Less than 24 hours before the partial closing begins, the Shelby County Clerk says it is to “stay ahead of February’s anticipated rush.”

With an empty Republican primary on Tuesday’s ballot and no independent candidates, the winner of the 10-candidate Democratic primary will be the de facto winner of the seat after the token March special general election.

The moratorium on the Monday, Jan. 23, agenda is the latest indication that commissioners want to reexamine land use and property transfers in blighted areas. 

The Germantown Republican pleaded guilty on Nov. 22 to two counts related to his unsuccessful run for Congress in 2016; about two weeks later, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended his license to practice law.

Republican David Kustoff sees the prolonged balloting for the new Speaker as a healthy sign for Republican unity. Democrat Steve Cohen says Republicans will remain unified in the short term, but not in the longer term.

The State House District 86 primaries have drawn 275 early voters through the weekend, out of the 45,000 in the district, which has raised questions. 

The County Commission acted on several fronts at its first meeting of the year Monday on the broader issue of the rules for tax sales and other transfer of parcels by the county. 

Related story:

Low turnout in special elections draws questions, complaints from County Commission

The commission’s earlier resolution urging the Tennessee Legislature to approve a rental registry for Shelby County was voted down last month after four commissioners recused themselves.

While hundreds of inmates sat in jail for more than 500 days awaiting their day in court, and victims longed for closure, the Shelby County Criminal Court held a total of 35 trials in 2022.

These five decisions in 2022 topped a review of the Shelby County Commission’s most crucial votes as chronicled by The Daily Memphian’s Commission Scorecard.

“It’s hard for me to go to the grocery store or a restaurant or church without somebody approaching me, expressing concern about juvenile crime,” said Bill Gibbons, president of the Crime Commission. “People are upset about it in this community.”

The Shelby County Commission Scorecard calls the roll and explains the importance of the last major votes of 2022, including the county’s part in the deal that moved control of three Germantown schools from one system to another.

Memphis has a massive crime problem. Steve Mulroy has lofty ideas about criminal justice reform, but priority is to reduce crime and make the city safer.

The text messages will only be used in the case of major emergencies, major disasters, terroristic acts or imminent danger that could potentially pose an immediate threat to Shelby County citizens. 

The Shelby County Commission will appoint the winner of the Democratic primary election Jan. 24. Since there are no Republican or independent challengers in the special March election, the appointee will effectively be the Tennessee House District 86 representative.

The Shelby County Commission passed the TIF trust fund to collect increased property city and county property taxes and use the revenue for Klondike redevelopment. The plan next goes before the Memphis City Council.

A public hearing highlighted skepticism about past efforts to bring blighted areas back to life, and fears the North Memphis neighborhood’s current residents could be displaced.

Bailey is perhaps best known as a lawyer representing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the sanitation workers’ strike of 1968, and also took on several high-profile legal battles to desegregate Memphis schools.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy will recuse the office from the case and seek a pro tem appointment of an independent prosecutor.

The $1.3 million is one-time money for the city’s bus system. Meanwhile, commissioner Henri Brooks voted against three grants made by other commissioners.

Some Shelby County Commissioners didn’t care for how terms of the deal that would transfer two Germantown namesake schools to the City of Germantown were made public.

MSCS leaders say they may be going to court. Meanwhile, the commission has delayed what was to be a final vote on a TIF district for redevelopment of Klondike.

In 2022 so far, 274 people have fallen victim to homicide in Shelby County. Although that is a decrease from the 316 who were honored during last year’s event, the pain was still the same for members of the audience.

The 2023 election year will begin in Memphis with a set of January primaries for the late Barbara Cooper’s state House seat.

The Shelby County Commission have appointed five more judicial commissioners as the criminal court system gears up for a new round-the-clock bail court.