Seven apply to fill open District 4 city council seat
The 12 council members have seven applicants for the seat, vacant since the Aug. 9 resignation of Jamita Swearengen.
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The 12 council members have seven applicants for the seat, vacant since the Aug. 9 resignation of Jamita Swearengen.
Michalyn Easter-Thomas has the backing of a coalition of groups who want to explore not only new district lines for the council but possibly a restructuring, including runoffs and eliminating super districts.
With little fanfare, the council pulled its Aug. 9 vote defeating a ballot question on partisan city primaries. The reconsideration could amend that plan to a proposal to restore the runoff provision in the race for Memphis mayor.
The goal was to set new boundaries for the District 4 special election in November but the map, released just ahead of the Tuesday vote, featured changes to other districts. The council appeared likely Tuesday, Aug. 23, to reopen and redraw the map next year ahead of regular October 2023 city elections.
The council sets the district lines for the Nov. 8 ballot special election in council District 4. Meanwhile, the council plans to appoint someone to the seat in the interim to serve until the special election winner is certified.
Whoever gets the appointment would serve approximately two months until the winner of a special election on the Nov. 8 ballot is decided. Meanwhile, the deadline to file for the special election race on the November ballot is Thursday at noon.
The race for the vacant Memphis City Council District 4 seat has already drawn four contenders, including the sister of a council member who gave up the seat following her victory in the August county elections.
The resignation comes as the council debates whether or not to make changes to district lines ahead of the special election .
The council vote Tuesday, Aug. 9, followed a Democratic sweep last week in county elections and a failed ballot question on extending city term limits.
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Council members talk about new district lines a week after council chairwoman Jamita Swearengen was elected Circuit Court Clerk. She has 90 days, under terms of the county charter, to resign from the council.
Council chairwoman Jamita Swearengen and council member Worth Morgan are running for county positions. The possibility of either or both winning is behind a scramble by the council to draw new district lines.
Among other topics, the discussion of the city’s capacity for bond debt will come into play during Tuesday morning committee sessions.
Some City Council members think the city could take on more risk with One Beale’s Grand Hyatt, while some say other projects come first.
The standoff over terms to start construction of the third of three hotels at One Beale remains despite Thursday’s council vote.
The Thursday 4 p.m. session at City Hall comes after the city administration balked at a change in the terms of a city-funded backstop for the hotel project. The delayed Tuesday vote came as the administration got some expressions of concern from state officials.
The resolution by council member JB Smiley, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination for Tennessee governor, calls on county law-enforcement officials not to enforce state abortion law. City Council approves Frayser expansion of manufactured housing City attorney ready to make recommendation on energy consultant for TVA-MLGW debateRelated stories:
In April, the Memphis City Council authorized its attorney Allan Wade to identify potential energy consultants. He researched 21 potential candidates.
The decision was one of several by the Memphis City Council in a Tuesday, July 12, agenda that was heavy with planning and development items.
At stake is the financing for the last of three hotels at the One Beale development that together would serve as a second convention center hotel.
The Memphis City Council meets Tuesday, July 12, at 3:30 p.m. Committee sessions start at 8 a.m. at City Hall. Items on the agenda include One Beale financing and Frayser flood plain housing.
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The council also discussed the riverfront’s Cobblestone Landing, a blight and illegal dumping task force and police escorts for Donald Trump’s Southaven speech.
The ordinance was tabled Tuesday, June 21, by its council sponsor, Martavius Jones.
The ballot question would be the second amending the city charter in this election year. Also on the budget are Memphis Area Transit Authority funding and the city’s blight problem.