Interim mayor Myron Lowery has asked for the resignation of City Atty. Elbert Jefferson, Jr., according to multiple sources.
After serving as deputy city attorney since 2002, Jefferson, 45, was elevated to the city's top legal spot in 2007, taking over for Sara Hall.
As is often the case with city attorneys, Jefferson had many battles with the City Council, and there has been speculation that Lowery would immediately replace Jefferson. A majority of council members have been highly skeptical of Jefferson and some of his interpretations of council legislation. A replacement for Jefferson, should he resign, would likely be appointed and confirmed by the City Council on Tuesday.
Last year, Jefferson accused Lowery in public - without any proof - of leaking a confidential Request for Proposals for a Red Light camera system. Jefferson said the city's technology partner, Affiliated Computer Services, said Lowery leaked the RFP to a competing company, but Jefferson never confirmed it and said he didn't know who Lowery supposedly leaked that RFP to.
An embarrassing moment for Jefferson came in 2007 when The Commercial Appeal reported that Jefferson, who oversees litigation against delinquent city taxpayers, had not paid his own taxes, even though he walks by the tax office every day on his way to his office.
At the time, Jefferson said he had forgotten to pay the taxes because he was so busy working for the citizens of Memphis. Since 1999, the city had to sue him six times to collect property tax debts.
Only 400 more to go.
"An embarrassing moment for Jefferson came in 2007 when The Commercial Appeal reported that Jefferson, who oversees litigation against delinquent city taxpayers, had not paid his own taxes, even though he walks by the tax office every day on his way to his office."
Would it be possible that the reign of ignorance is over; at least for awhile?