Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
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The Daily Memphian’s D.C. Scorecard finds bipartisan support for Israel among the city’s representatives in the Capitol but disagreement on what if any role the U.S. unfreezing Iranian assets may have played Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
Some of the newly elected city council members will likely be at the Tuesday, Oct. 9, council session to prepare for taking office January 1. The current council is scheduled to take first votes on two referendums that would change future city elections if approved by city voters.
The Daily Memphian political reporters Sam Hardiman and Bill Dries go over some notes on the 2023 city elections and what the unofficial results mean in an “On The Record” podcast.
At the first city council meeting since the Oct. 5 Memphis elections, council members advanced two ballot questions for 2024 that could change future city elections if approved by voters.
Opposition to the plan for a fiber optic network at 1 gigabyte surfaced from Comcast in council committee sessions Tuesday, Oct. 10. Related story: Memphis City Council introduces new referendums for 2024 election
Memphis in May confirmed in a Thursday, Oct. 12, press release that, at least for next year, the music festival would be “paused” and the barbecue fest would move to Liberty Park.
The group that started the Mempho festival is behind the effort and in recent years has branched out to booking a variety of other music events beyond the festival.
The music festival that began as an off-shoot of the Memphis In May International Festival 46 years ago has at times had a turbulent history as it has grown into a major attraction. Mempho producing a new music festival in Tom Lee Park in MayRelated story:
Shelby County commissioners kick off a new effort Monday, Oct. 16, to require a certain level of pay for companies getting property-tax incentives from the Economic Development Growth Engine.
A plan to replace the Land Bank with a county government Real Estate Division moved ahead on the second of three votes. The commission also delayed revisiting a link between EDGE board incentives and wages.
The Shelby County Election Commission may take a closer look at its procedures after a poll inspector’s car was broken into the day before election day. The commission voted unanimously Monday, Oct. 16, to certify the election results.
The increase reflected in certified vote totals approved by the Shelby County Election Commission did not change the outcome of any of the races on the Oct. 5 city ballot. The commission also approved early voting locations and hours for the Nov. 16 runoffs in three city council districts.
The 28 people named Wednesday, Oct. 18, will lead a team of more than 85 in making recommendations between now and Jan. 1, 2024, when Paul Young takes office as the mayor of Memphis.
City council members Chase Carlisle and JB Smiley Jr. on “Behind The Headlines” say they are ready for a more assertive city council in the new term that begins in January as well as a more collaborative mayor.
Council members JB Smiley Jr. and Chase Carlisle want the council to choose either a return of the runoff provision or allowing partisan primary elections. Both referendum ordinances are up Tuesday, Oct. 24, for the second of three readings.Related story:
The council also moved closer to final votes next month on two ballot questions for next year that would change city elections, approved extra funding for the Cobblestones river landing restoration and was told it will take the National Ornamental Metal Museum longer for its renovation of Rust Hall in Overton Park.
The Daily Memphian’s D.C. Scorecard tracks the votes of the city’s two representative in the U.S. House as a new speaker was chosen Wednesday, Oct. 25.
The attorney, congressional contender and former chairman of the Memphis Housing Authority Board died last week when his brain cancer returned. Wilkins charted a political course that called for greater Black political unity in recent years.
Early voting in three city council districts runs Oct. 27-Nov. 11. Runoff Election Day is Nov. 16.Related story:
Here are the voting basics for the three Memphis City Council runoff elections during the early voting period that begins Friday, Oct. 27.
Beverly and Howard Robertson talk on “Behind The Headlines” about what they heard about crime from focus groups across the city as part of The Daily Memphian’s “Community Conversations” series. Memphis is in a ‘crime crisis,’ focus group participants say Who’s responsible for reducing crime? For some, the onus is on the mayor Like a weed, crime needs to be addressed at the root ‘Not willing to give up:’ What focus group participants said about crimeRelated content:
The commission also considers a study of wages paid by economic development projects that get property tax abatements as incentives at its Monday, Oct. 30, meeting.
U.S. Rep. David Kustoff and Tenneessee Gov. Bill Lee visited the East Memphis school to also look over new security measures funded with state and federal grants since a July incident on campus.
The resolution directing the Economic Development Growth Engine to conduct a study of the controversial idea fell short by two votes. The commission also delayed votes on the county land bank and a police review board.
The $3 million in federal funding is being subbed for $3 million in private funds raised by the Overton Park Conservancy and the Memphis Zoo toward the parking solution.