After an hour of head-scratching about what Mayor Willie Herenton has planned, City Atty. Elbert Jefferson said he still thinks the mayor will retire.
"I have heard nothing from the mayor which would indicate that he doesn't intend to retire as of the 30th," Jefferson said to members of the media outside the City Council's committee room.
Jefferson said if asked, he would inform council members of Herenton's plans during the full meeting at 3:30 p.m.
At that time, some council members say they plan to move forward with a resolution declaring the mayor's office vacant as of July 30.
Councilman Jim Strickland said despite the confusion earlier, "I think the mayor has been pretty consistent -- at least in the last 24 hours -- that July 30 is his date and I think we're going to get confirmation from the administration officially."
Once it becomes official, Strickland said the council can move forward with a resolution telling the Election Commission to start organizing a special election 90 days after that.
Strickland, an attorney who is considering a run for Memphis mayor, had earlier in the day pushed to approve the resolution declaring a vacancy. At the time, he had been criticized by Councilman Joe Brown of "hoodwinking" the council into voting for a resolution that would directly benefit him and his bid for mayor.
Strickland later said, with a laugh, that he's "never hoodwinked anyone. I'm above board. What you see is what you get."
Brown, however, might not the only council member opposed to declaring a vacancy today.
Councilwoman Barbara Swearengen Ware said any council action now is premature.
Ware, who said she voted for Herenton in the last election, said a vacancy does not exist until it's official. And she read a Monday-night letter from Herenton, which rescinded his June 25 resignation, to mean that Herenton was not setting a date for his retirement.
"I read the last letter to read that, 'I keep my options open,'" Ware said.
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