There are 900 article(s) tagged Shelby County Commission:
Shelby County commissioners voted Monday, Jan. 24, to make a return of federal oversight of Memphis-Shelby County Juvenile Court a part of its legislative agenda in Washington D.C.
Three county commissioners voted against the $1.44 million purchase of 180,000 tests in 90 kits with two tests a piece. One cited comments by Dr. Ben Carson on Fox News earlier this week complaining that more tests would mean a rise in COVID cases.
Shelby County commissioners meet in special session Wednesday, Jan. 19, to approve $1.4 million in funding to buy 15,000 COVID self-test kits at a unit price that comes to 180,000 tests.
Edmund Ford Jr. said he was “sort of offended” after an executive from The Commercial Appeal complained to the commission over Ford’s treatment of a reporter.
Shelby County Health Department director Dr. Michelle Taylor also complained about employers requiring a test for workers who have quarantined for the recommended five days to return to work after initially testing positive for COVID.
The money will mean raises of up to 20% for guards working at prisons run by the county administration.
County commissioners will get their second briefing from the Health Department in a week about the effect the new Omicron variant is having on local hospital capacity.
The Shelby County Commission Scorecard tracks the votes at the final meeting of 2021 that approved pay raises for the commission, county mayor and sheriff. Also approved: Giving $6.7 million toward the redesign of Tom Lee Park.
So far, 43 contenders have pulled qualifying petitions to get on the May 3 county primary ballot. Three have also filed their petitions with the Shelby County Election Commission.
The votes at the last meeting of 2021 will determine if the commission itself should get a pay hike and whether the mayor and sheriff also get raises. If approved, the raises would take effect after next year’s county elections.Related article:
The commission being elected in August with at least six new members will get a 19.9% pay raise. The mayor and sheriff elected on the same August ballot will get 21% raises.
Shelby County Health Department director Dr. Michelle Taylor told Shelby County Commissioners Monday, Dec. 20, that caution is recommended for holiday gatherings.
Althea Greene opened her bid for the District 7 commission seat by saying Tennessee’s new open carry gun law is meant to increase violence and killings. Candidates can begin pulling and filing qualifying petitions in the May primaries, including the commission races, starting Monday.
The County Commission Scorecard looks at the second- reading vote on pay raises for some of the county’s top elected officials and the political perils of raising your own pay while preparing to run for re-election.
On Monday, Dec. 6, the Shelby County Commission approved the Economic Impact Plan for Union Depot, which in the process approves a TIF district for the project.
Perkins, who served in county government for more than two decades, died over the weekend.
The commission, sheriff and mayor raises moved forward on the second of three votes Monday, with third and final vote in two weeks. Commission rejects Singleton Parkway convenience store with gas pumpsRelated story:
While punting on the gas station, the Shelby County Commission did approve an appeal for a gated community on Forest Hill Irene. Also, Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. defended his father against criticism of his behavior at a Memphis City Council meeting last month.
The commission could address pay raises for itself, the mayor and sheriff are on Monday’s agenda. A commission pay raise would trigger pay raises for city council members and possibly the Shelby County Schools board.
The County Commission Scorecard finds a lot of commissioners on the fence for now when it comes to raising the pay of the sheriff and mayor. The scorecard also chronicles the final series of votes on new district lines for the commission going into the 2022 elections.
Left unresolved is $7.9 million in ARPA spending for FedExForum that commissioners delayed action on.
If approved on three votes, the raises would apply to the next term of office that begins Sept. 1, 2022, after next year’s county primaries and general elections. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says he doesn’t support it.
The commission also votes Monday, Nov. 15, on $10.8 million in indirect federal American Rescue Plan Act funding delayed when the commission approved a budget for using most but not all of the federal funding.
The 21% raises garnered only two yes votes and two no votes in the first of three readings with seven county commissioners abstaining. The final vote is set for Dec. 20 and will take nine votes to be approved.