The Shelby County Board of Commissioners delayed a vote Monday, March 31, on creating an advisory group to work with the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board.

The delay came as some commissioners said the group’s creation would reverse an earlier resolution expressing no confidence in the school board.

Commission chairman Michael Whaley said he intends to amend how the advisory group would work and who would appoint individuals to it. The commission will discuss the group again during April 14 committee sessions.

“We’re trying to make a clutch shot after the shot clock has run out. This would have been most appropriate when we were talking about the no-confidence vote,” said Commissioner Britney Thornton.

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Other commissioners who didn’t vote for the no-confidence resolution — even when it was narrowed to those board members who favored firing MSCS Superintendent Marie Feagins — have said it’s time for the commission to put aside those differences and join with the school board to fight legislation that would allow a state schools takeover.

The school board voted to fire Feagins the day after the commission approved the no-confidence resolution, and the no-confidence resolution is cited as a qualification for a state takeover in state Rep. Mark White’s, R-Memphis, version of the bill. The Senate version sponsored by state Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Eads, differs from White’s version on several key aspects.

Thornton said there is no guarantee that the school board will work with an advisory group.

“It is too late. We should have stepped up a long time ago when the superintendent was in the process of being fired,” she said. “The rubber has hit the road, and we are just waiting to see what happens at the state (level).”

Meanwhile, the commission voted 12-0 to rescind its earlier resolution to hire a firm to conduct a forensic financial audit of the school district.

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The Tennessee Comptroller’s office is poised to spend $3 million in the upcoming state budget to hire a firm to do that audit.

With no discussion, the commission advanced two ethics ordinances on a second reading Monday to third and final votes at the April 14 commission meeting.

One ordinance would put two ballot questions to voters countywide on the 2026 ballot to more specifically define a conflict of interest in the county charter and allow for recall elections of MSCS board members. It advanced on a 9-0 vote.

The second ordinance would change the county ethics commission and make state laws with more specific ethics standards part of the county ethics code. It advanced on an 8-2 vote, with commissioners Erika Sugarmon and Amber Mills voting against the proposal.

Both the ordinances come as Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. was indicted on federal bribery and tax evasion charges in late February.

Ford did not vote Monday on either ordinance.