grow or at least remain level. Values were down reflecting the depths of the recession and more importantly the housing crash.

55. Council Approves Crime Commission Grant for Police Retention Bonuses - Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, March 7, a $6.1 million four-year grant from the Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission to Memphis police for retention bonuses.

And the council moved a step closer to final approval later this month of changes to the city’s impasse proceeding for resolving stalled contract talks between unions and the city administration. The ordinance with the changes was approved Tuesday on the second of three readings.

56. City Unions Pan Proposed Impasse Changes - Thursday, February 9, 2017

Unions representing city of Memphis employees gave a rough reception Tuesday, Feb. 7, to a proposal to revamp the city’s impasse proceedings for stalled contract talks between the unions and the city administration.

57. Rewrite of City Impasse Ordinance Draws Fire from Unions - Wednesday, February 8, 2017

The unions representing city of Memphis employees gave a rough reception Tuesday, Feb. 7, to a proposal to revamp the city’s impasse proceedings for stalled contract talks between the unions and the city administration.

58. Strickland Proposes 7 Areas for Possible De-Annexation - Friday, February 3, 2017

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland wants to at least discuss de-annexing seven parts of the city and reducing the city’s square mileage by 8 percent and thus increasing the city’s population density.

59. Strickland Proposes 7 Areas For Possible Deannexation - Friday, February 3, 2017

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland wants to at least discuss de-annexing seven parts of the city and reducing the city’s square mileage by 8 percent and thus increasing the city’s population density.

60. Deannexation Group Gets Dollar Figures on Leaving Memphis - Tuesday, January 24, 2017

If South Cordova, Windyke and Southwind leave Memphis, the city should get to keep sales tax and property tax revenue generated by commercial properties in those three recently annexed areas.

That, says Shelby County Commissioner Terry Roland, is the deal to be had in ongoing deannexation discussions.

61. Council Delays Dairy Vote, Backs MLGW Bill Rounding - Saturday, January 21, 2017

Memphis City Council members delayed Tuesday, Jan. 17, a vote on a Turner Dairy parking lot as part of a larger expansion in Overton Square. The expansion has drawn some opposition.

The council is now scheduled to take up the matter at its March 21 meeting.

62. Last Word: The Return of First United Methodist, T-STEM at East and Road List - Friday, January 20, 2017

For more than a decade, the skeleton of First United Methodist Church’s return on the northeast corner of Second Street and Poplar Avenue has been standing. It went up shortly after the last of the original church’s façade crumbled, dashing hopes that some of the blue-gray stones of the original church might survive following a disastrous 2006 fire. And now there are signs the church is about to return.

63. Council Delays Dairy Vote, Backs MLGW Bill Rounding Up - Thursday, January 19, 2017

Memphis City Council members delayed Tuesday, Jan. 17, a vote on a Turner Dairy parking lot as part of a larger expansion in Overton Square. The expansion has drawn some opposition.

The council is now scheduled to take up the matter at its March 21 meeting.

64. Council Discusses Disbanding Beale Street Authority - Thursday, January 19, 2017

Several Memphis City Council members talked Tuesday, Jan. 17, about undoing the Beale Street Tourism Development Authority and acting directly to hire a day-to-day manager for the entertainment district.

65. New Details of St. Jude Expansion Look to Medical Corridors To The East - Wednesday, January 18, 2017

The city’s plans for the Pinch District between the Pyramid and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are only half of the plan the city will seek expanded uses of the Tourism Development Zone and an expansion of a Tax Increment Financing district for.

66. New Details of St. Jude Expansion Look to Medical Corridors To The East - Wednesday, January 18, 2017

The city’s plans for the Pinch District between the Pyramid and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are only half of the plan the city will seek expanded uses of the Tourism Development Zone and an expansion of a Tax Increment Financing district for.

67. Council Discusses Abolishing Beale Street Authority - Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Several Memphis City Council members talked Tuesday, Jan. 17, about undoing the Beale Street Tourism Development Authority and acting directly to hire a day-to-day manager for the entertainment district.

68. Last Word: Last Council Session of 2016, Minority Business and Frugal Growth - Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Winter's first day is behind us and has taken down another Monday at the same time. For some of us, this week before Christmas means Tuesday is time for a bowl game, the Boca Raton Bowl where the University of Memphis Tigers are playing far from the cold winds that blow at home. Ah, but they still think of home even if its only when the ice cubes clink against the sides of the glass of whatever they are having poolside. Never think you are beyond the reach of home.

69. City Budget Season on the Way With Concerns - Tuesday, December 20, 2016

One of the highlights of 2016 for the Memphis City Council that took office in January with six new members was a budget season in which there were no significant changes in the proposal by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, who also took office in January.

70. Last Word: Epping Way, Conley's Return and 'Ascend' - Friday, December 16, 2016

What is the encore after a year that has included the opening of Big River Crossing, the eastward expansion of the Shelby Farms Greenline across Germantown Parkway to the old town part of Cordova and the opening of Shelby Farms Park’s Heart of the Park renovation? Two words: Epping Way.

