Shelby County Commissioners have started the process to select a new chairman.
Commissioners are making nominations for who they'd like to see as the next chair.
Commissioner Sidney Chism, a Democrat, has just nominated Republican Commissioner Joyce Avery, saying even though the local Democratic party has asked him to support County Commissioner Deidre Malone, he gave his word to Avery.
Other Republican commissioners also gave Avery a nomination, with the exception of Commissioner Mike Carpenter, who "passed" when asked who he was nominating.
Meanwhile, Democratic Commissioners Matt Kuhn and Henri Brooks nominated Malone, saying they think Avery would be a good chair in a normal year.
"But this is a question that for me has implications not only for chairman but our leadership as a community," Kuhn said.
Kuhn said he would like to see the same leadership that is currently piloting our county "in a time when we have unrest in a lot of places."
Avery, the presumed chairman to-be, sounds upset, saying this debate "dumbfounds me."
"It looks like nothing more than a power play to me," she said, adding that this debate is premature because Mayor A C Wharton hasn't won the City of Memphis mayor's seat.
Malone said she didn't ask to be nominated but is willing to serve.
"I've never stayed home or run away from a vote," Malone said, in a direct hit to Avery, who has missed a few meetings.
"What we're dealing with is a climate of uncertainty and change," Malone said in a determined voice.
"My leadership is needed now more than every before," she said.
Commissioner Steve Mulroy, a Democrat, said this is a tremendously important vote.
But he feels uncomfortable voting for Malone because "we do have a tradition," and he doesn't consider this enough of an "extraordinary circumstance" to break tradition of alternating political parties in the chairman's seat.
"There's really not a lot of damage one person can do as acting mayor in 30 days," he said, later adding that he supports Malone in his heart and wouldn't be upset if she were elected chair.
This is nothing but a self interested power play on Malone's part. The tradition for many years has been an alternating of a member of a different party each year. Even though I am not one nor do I really believe in their ideology, it's the Republicans turn and Avery, who is line for the post,should be elected.
Let's have at least one thing that's fair done in this community's government. That would be a refreshing
change.
Let me get this straight....Steve Mulroy actually knows what the word precedent means??? Are you kidding me?? This from the same clown who ignored the largest precedent in county government of replacing a person leaving the commission with a person from the same party!! Steve Mulroy is a joke!!