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.
There are 4042 articles by Bill Dries :
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and a representative of County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. sparred Wednesday, March 24, over accusations that Ford violated the county charter with a 2019 grant and Harris’ involvement in the allegation.
Terminating the city’s contract with Waste Pro USA to pick up garbage in Cordova, Hickory Hill and parts of East Memphis would be a pretty straightforward process based on the last trash contract the city terminated.
Waste Pro is the second private contractor in three years to have the solid waste contract for parts of Cordova, Hickory and East Memphis, known on solid waste routes as Area E.
The Monday, March 22, meeting also featured the defeat of a resolution calling for federal officials to reconsider a nationwide permit for the pipeline project granted in February by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The County Commission put off a vote on the change in the reappraisal cycle until its April 12 meeting as commissioners hear a lot from constituents about increased property values in the current reappraisal.
Commission also approves the appointment of Dr. Marco Ross as Shelby County medical examiner.
An independent report concluded Ford failed to disclose a county grant he proposed in 2019 would be used to buy computer equipment from Ford totaling $45,000.
The move to every other year comes as property owners are getting reappraisal notices this month that increased property values by an average of 15% to 20% countywide.
Opponents of the oil pipeline want to keep the dispute in local and state courts. But federal courts have helped to speed up the legal process for pipeline companies. Both approaches are in play behind a blossoming opposition movement that has linked arms with past environmental struggles in the city. Related story: Pipeline Players: Who's who in the controversy over the Byhalia Connection Pipeline
On “Behind the Headlines,” Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer and Memphis City Council member Martavius Jones discussed their hopes for joint sessions on economic development reform. The two meetings come with a lot of advance planning.
During a wide ranging interview on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, state House Speaker Cameron Sexton also questioned whether the new federal COVID stimulus package is necessary for Tennessee.
But members stop short of reviving the consultant’s contract for the next step in the review process and sending it back to the City Council. The council’s rejection of the contract last year stalled the process.
The final vote Tuesday shifted dramatically after the owner of a Petland store in Wolfchase that prompted the ban ordinance complained he had been harassed by city inspectors who cited him for three violations last Friday.
In addition to the Wells monument, the council approved two new sewer fees and a TIF agreement for Downtown.
The council delayed a decision on the compromise Tuesday, March 16, to see if the MLGW board should or would act first. Getting the process back on track involves questions about the city charter and the separation between city goverment and the city-owned utility.
Questions about opinions and litigation Tuesday in council committee turned into a rallying cry for some to join a legal fight in the name of the city’s underground water source.
Here are a few links and pointers to follow if you have questions about your reappraisal notice. Property values jump in reappraisals but tax calculations still to comeRelated story:
The 15-page report obtained by The Daily Memphian details a nearly year-long investigation that initially faded for lack of corroboration but came back to life as paperwork confirming the grant emerged. Ford has contended he recused himself since he left the room during the vote on the grant. The report says that doesn’t resolve the conflict of interest and could lead to his removal from office.
The council could take the first of three votes Tuesday, March 16, on a ban of retail sales of dogs and cats as a national pet store chain has moved into Wolfchase. The council could also try to regulate where pipelines are located as a first step toward stopping the Byhalia pipeline project.
About two-thirds of the new property values, done once every four years, have been mailed. The reappraisal starts a complex and political process across all of the local governments in Shelby County that ends with setting new property tax rates.Related story:
Three MPD deputy chiefs and four police professionals outside the MPD are among the candidates being considered to succeed retiring Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland will make the decision and take it to Memphis City Council for confirmation.
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton toured several of the city’s natural hair salons and schools Friday, March 12, with state Rep. Antonio Parkinson. Deregulation of the industry has been a contentious issue in the Tennessee General Assembly in recent years.
The Memphis Zoo’s leader says for now he will proceed as if the parking deck won’t be needed. Meanwhile, a new parking by app program begins Monday, March 15, on Front Street by the Mud Island entrance and on Monroe Avenue in the Edge District.
The County Commission Scorecard tracks votes on a piece of legislation in Nashville that would change the way county commissioners are elected and final approval of a share of county contracts for locally owned small businesses.
On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, council member Rhonda Logan says the police force needs more officers but also needs to change the way those officers are used with a return to community policing.