Two new candidates have tossed their name in the ring for interim Shelby County Mayor.
Collierville businessman Anthony Tate has expressed interest in serving out the remaining 11 months of A C Wharton's term. Commissioner George Flinn, a radiologist and local media mogul, has also announced his intention to run for the interim seat.
"I wanted to do this since 2002 but the overriding thing is that I've been a county commissioner for six years an I know local county government," Flinn said. "I've also started and grown a small business into a large business."
Flinn ran for county mayor before in 2002 but lost to Wharton after waging an expensive campaign.
Flinn said the pressing reason behind his desire to serve is a funding crisis at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.
As a doctor, Flinn said he's the only candidate for county mayor with 35 years of medical experience, not only delivering healthcare but also in the business of medicine.
"I could use that to impact big challenges at The Med," Flinn said. "If The Med closes, all of the hospitals in the area are going to be affected....I would take all of my business and medical delivery knowledge to impact The Med and keep it open."
Flinn said if he were selected by the commission on Monday, he would not run for the seat on 2010.
Flinn you just want the power of being a mayor. Isn't your son or nephew a city councilman. You probably could best help the community with your medical ability rather than trying to run it. Can someone say pro-bono.
Telly, that doesn't make any sense to me. If a person has been in medicine for 35 years, and is still hanging on amidst a recession the question becomes, how do you not vote for him??? Though I respect everyone's opinion including yours, what you're saying is completely subjective.
My thing is this, the biggest crisis facing Memphis is the Med shutting down. Who better than a successful DOCTOR and businessman to help lead the charge in keeping it open. This election spanning from the commissioners should be as simple as 2 + 2. But then again, its never that simple when you include any type of bias(i.e he's a replubican so he must be a bad person and only wants publicity for himself...). In actuality, who will serve the project the best and who will get it done should be the premise behind trying to get this possible crisis resolved!!!!!!!
Peace