Ordinance that would change the Shelby County Land Bank pushed back again

An ordinance that would have changed the way the Shelby County Land Bank operates was pushed back again during a meeting Monday. Sponsor of the ordinance Commissioner Britney Thornton said that key members of the Shelby County Commission's absence during the meeting caused her to defer the item again.

"As you may have noticed we have a number of our colleagues that are not here today, two of which are actually a part of the big four who carry the bulk of the properties in the land bank," Thornton said. "So, I would like for them to be able to chime in for this final read."

What Thornton is referring to is the four districts in Shelby County that have the majority of properties that are sold through the tax sale in the Land Bank. Districts six, seven, eight and 10 hold 80% of the parcels in the land bank, Thornton said later in a text message.

Thornton has previously been vocal about getting feedback from all the Commissioners prior to passing the ordinance, but often times during committee meetings she is the only one present.

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Shelby County Commission roles are not full-time, and most commissioners work full-time jobs in addition to their elected positions. Committee meetings can run anywhere between five and nine hours.

"These long meetings are indicative of...decades of work that we just need to compensate for. So, I believe in moving with a sense of urgency," Thornton told The Commercial Appeal previously. "I don't believe that government has to move slow, and I think that people should show up and we can move as fast as we want to."

A pattern of delays

The Delinquent Tax Property Ad Hoc Committee had its last meeting in August 2023, and Thornton presented an ordinance that would introduce big changes to the land bank in late September. As the ordinance passed through the commission, it underwent major changes which required additional readings.

After months of back and forth, Thornton pulled the ordinance off a March meeting agenda altogether to seek more input from other commissioners who were on the fence. Thornton then put the item back on the agenda after a discussion item was held during a committee meeting.

When the ordinance appeared again, Thornton moved it to a later meeting.

This pattern has happened multiple times with the ordinance. During the final votes, commissioners express concern about the changes to the department and say they are still on the fence, Thornton defers the item for an additional meeting to allow for more discussion.

Cliff Norville, Director of Public Works for Shelby County Government, has previously expressed concerns about some of the changes to the department, chiefly the additional staff needed per the ordinance. Norville said in an email that the ordinance has been "amended and/or substitutes proposed no less than 5 times."

"The Administration’s concerns have been consistent throughout this process. All versions of the proposed ordinance request and/or require various responsibilities be added to the current Land Bank, which include but are not limited to: marketing/outreach, reporting, and follow up/enforcement," Norville said. "As there is no current budget for these additional responsibilities, budget increases will be necessary to account for both personnel and operation & maintenance expenditures."

The ordinance is scheduled to be discussed again during the May 29 Committee meeting and voted on again during the June 3 meeting.

Brooke Muckerman covers Shelby County Government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at (901) 484-6225, brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter @BrookeMuckerman.