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While much speculation has centered around whether Shelby County Commissioner Mike Carpenter would serve as Memphis Mayor A C Wharton's Chief Administrative Officer, another name on Wharton's radar has been George Little, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction.

Wharton is expected to announce his CAO selection and some other key personnel decisions this week. Former City Councilman Jack Sammons was appointed CAO by then Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery and is still serving in that position.

The CAO, a crucial post responsible for running the city's day-to-day operations, may be the most important personnel decision Wharton makes.

Little was appointed state corrections commissioner by Gov. Phil Bredesen in 2005. A veteran corrections administrator, Little had served as Director of the Shelby County Division of Corrections before being tapped by Bredesen.

Little, whose academic history includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economic and Business Administration from Morehouse College in Atlanta, and graduate studies in Economics and Urban and Regional Development at the University of Texas, once served as an assistant to former Gov. Lamar Alexander in the Office of State Planning and steadily moved up within the corrections field.

Wharton's transition team has been busy evaluating city government, including important leadership positions at City Hall.

Transition team subcommittee headings include education and early childhood, workforce and economic development, diversity business development, government efficiency, neighborhood initiatives, public safety and finance .There also are subcommittees to study the city's legal and human resources divisions.

There's been a change of location for Memphis Mayor A C Wharton's first community meeting since taking over the seventh floor at City Hall.

The 5:30 p.m. meeting will now take place at Breath of Life Christian Church, located at 3795 Frayser-Raleigh Rd.

Wharton, who has been working on a plan to control gun violence, is hosting the community meeting following several high-profile crimes in the area, including four youth slayings.

Wharton said that he is "taking City Hall over to Raleigh and Frayser" and that he wants to hear from the community. Citizens will be able to ask questions and if answers aren't available on the spot, Wharton promises a written response.

Wharton will also talk about his gun crime reduction plan, including creating a gun offender registry similar to the registry system used for sex offenders, creating a special court for gun crimes and stiffer penalties for people selling illegal guns, especially to youngsters.

Wharton said the gun court, like the already established Shelby County Drug Court, would bring a carrot and stick approach that offers juveniles a path to a productive life but still has the threat of jail time.

The Drug Court began in 1997 as an alternative 12-month intensive program for nonviolent adult drug offenders. Criminal charges are dismissed upon successful completion of the program.

"We need to come up with the same thing when it comes to violence," said Wharton.

Wharton likened gun violence to a public health threat, one that everybody in the community should be talking about and working to vanquish. If the community could mobilize to fight gun violence the way it fights deadly infectious diseases - with public service campaigns, education and a daily drum beat of warnings - Wharton believes the city can conquer the epidemic of gun violence.

"When there is a Hepatitis outbreak we bring everybody in and you see how powerful that is," said Wharton.

The Shelby County Commission has appointed Joe Ford as the interim county mayor, to finish out the final year of A C Wharton's final term. Wharton resigned Oct. 26 to become Memphis mayor, and Ford will take office Dec. 10, the final day of office for acting mayor Joyce Avery, who as Commission Chairwoman had taken over for Wharton.

Ford will serve until after a new county mayor is selected by voters in the August county general election.

Two commissioners, Democrats Henri Brooks and James Harvey, changed their votes from commissioner J.W. Gibson II to Ford, with Harvey doing so in dramatic fashion.

"At this time I will end the cycle and cross the line and vote for Ford," Harvey said when the roll call vote got to him in the second round of voting.

That moved the drama to Republican commissioner Wyatt Bunker, who had supported Ford in voting last week but had voted for Avery in the first round. He went with Ford.

"We will hit the ground running," Ford said, and promised to form seven new task forces.

"I will lead this county and lead this county well."

The Shelby County Commission is about to begin the first round of voting. The nominees are all the commission's own -- Joe Ford, J.W. Gibson II and acting mayor Joyce Avery.

Criminal Court Clerk Otis Higgs is not part of this round, but it is unlikely that any of the three will get the votes required. The commissioners, including Chairman Sidney Chism, have made it clear they don't want to give Ford and Gibson more than one round.

Criminal Court judge Otis Higgs gave an impressive speech before the Shelby County Commission, applying to be appointed to finish out the final year of former Shelby County mayor A C Wharton's final term.

Higgs, 72, went through the long list of ways he has served the county and said, "I have a broad spectrum of experience in county government. ... I am intimately familiar with the inner workings of county government and have had the opportunity to live and breathe and love this county."

More from Higgs: "I am asking for your support not so much as an applicant. I don't come with a constituency or with a groundswell of votes. I don't come with a platform. I certainly don't come today with a list of consituency ready to serve. I come merely as a public servant ready now to ride into the sunset.

"I would love to go out riding a horse of success having served as county mayor. That would be my final venture."

There has been a 10-minute delay at the Shelby County Commission as they await the arrival of a few more members to vote for Shelby County mayor. Commission Chairman Sidney Chism told The Commercial Appeal that he does not believe the meeting will last more than 30 minutes, and believes that either Joe Ford or Otis Higgs will be the next county mayor.

