What can we expect today?
After fifth-term Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton's announcement on Monday that he wanted to "delay" his "retirement" until July 30, what can we expect today, when the Memphis City Council is scheduled to meet at City Hall?
Beyond the unexpected, of course.
Many City Council members said Monday they want Council attorney Allan Wade to go through the sections of the charter relevant to resignations, successions, special elections and anything else that might pertain to the current situation.
Many members also suggested they are prepared to vote to vacate the mayor's office effective at the end of this week, in keeping with Mayor Willie Herenton's original letter and much-watched press conference of June 25.
Herenton's letter Monday to Council chair Myron Lowery, set to become mayor pro tem whenever Herenton does leave office, suggested "friendly" lawsuits to clarify certain issues, like whether Lowery's ascension to mayor pro tem without permanently losing his Council seat violates some kind of separation of powers.
If the Council does indeed vote to vacate the mayors office effective at the end of this week -- and they would likely have the votes (figure on Lowery, Bill Boyd, Shea Flinn, Reid Hedgepeth, Jim Strickland, Bill Morrison and Kemp Conrad, at the very least) -- it's easy to see more lawsuits in the offing.
And since it is hard to imagine Herenton, the former boxer, not putting up a fight, could we have a situation where the Council votes to vacate the office, swear in Lowery and the city has two mayors at once?
Stay tuned. The Commercial Appeal will have City Hall covered, providing updates throughout the day.
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