A majority of the commission could greenlight a restructuring of the proposed capital budget County Mayor Lee Harris takes to the commission in April.

The Daily Memphian’s County Commission Scorecard looks at the Feb. 22 commission meeting that was moved and covered two controversial topics, racial reparations and a special adviser for County Clerk Wanda Halbert.

County government celebrates its “MLGW independence day.” 

The special election to fill the vacancy for the state House seat held by the late Barbara Cooper was decided with the January primary. Democrat Justin J. Pearson is running unopposed on the Tuesday, March 14, ballot. He’s already serving in Nashville by appointment.

A small, but patient, group of South Memphis residents concerned about a cancer-causing pollutant in their neighborhood waited five hours to address the Shelby County Board of Commissioners yesterday. 

During its committee sessions, the Shelby County Commission sent the resolution to come up with a $350 million county funding plan for a Regional One campus rebuild to a March 20 vote without a recommendation.

Little more than a month after rolling blackouts and a precautionary boil water advisory, severe winter weather hit Shelby County again. 

Shelby County received $60 million for climate resilience projects in 2016 and work is ongoing in Raleigh, Frayser and Millington. A project along South Cypress Creek is just beginning. 

The Shelby County mayor wants to know if the current commission has the “political will” to support options that would also pay for new Frayser and Cordova high schools.

The commission votes Friday on a resolution urging the Tennessee legislature to resolve a dispute over the county line and a United States Census tract line. The difference encompasses about 200 Arlington homes.

Concerns about rental properties in the Bartlett area have drawn the attention of officials in the suburb, in the county and at the state legislature.

The commission meets at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22, when it will vote to change its meeting schedule to allow for a meeting seven hours later.

Through 901budget.com, users can access information about county budgeting and share their ideas about how funds might be prioritized.

Julia Gibbons, judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, administered the oath in a ceremony that included dozens of references to Ritz’ character, judgment and discipline.

The hearing room is a result of a court order that followed the American Civil Liberties Union and local advocacy groups threatening to sue Shelby County government for its bail and pretrial detention practices.

Sports Authority will also likely issue new debt for FedExForum renovations as well as be involved with providing financing options for Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium improvements. 

If the Shelby County Commission adopts a resolution of no confidence in Halbert, 88,481 voters have to sign a petition to put a recall question on the ballot. Republican state Rep. Mark White’s bill brings that down to 5,899.

This Commission Scorecard covers calls at the Feb. 6 meeting for police reform in the wake of the death of Tyre Nichols and the political clash with protesters and activists who pushed for more than resolutions.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris talks on “Behind The Headlines” about his renewed second-term focus on national issues and his willingness to cross jurisdictional and political boundaries.

The Southern Environmental Law Center said that EtO pollution in Memphis justifies the use of the Shelby County health officer’s emergency powers. The health department disagreed. 

The two resolutions approved unanimously drew criticism from activists because they are not binding on law enforcement. Commissioners are exploring ways to draft them as ordinances that could be more binding on the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert pledged the Riverdale branch office would open by the end of 2022. It’s not open yet, and Halbert told county commissioners Monday she doesn’t know when it will be.

The two resolutions signal a return to the issue of use of force by law enforcement for the commission as well as the Memphis City Council nearly three years after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis prompted votes by both bodies on a series of similar resolutions.

A new solar panel array will soon provide 100% of the energy for two county buildings. 

The County Commission will vote Wednesday on a move to make the primary winner of the District 86 special election the appointee until the uncontested March election results are certified.