County Commission rearranges $2.25 million of ARPA funding
Left unresolved is $7.9 million in ARPA spending for FedExForum that commissioners delayed action on.
Bill Dries
Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
There are 4156 articles by Bill Dries :
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November 2021
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Shelby County -
Elections Commissioners propose 21% pay raises for county mayor, sheriff
If approved on three votes, the raises would apply to the next term of office that begins Sept. 1, 2022, after next year’s county primaries and general elections. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says he doesn’t support it.
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Shelby County County Commission takes first of 3 votes on pay raise for mayor and sheriff
The commission also votes Monday, Nov. 15, on $10.8 million in indirect federal American Rescue Plan Act funding delayed when the commission approved a budget for using most but not all of the federal funding.
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Shelby County County mayor and sheriff pay raise proposal does poorly in test vote
The 21% raises garnered only two yes votes and two no votes in the first of three readings with seven county commissioners abstaining. The final vote is set for Dec. 20 and will take nine votes to be approved.
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Metro Political Roundup: Lee says pandemic and related litigation continue
Gov. Bill Lee was in East Memphis for a local political fundraiser Friday, just before signing five new laws from a special session of the Tennessee Legislature and allowing a sixth bill to become law without his signature.
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Shelby County Listen to Redistricting 101 with the County Commission’s consultant
Darrick Harris, the consultant to the Shelby County Commission on redistricting, talked with The Daily Memphian about the path to the new district maps approved Nov. 8.
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Shelby CountyRedistricting numbers: Creating Cordova’s district and splitting Germantown
A precinct-by-precinct look at the recent redrawing of County Commission district lines, how the Cordova district was created and what the data says about the county’s politics — past and present.
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Behind The Headlines Watch: Weirich pushes for truth in state sentencing laws
Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich talked on “Behind The Headlines” of her concerns about guidelines judicial commissioners use in determining who should be released while they await trial and the second take on a juvenile assessment center.
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Shelby County County surcharge on unvaccinated employees suspended
Shelby County had announced plans to assess a $25 per pay period surcharge against county employees who did not get vaccinated for COVID by a July deadline.
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City of Memphis City to pay ex-offender wages as re-entry program incentive
The City of Memphis is using $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding over the next three years to increase the incentives for employers hiring those coming out of prison.
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Metro MLGW removes last of 330 miles of cast iron gas lines
The last 330 miles of the gas line was beneath North McLean Boulevard in front of Compass Community Schools’ Midtown campus.
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Shelby County County Commission makes last-minute moves, approves final district map
The redistricting map approved Monday keeps a new Cordova-based district, restores the Collierville 7 precinct to District 2 and Germantown 4 to District 4. It also separates two incumbents expected to run again.
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Public Safety TN Highway Patrol plans to increase troopers in Memphis
More Tennessee Highway Patrol officers are on the way to Shelby County as Memphis seeks to turn over patrols of the city’s interstate system to the state, including combatting gun violence.
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Shelby County County Commission goes to final vote on redistricting
The Monday, Nov. 8, special meeting of the Shelby County Commission comes after a party-line 8-5 vote a week ago to approve a plan that creates a Cordova district.
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BusinessOne Beale lawsuit over minority participation points to larger problems
The Black-owned multi-family developer who partnered with Carlisle Development on part of the One Beale project and the nearby 7 Vance mixed-use development is taking Carlisle to court as the issue of minority participation in general moves back to the front burner.
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Shelby CountyFord tests new commission chairman with ARPA budget amendments
The commissioner’s attempt to reopen the county’s ARPA budget ran aground when Chairman Willie Brooks and others said he is abusing the process.
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City of Memphis Expansion of Zoo parking into greensward again on hold
City Council member Jeff Warren is leading the talks that hope to raise additional money for a parking solution that leaves the Overton Park greensward as it is.
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City of Memphis City, county will form group to explore consolidation
The joint meeting Wed., Nov. 10, is a tentative first step toward consolidating the two governments.
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Millington Millington TIF approved for Forked Deer River Commons
Plans call for mixed-use commercial development with $31.8 million in construction for retail, office and hotel spaces.
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City of Memphis Council approves ‘gas in the back, store up front’ rules
The new rules for gas stations are in the first of two City Council measures that include a downzoning of 20 areas of the city to limit the spread of auto-related businesses.
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City of Memphis Final votes on two pipeline ordinances delayed amid protests
The Memphis City Council will take up the pipeline ordinances in two weeks after legalese and other factors led to to raucous environment at City Hall.
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City of Memphis City Council approves $60M Murray Farms distribution center in Cordova
The Murray Farms Planned Development, a $60-million, three-building distribution center on the corner of Appling City Cove and Murray Farms Road, near the I-40 exit, was approved by the Memphis City Council.
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Shelby County County no-vax surcharge to take effect in July
Shelby County government employees would have until April to get vaccinated or pay a $25 per pay period surcharge starting in July under the notice sent to county employees Tuesday, Nov. 2.
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City of Memphis Council members question city’s minority spend
The percentage is a calculation that excludes the city’s spend in areas where it is determined there are no local minority businesses.
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State Government County considers insurance charge on unvaccinated employees, reacts to special session
Shelby County Commissioners also reacted Monday to the pandemic legislation that came out of a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
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