The district revised HVAC guidelines and its list of preferred vendors before bidding federally funded jobs.

In trying to quickly spend $172 million, the school district made decisions that limited competition for contracts, favored certain vendors and helped push overall costs up as much as 40%. 

Related story:
Changes in specs excluded key HVAC vendors from MSCS contracts

The Commission Scorecard looks at a series of votes on a longer discussion about finding enough capital funding over several years for new schools construction as well as Regional One Health.

The alleged members and associates of the Traveling Vice Lord/Junk Yard Dogs held positions within the gang, including chief of the streets, deck holder, enforcer, treasurer, chief of security and man of literature. 

The roundup includes the contenders for county mayor clashing over PILOTs and other economic development incentives, reaction to the Roe v. Wade repeal and early-vote strategies.

The new system includes a paper trail along with updated touch screen machines and an option to vote hand-marked paper ballots. 

The June 28 Shelby County Commission session saw an attempt to bring back to life bonuses some elected countywide officials proposed three weeks ago. 

At one point Shelby County commissioners forgot they had allocated capital funding to the county’s seven public school systems as they debate how to fund $350 million ask by Regional One.

The 9-2 vote at the Monday, June 27, commission completes city and county action to create an ongoing tax revenue stream expected to total $30 million in the next 8 years.

Related stories:

County Commission caught between capital funding for schools or Regional One

County weighs bonuses along with pay raise — again

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert says her office has been hand-stuffing envelopes, but she remains baffled by what caused the backlog. In the interim, county government has asked for a weekly inspection of the clerk’s license plate and car tag storage space. 

The housing will provide a home for four ex-offenders who are participating in the Shelby County Office of Re-Entry’s FOCUSED program, an 11-week training program that combines job readiness with the opportunity for selection into vocational training programs.

The agenda also includes $300,000 in funding for the Greater Whitehaven Economic Redevelopment Corp. Additionally, commissioners will consider a resolution urging the Tennessee General Assembly to change redistricting maps to reflect an accurate county line between Shelby County and Fayette County.

Related story:

County Commission goals include help for Regional One

And with almost half of Shelby County Commissioners leaving office in two months, they have a firm deadline to find $350 million in funding, their share of the project’s funding, for the county-owned hospital. The Commission also has ambitious plans to revamp the county’s MWBE program. 

Related story:

County Commission caught between capital funding for schools or Regional One

House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally held a ceremonial signing of the bill at City Hall in Memphis.

“We will lose young professionals, new college grads and young families to surrounding areas of other cities where there is substantial affordable housing available.”

Amy Weirich has been elected to serve on the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference’s Executive Committee.

The new bill will make it a felony to camp on local public property, punishable by up to six years in prison. With transitional homes filling up faster than ever, where does that leave Memphis’ homeless community? 

Related story:

Memphis group receives $3.8M grant to help combat youth homelessness

Since 2018, 7,500 property owners in Shelby County have fallen victim to this form of identity theft. 

The former president, the headliner at a conservative political conference on Saturday, offered a preview during a speech in Nashville of what he is likely to say.

Republican-controlled county commissions in other parts of Tennessee have moved fast when state legislative seats open up, appointing replacements in less than a month.

The County Commission Scorecard tracks the votes on the end of the budget season and several unrelated longstanding controversies the commission got off its plate in a marathon June 6 meeting.

The research mobile exhibit, led by the National Institutes of Health, stops in Memphis this week. 

The Shelby County Election Commission has until Monday to complete the process for primary races that each got fewer than 3,000 votes.

At a meeting Tuesday, local residents in favor of a split from the Tennessee Valley Authority criticized MLGW’s bid process — and learned who submitted at least one of the power proposals. 

“I am cautiously optimistic about what we have seen so far,” said Memphis-Shelby County Schools superintendent Joris Ray.