The ordinance that would make major changes to the Shelby County Land Bank passed through the Shelby County Commission on June 17 but was vetoed days later. However, that veto cannot stand, according to Commissioner Britney Thornton.
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris vetoed the ordinance on June 20 and in a letter to current Commission Chairwoman Miska Clay Bibbs, Harris said he could not sign the ordinance into law because it "requires an unacceptable expenditure of county resources and new hiring."
Harris also said in the letter that the ordinance is "unclear" and would be a better fit as a resolution.
When an item passed by commissioners is vetoed by the mayor, the board has the option to override the veto with a simple majority vote. Commissioners did so and the vote was scheduled for 1 p.m. on Wednesday at a special called meeting the same day as committee meetings, but there were not enough Commissioners present at the meeting to have a quorum to override the veto.
Commissioners were able to talk about the ordinance and what the plans were for the veto later in the day during the Delinquent Tax Property committee meeting.
The veto would have to be overridden before 30 days have passed since the veto was signed. The deadline for the vote was July 20, but there will be no vote to override the veto, Thornton said last week.
"We as a commission approved it. We went through multiple reads, and it ultimately was vetoed by the mayor, and then it was deemed invalid. So the veto is invalid because the process ended up as invalid," Thornton said.
According to administration and legal, Thornton said, the ordinance needed to have nine votes in order to pass because it is a change to purchasing policy to comply with the county charter. Because the ordinance did not get nine votes back in June, the passage is null so the veto is null.
Thornton last week asked if the ordinance could be reintroduced during Monday's meeting. Megan Smith of the Shelby County Attorney's office said the answer to that is not immediately clear and she would get back to the Commission with an answer, but suspected that reconsideration is still an avenue on the table.
The ordinance could still be re-introduced 60 days from now. Thornton said prior to the discussion about the veto that she wants to meet with those who previously voted against the ordinance and see if they would be willing to flip their vote.
During the initial passage of the ordinance in June, Commissioners David Bradford, Amber Mills, Brandon Morrison and Mick Wright voted no on the ordinance. During the June meeting, Chief Administrative Officer Harold B. Collins said the administration had major issues with the ordinance, saying that the mayor's budget specifically did not allow for new hiring for the next fiscal year due to the tight budget.
The changes to the Land Bank would require the hiring of additional staff, but Commissioners were able to move money in the budget around to allocate money to the department. Administration estimated the additional staff and other changes would total $389,575 but Commissioners were only able to allocate roughly $250,000 for the Land Bank.
During discussions at the meeting, it was recommended that the Land Bank come back later in the year to ask for more funds.
Shelby County CIO awarded Tennessee Public Sector CIO of the Year
Shelby County's Chief Information Officer Sandra Jeffries-Perry was named the CIO of the Year in the Public Sector in the Tennessee ORBIE awards. According to a press release, Perry made history as the first Black woman appointed to the post for Shelby County Government.
The CIO ORBIE Awards recognize chief information officers throughout the state, winners are chosen through an independent review process based on leadership and management effectiveness, business value created by technology and innovation and engagement in industry and community endeavors.
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“I congratulate Chief Perry on this well-deserved recognition. Her dedication and commitment to her role sets Shelby County apart from our peers and will advance the work of every division. We all look forward to her continued success in the future," Mayor Harris said in the press release.
Perry was awarded the Tennessee CIO ORBE Award among seven other finalists from across the state, according to the press release.
Early voting for Aug. 1 election to end July 27
The Aug. 1 County General and State and Federal Primary election is fast approaching, with early voting set to end on Saturday.
The Commercial Appeal has created a voter guide for you to learn more about each candidate who is in a contested race. The questionnaires tackle key issues candidates plan to handle if they are elected into office and how they will spend their time in office if elected.
The voter guide can be found on The CA website, with links to all the key race questionnaires in the story.
Catch up on the week
Got a question for us?
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Send an email to metro@commercialappeal.com or email reporter Brooke Muckerman at brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com.
The week ahead
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners will meet for committee meetings on Monday at 3:00 p.m. Watch the livestream via the website , or attend in person at Vasco A. Smith, Jr. County Administration Building, located at 160 N. Main St. in Memphis.
Memphis City Council will also meet for both committee and full council meetings on Tuesday starting at 8:30 a.m. Watch the livestream via the Memphis City Council YouTube Channel , or attend in person at 125 N. Main St., Room 514.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Parliamentary mess could resurrect Shelby Co. Land Bank reforms | The Week in Politics
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