Chism said that after initial nominations of commissioners Joe Ford and J.W. Gibson, he will see if "Ford has the votes." If Ford nor Gibson has the seven votes, Chism said "we will go straight to Higgs."

Chism said it is his understanding that Higgs has the votes. Several people are here supporting Higgs, including former City Councilwoman and state legislator Carol Chumney and State Rep. G.A. Hardaway.

Hardaway tells The CA he believes that Higgs has the votes as well. Commissioner George Flinn is the only member who has not arrived and Mike Carpenter has asked for a delay until Flinn arrives.

Commissioner Mike Ritz has asked that Higgs be allowed to come forward and introduce himself from the podium.

The County Commission is gathering now for vote on county mayor. Among those who arrived early are former City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Carol Chumney, former City Councilman John Vergos of The Rendezvous, State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, and Criminal Court Clerk Otis Higgs.

Chumney said "she's not at liberty" to say why she's here, but she did just put in a word with County Commissioner Mike Carpenter, supporting Otis Higgs. She also was talking to Wyatt Bunker earnestly.

Higgs, as Daniel Connolly just reported, has indeed filed an application to become a candidate. A story we ran earlier this year discussed the role Higgs has played in Memphis mayoral politics.

Criminal Court Judge W. Otis Higgs Jr. has turned in an application to become interim Shelby County Mayor.

So far, Higgs is the only new candidate to take the formal step of filling out an application for the appointment since the County Commission repeatedly deadlocked last week in votes between Joe Ford and J.W. Gibson II.

But there could be surprises at the special County Commission meeting that starts at 4 p.m.. Commissioners will try once again to fill the slot.

Other alternate candidates who've been mentioned for the interim mayor's role include Memphis Chief Administrative Officer Jack Sammons and former Memphis City Councilman John Vergos.

Commissioners are picking someone to fill the remaining term of A C Wharton, who left office to become mayor of Memphis. The person selected would serve until Sept. 1, 2010, when the person chosen by voters would take office.

Higgs has presided over many notable criminal cases, including the Forest Hill funeral home fraud case, which is ongoing.

The 72-year-old earned a law degree from University of Memphis law school.

His resume includes stints as a public defender, as a divorce referee, as a law school professor and even interim Shelby County Sheriff.

He's also pastor of Collins Chapel CME Church and hosts a radio show on WLOK.

In response to an application question about his financial affairs, Higgs wrote that he's been "approved for an installment agreement program with the IRS." He also mentioned that he faces general sessions court complaint filed by a bank and says his attorney is vigorously defending the case.

Speaking of the City of Memphis chief administrative officer job, County Commissioner and county mayoral candidate Joe Ford took a shot at Mike Carpenter, accusing him of staying on the body just long enough to obstruct Ford's bid. Inherent in that attack is Ford's belief that Carpenter, who is co-chairman of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton's transition team, will become the city's CAO.

"There's one commissioner who as soon as he takes that vote, he's going across the street," Ford said Monday, adding that the commissioner he said is going to work at City Hall is Carpenter. "It was going to happen last Monday but the vote got all tied up and it just didn't happen."

Carpenter has been consistently denying there is any deal in place to become CAO, a post currently held by Jack Sammons. In the post below, it is certainly notable that Sammons says he is open to becoming a compromise candidate for candidate mayor should today's vote by the Commision (which meets at 4 p.m.) end in another stalemate between Ford and commissioner J.W. Gibson II.

"I have no formal offer for that, not from the mayor or the city," Carpenter said. "I don't really know what my future holds. As it stands today, I am still elected just like he is and can cast my vote and represent my district."

The Shelby County Commission has just voted to take a five-minute recess and push voting for an interim county mayor to the end of the agenda. There are only a few items left on the agenda. After nine rounds of voting, Commissioner J.W. Gibson has five votes and Commissioner Joe Ford has five votes -- seven votes are needed to win election.

The breakdown has stayed mostly consistent, with a few commissioners occasionally switching to give acting mayor Joyce Avery a vote. Voting for Ford have been three Democrats (Steve Mulroy, Matt Kuhn and Sidney Chism) and two Republicans (Mike Ritz and Wyatt Bunker) and voting for Gibson have been three Democrats (Deidre Malone, Henri Brooks and James Harvey) and two Republicans (Mike Carpenter and George Flinn).

Gibson has continued to stress his experience as an entrepreneur and the creativity and work ethic he would bring to the eighth floor of the county building, with Ford countering by listing his years of experience as a legislator and being past chairman of both the City Council and County Commission.

One interesting moment came when commissioners were discussing whether to postpone, and Mulroy suggested that the composition of the commission might be changed in the next week or so. That seemed to be an allusion to persistent speculation that new Memphis mayor A C Wharton is eyeing Mike Carpenter as a possible CAO -- Carpenter is co-chairman of his transition team.