Joyce Avery will likely have only a total of 15 days in her new role as acting Shelby County mayor, now that the County Commission has set a Nov. 9 date to appoint an interim mayor who would serve until Sept. 1 of next year.
The vote today to set the date was 10-0.
Avery replaces A C Wharton, who moves to City Hall. She is the first woman ever to hold the mayor's title in Memphis or the county, and promised continuity and a steady hand in a time of change.
Avery acknowledged in her speech after her swearing-in ceremony this morning that her time could be short. "I do not know if my role as acting mayor will be two weeks or two months," she said.
Even during the reception celebrating her appointment, County Commissioner Steve Mulroy said he expected her term would be much shorter than the maximum 45 days allowed.
"There's a sense that the sooner we get an interim mayor, the better," he said. An interim mayor would have the ability to make real improvements, rather than serving as caretaker of the office, he said. "It's nothing against Joyce, obviously."
Avery, a Republican, stepped into the acting mayor's role automatically because of her status as County Commission chairwoman. The leading Democratic candidates are County Commissioners Joe Ford and J.W. Gibson II.
The process will also be open to outsiders who turn in resumes and do public interviews alongside Ford and Gibson.
But they would face long odds. Some commissioners have already committed to a candidate.
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