71. Council Rejects 2 Car Lots, Amends DROP Freeze for C-Suite - Thursday, November 3, 2016

Starting a used car lot used to be a lot simpler. In fact it was considered a right – “development by right” – until a change in recent years in the local Unified Development Code.

72. Council Rejects 2 Car Lots, Amends DROP Freeze for C-Suite - Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Starting a used car lot used to be a lot simpler. In fact it was considered a right – “development by right” until a change in recent years in the local Unified Development Code.

Now the car lots require a special use permit from the Memphis City Council. And it’s a hard sell.

73. $92M Graceland Hotel Expected to Be a Catalyst for Whitehaven - Friday, October 28, 2016

The Heartbreak Hotel on Elvis Presley Boulevard was full Wednesday, Oct. 26 – its final night as a hotel.

By the time the $92 million, 450-room Guest House at Graceland resort opened across the boulevard Thursday morning, many of the doors at the Heartbreak Hotel were missing their room numbers – taken as souvenirs by guests who filled the circa-1980s hotel in its final days.

74. Council Approves Hotel In Leader Federal Building - Saturday, October 8, 2016

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, Oct. 4, a boutique hotel development in the Leader Federal bank building and an adjoining building on Madison Avenue at B.B. King Boulevard by Pardo Elemental Architecture of California. The council also approved a Kroger gas station convenience store on Poplar Avenue east of Kirby Parkway as an outparcel to the Kroger supermarket at that location.

75. Council Approves Hotel In Leader Federal Building - Thursday, October 6, 2016

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, Oct. 4, a boutique hotel development in the Leader Federal bank building and an adjoining building on Madison Avenue at B.B. King Boulevard by Pardo Elemental Architecture of California. The council also approved a Kroger gas station convenience store on Poplar Avenue east of Kirby Parkway as an outparcel to the Kroger supermarket at that location.

76. Pot Vote Seen as Foothold in Memphis Criminal Justice Changes - Thursday, October 6, 2016

There were two gateway debates in Memphis City Council chambers Tuesday, Oct. 4, as it debated and then approved an ordinance that gives Memphis Police the discretion to write a ticket with a $50 fine for possession of a half ounce or less of marijuana.

77. Council Passes Pot Ordinance 7-6 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016

The Memphis City Council gave final approval Tuesday, Oct. 4, to an ordinance that gives Memphis Police the discretion to write a ticket with a $50 fine for possession of a half ounce or less of marijuana.

78. Council Rejects Residency Requirement Referendum - Saturday, August 27, 2016

Memphis City Council members voted down on third and final reading Tuesday, Aug. 23, a referendum ordinance that would have put a new residency requirement for city employees to voters on the November ballot.

79. Bursting the Bubble - Saturday, August 27, 2016

Graceland is in Memphis. But the two have tended to coexist, rather than being part of each other, since Elvis Presley’s home opened as a commercial enterprise in 1982.

That is starting to change as a $137 million expansion of Graceland – a $92 million hotel resort opening in October and a $45 million, 200,000-square-foot entertainment complex west of the mansion to open in the spring of 2017 – begins to overlap with a renewed emphasis on Whitehaven as the home of many of the city’s middle class.

80. Council Votes Down Residency Requirement Referendum - Thursday, August 25, 2016

Memphis City Council members voted down on third and final reading Tuesday, Aug. 23, a referendum ordinance that would have put a new residency requirement for city employees to voters on the November ballot.

81. Local Task Force Prepares For Return of Deannexation Issue - Monday, August 22, 2016

You might call it round two of the deannexation battle.

In Nashville Monday, Aug. 22, a summer study committee of legislators picks up where the debate on a deannexation proposal during the Tennessee Legislature’s regular session ended earlier this year.

82. Council Mends CLERB Rules, Questions Future Role - Thursday, August 11, 2016

One of the last major acts of the Memphis City Council that left office at the end of 2015 was passage of an ordinance that reconstituted the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board.

The November 2015 passage was applauded by groups including the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center and Memphis United as giving the nearly 20-year-old board more teeth in investigating allegations of police conduct.

83. Rallings Vows to Reform Memphis Police Dept. - Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings will get a pay boost from $150,000 to $219,000 a year as he becomes the permanent head of the Memphis Police Department.

The appointment of Rallings by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland goes to the Memphis City Council for approval Tuesday, Aug. 9, for what is expected to be a unanimous vote.

84. Last Word: School Is In, It's Rallings and Looking At Our Reflection - Monday, August 8, 2016

The school year begins Monday across Shelby County – for students.

Teachers have been back for the last two weeks in one way or another preparing for the year. School administrators longer than that including some new principals at several schools.

85. Rallings: 'The World Is In Turmoil' - Monday, August 8, 2016

Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings will get a pay boost from $150,000 to $219,000 a year as he becomes the permanent head of the Memphis Police Department.

