Bailey: McCarter the Maverick and the alternative voice in Lakeland
Clay Bailey
Clay Bailey, a lifelong Memphian, has worked as a reporter in the city four decades. He concentrated on suburban coverage for the bulk of his career, except for a stint as sports editor of The Daily Memphian when it launched in September 2018. He now is suburban editor and also serves as a freelance sports writer for The Associated Press.
Connie McCarter has earned a reputation over the past two years as an outlier in Lakeland politics. Someone who thinks contrary to the other members of the Lakeland Board of Commissioners. An independent thinker.
If there is a negative vote on an item in Lakeland, odds are it has her name next to the tally.
McCarter the Maverick.
Michael Waddell, our reporter in the Northeast Shelby County suburbs, spotlighted McCarter’s tenure halfway through her first term in Lakeland. She has certainly made a name for herself with her alternate positions on matters championed by Mayor Josh Roman and other Lakeland commissioners.
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