While much speculation has centered around whether Shelby County Commissioner Mike Carpenter would serve as Memphis Mayor A C Wharton's Chief Administrative Officer, another name on Wharton's radar has been George Little, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction.

Wharton is expected to announce his CAO selection and some other key personnel decisions this week. Former City Councilman Jack Sammons was appointed CAO by then Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery and is still serving in that position.

The CAO, a crucial post responsible for running the city's day-to-day operations, may be the most important personnel decision Wharton makes.

Little was appointed state corrections commissioner by Gov. Phil Bredesen in 2005. A veteran corrections administrator, Little had served as Director of the Shelby County Division of Corrections before being tapped by Bredesen.

Little, whose academic history includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economic and Business Administration from Morehouse College in Atlanta, and graduate studies in Economics and Urban and Regional Development at the University of Texas, once served as an assistant to former Gov. Lamar Alexander in the Office of State Planning and steadily moved up within the corrections field.

Wharton's transition team has been busy evaluating city government, including important leadership positions at City Hall.

Transition team subcommittee headings include education and early childhood, workforce and economic development, diversity business development, government efficiency, neighborhood initiatives, public safety and finance .There also are subcommittees to study the city's legal and human resources divisions.

There's been a change of location for Memphis Mayor A C Wharton's first community meeting since taking over the seventh floor at City Hall.

The 5:30 p.m. meeting will now take place at Breath of Life Christian Church, located at 3795 Frayser-Raleigh Rd.

Wharton, who has been working on a plan to control gun violence, is hosting the community meeting following several high-profile crimes in the area, including four youth slayings.

Wharton said that he is "taking City Hall over to Raleigh and Frayser" and that he wants to hear from the community. Citizens will be able to ask questions and if answers aren't available on the spot, Wharton promises a written response.

Wharton will also talk about his gun crime reduction plan, including creating a gun offender registry similar to the registry system used for sex offenders, creating a special court for gun crimes and stiffer penalties for people selling illegal guns, especially to youngsters.

Wharton said the gun court, like the already established Shelby County Drug Court, would bring a carrot and stick approach that offers juveniles a path to a productive life but still has the threat of jail time.

The Drug Court began in 1997 as an alternative 12-month intensive program for nonviolent adult drug offenders. Criminal charges are dismissed upon successful completion of the program.

"We need to come up with the same thing when it comes to violence," said Wharton.

Wharton likened gun violence to a public health threat, one that everybody in the community should be talking about and working to vanquish. If the community could mobilize to fight gun violence the way it fights deadly infectious diseases - with public service campaigns, education and a daily drum beat of warnings - Wharton believes the city can conquer the epidemic of gun violence.

"When there is a Hepatitis outbreak we bring everybody in and you see how powerful that is," said Wharton.

The postvote reaction at the Shelby County Commission was interesting.

Republicans Mike Ritz and Wyatt Bunker both had an opportunity to block Joe Ford from becoming county mayor and send the process to a second round -- thus bringing forward outside candidates -- but they chose not to. Ritz said he had promised Ford he would support him through the first round, and that while he would have voted for Criminal Court Judge Otis Higgs or former City Councilman John Vergos, he ultimately preferred Ford over any candidates from outside the commission.

"I thought the best circumstance was to have a commissioner," Ritz said. "It's a huge unknown (to go outside). It's like a traveling salesman coming through, like when Sidney Shlenker came through here."

Ritz said he has full confidence in Ford to capably lead the county into a tough budget cycle.

"There are lots of problems but they've been there a long time," Ritz said.

Brooks said she switched her vote from Gibson to Ford because "I listened to my constituents," mentioning specifically the support from the "Baptist Ministerial Association" for Ford.

There was much talk before the vote was taken, between commissioners, about how the process had created a lot of "bad blood" and "hurt feelings." Kuhn said that "fence mending" would be required. Deidre Malone, a candidate in the 2010 mayoral election, talked about how a lot of "darts" had been thrown back and forth.

Ford, by the way, said on Monday that, "My last day of politics is August 31, 2010, and I won't ever seek office again."

The Shelby County Commission has appointed Joe Ford as the interim county mayor, to finish out the final year of A C Wharton's final term. Wharton resigned Oct. 26 to become Memphis mayor, and Ford will take office Dec. 10, the final day of office for acting mayor Joyce Avery, who as Commission Chairwoman had taken over for Wharton.

Ford will serve until after a new county mayor is selected by voters in the August county general election.

Two commissioners, Democrats Henri Brooks and James Harvey, changed their votes from commissioner J.W. Gibson II to Ford, with Harvey doing so in dramatic fashion.

"At this time I will end the cycle and cross the line and vote for Ford," Harvey said when the roll call vote got to him in the second round of voting.

That moved the drama to Republican commissioner Wyatt Bunker, who had supported Ford in voting last week but had voted for Avery in the first round. He went with Ford.

"We will hit the ground running," Ford said, and promised to form seven new task forces.

"I will lead this county and lead this county well."

The Shelby County Commission is about to begin the first round of voting. The nominees are all the commission's own -- Joe Ford, J.W. Gibson II and acting mayor Joyce Avery.

Criminal Court Clerk Otis Higgs is not part of this round, but it is unlikely that any of the three will get the votes required. The commissioners, including Chairman Sidney Chism, have made it clear they don't want to give Ford and Gibson more than one round.

Criminal Court judge Otis Higgs gave an impressive speech before the Shelby County Commission, applying to be appointed to finish out the final year of former Shelby County mayor A C Wharton's final term.