The appointment of Rallings by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland goes to the Memphis City Council for approval Tuesday, Aug. 9, for what is expected to be a unanimous vote.

86. Council Urges Strickland To Make Rallings Top Cop - Saturday, July 23, 2016

Interim Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings told city council members Tuesday, July 19, that if he is appointed permanent police director by Mayor Jim Strickland, he would commit to serve for the duration of Strickland’s current four-year term of office.

87. Council Urges Strickland To Make Rallings Top Cop - Thursday, July 21, 2016

Interim Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings told city council members Tuesday, July 19, that if he is appointed permanent police director by Mayor Jim Strickland, he would commit to serve for the duration of Strickland’s current four-year term of office.

88. Morrison Orchestrates Overton Park Compromise - Thursday, July 21, 2016

Before the Tuesday, July 19, Memphis City Council vote approving the Overton Park compromise, council member Worth Morgan commended fellow council member Bill Morrison for taking up the torch of trying to find a consensus between the Memphis Zoo and the Overton Park Conservancy.

89. The Week Ahead: May 30-June 5 - Monday, May 30, 2016

It's time to get this week started, Memphis! Here’s our roundup of local happenings you need to know about, from a Funkadelic party at the New Daisy to a Day of Merrymaking on the Greensward... 

90. Council Committee Probes Grant Requests - Thursday, May 26, 2016

Memphis City Council Budget Committee Chairman Edmund Ford Jr. likens it to the television show “Shark Tank.”

Instead of entrepreneurs, leaders of nonprofits made their pitches to the budget committee Tuesday, May 24, for grants from the council as part of the budget process.

91. Council Members Express Impatience with Minority Contracting Complexity - Monday, April 25, 2016

Some Memphis City Council members want to challenge City Hall’s existing minority business system as its minority business effort is being streamlined.

The possible challenge includes questioning the idea of percentage goals in contracting based on a complex formula that includes multipliers.

92. City Council Approves Parkside Development - Thursday, April 21, 2016

The Memphis City Council has approved the concept of Parkside at Shelby Farms Park, a $200 million mixed-use development on the northern border of Shelby Farms Park.

93. Green Sword - Saturday, March 5, 2016

First it was a rumor – there would be a move by the Memphis City Council aimed at putting a quick end to the long-simmering Overton Park Greensward controversy.

It would come quickly and just before the start of the third spring of protests against the Memphis Zoo's use of the northern part of the Greensward for overflow parking.

94. Council Gives Zoo Authority Over Greensward Parking - Thursday, March 3, 2016

The next step in the Overton Park Greensward controversy is up to the Overton Park Conservancy now that the Memphis City Council has given the Memphis Zoo control of the northern part of the Greensward.

95. City Council Comment Limits Raise Questions - Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Most Memphis City Council members don’t want to stop comments from the public during council sessions. But several do want a better explanation of how the comments work, what their role is and what kind of comments won’t be tolerated.

96. Strickland: Police Body Camera Rollout Requires More Personnel - Wednesday, February 3, 2016

The rollout of police body cameras will mean hiring more people at the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County District Attorney General’s office, according to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.

97. Council Members Settle In To New Assignments - Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Memphis City Council members file the last of the paperwork Tuesday, Jan. 19, from the 2015 elections to put City Hall’s power transition on record.

Meanwhile, the six new members are learning on the job as they chair several committees following assignments by council chairman Kemp Conrad: Martavius Jones is chairman of the council audit committee; Patrice Robinson chairs the Memphis Light Gas and Water Division committee; Jamita Swearengen is chairwoman of the parks and neighborhoods committee; council member Philip Spinosa leads the personnel committee, usually the first committee session of the council day; Frank Colvett chairs the planning and zoning committee, which is the last session of the day before executive session; and Worth Morgan is chairman of the public safety committee.

98. Crime-Ridden, Neglected Apartments Come Under Fire - Thursday, January 14, 2016

Several Memphis apartment complexes with long records of neglect and crime issues are the targets of a renewed political and bureaucratic push to improve conditions.

The efforts are a new front in the recent city movement to tackle Memphis’ blight problem. And it’s a front that invites skepticism.

99. After First Meeting, Personality of New Council Emerges - Thursday, January 7, 2016

The judgments began early for the new Memphis City Council, which met for the first time Tuesday, Jan. 5, at City Hall.

State Sen. Lee Harris, on hand to be honored as a former city council member, called the group the “Kumbaya Council,” as it approved 13 appointees by Mayor Jim Strickland, 11 of them with unanimous votes.

100. Editorial: New Faces, Familiar Questions at City Hall - Saturday, December 19, 2015

The new Memphis City Council will face some old issues and questions at the outset of their four-year term.

But as new councilwoman Patrice Robinson pointed out in our cover story, the challenge will be to move beyond treading water in the deep end of the political pool.