Higgs, 72, went through the long list of ways he has served the county and said, "I have a broad spectrum of experience in county government. ... I am intimately familiar with the inner workings of county government and have had the opportunity to live and breathe and love this county."

More from Higgs: "I am asking for your support not so much as an applicant. I don't come with a constituency or with a groundswell of votes. I don't come with a platform. I certainly don't come today with a list of consituency ready to serve. I come merely as a public servant ready now to ride into the sunset.

"I would love to go out riding a horse of success having served as county mayor. That would be my final venture."

There has been a 10-minute delay at the Shelby County Commission as they await the arrival of a few more members to vote for Shelby County mayor. Commission Chairman Sidney Chism told The Commercial Appeal that he does not believe the meeting will last more than 30 minutes, and believes that either Joe Ford or Otis Higgs will be the next county mayor.

Chism said that after initial nominations of commissioners Joe Ford and J.W. Gibson, he will see if "Ford has the votes." If Ford nor Gibson has the seven votes, Chism said "we will go straight to Higgs."

Chism said it is his understanding that Higgs has the votes. Several people are here supporting Higgs, including former City Councilwoman and state legislator Carol Chumney and State Rep. G.A. Hardaway.

Hardaway tells The CA he believes that Higgs has the votes as well. Commissioner George Flinn is the only member who has not arrived and Mike Carpenter has asked for a delay until Flinn arrives.

Commissioner Mike Ritz has asked that Higgs be allowed to come forward and introduce himself from the podium.

The County Commission is gathering now for vote on county mayor. Among those who arrived early are former City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Carol Chumney, former City Councilman John Vergos of The Rendezvous, State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, and Criminal Court Clerk Otis Higgs.

Chumney said "she's not at liberty" to say why she's here, but she did just put in a word with County Commissioner Mike Carpenter, supporting Otis Higgs. She also was talking to Wyatt Bunker earnestly.

Higgs, as Daniel Connolly just reported, has indeed filed an application to become a candidate. A story we ran earlier this year discussed the role Higgs has played in Memphis mayoral politics.

Criminal Court Judge W. Otis Higgs Jr. has turned in an application to become interim Shelby County Mayor.

So far, Higgs is the only new candidate to take the formal step of filling out an application for the appointment since the County Commission repeatedly deadlocked last week in votes between Joe Ford and J.W. Gibson II.

But there could be surprises at the special County Commission meeting that starts at 4 p.m.. Commissioners will try once again to fill the slot.

Other alternate candidates who've been mentioned for the interim mayor's role include Memphis Chief Administrative Officer Jack Sammons and former Memphis City Councilman John Vergos.

Commissioners are picking someone to fill the remaining term of A C Wharton, who left office to become mayor of Memphis. The person selected would serve until Sept. 1, 2010, when the person chosen by voters would take office.

Higgs has presided over many notable criminal cases, including the Forest Hill funeral home fraud case, which is ongoing.

The 72-year-old earned a law degree from University of Memphis law school.

His resume includes stints as a public defender, as a divorce referee, as a law school professor and even interim Shelby County Sheriff.

He's also pastor of Collins Chapel CME Church and hosts a radio show on WLOK.

In response to an application question about his financial affairs, Higgs wrote that he's been "approved for an installment agreement program with the IRS." He also mentioned that he faces general sessions court complaint filed by a bank and says his attorney is vigorously defending the case.

One question raised by this vote to appoint a county mayor to finish the final year of A C Wharton's final term is whether the Shelby County Charter sufficiently deals with vacancies. The amended county charter says that if the county mayor's office becomes vacant, the Commission Chairman (in this case, Joyce Avery) becomes acting mayor, and the Commission is required to appoint an interim within 45 days of the acting mayor's oath of office. That interim is to serve "until a successor is elected and qualified at the next countywide election allowed by the state election laws."
 
So now we have a situation in which the county's 600,000-plus registered voters have no direct say in choosing a mayor who will serve for nine months -- presiding over an entire budget process, trying to save The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, serving as figurehead as a Metro charter commission considers consolidation. There is no special election provision, as there is with the City of Memphis (hat tip to Carol Chumney, who reminded us several times during the special election campaign that she presented the idea to the City Charter Commission to change the succession process in case Willie Herenton resigned). Read literally, it is possible for an appointed county mayor to serve for two full years without being answerable to voters (if, for instance, an elected county mayor resigned a month before a regularly scheduled county-wide election).

Commissioner Steve Mulroy said he and Commissioner George Flinn both pushed to include a special election provision, but it was ultimately decided that it would not be worth the cost of special elections.

"We were unsuccessful in getting nine votes," said Mulroy, a University of Memphis law professor who is an expert on election law and voting rights. "I would be open to that though I have to acknowledge the counter argyment is that special elections are expensive and cumbersome and not worth the trouble for a few months. And you usually have an abysmal turnout so that a tiny, tiny percentage of the electorate is deciding it."

Joe Ford, one of the two leading candidates in today's 4 p.m. selection process (along with J.W. Gibson II), believes now it was a mistake not to take into account a situation where an interim mayor would serve for more than six months. He and Gibson both are claiming that various political alliances and ambitions among their colleagues are determining the vote as much as the central question of who is most qualified to serve as mayor.

"We probably made a mistake when we rewrote the charter," Ford said. "If we could revisit it, we probably would revisit it."

Yet, considering that the City of Memphis special election got only 25 percent turnout, if a countywide election were being held on, say, Dec. 1, can you imagine the election fatigue among voters?