On final day as mayor, Luttrell vetoes two items
In his last hours as Shelby County mayor, Mark Luttrell vetoed two items passed by the commission: One on a massive land development near Collierville and the other a resolution lowering eligibility requirements for county retirees’ life and health insurance.
Both items passed at the commission’s final meeting Aug. 27.
Luttrell said he thought the commission had passed both items without enough research.
“I think this shows what happens when you try to rush issues through the legislative approval process at the eleventh hour,” he said. “In the process, there are mistakes that are made.”
The insurance resolution, which would have made an additional 2,500 Shelby County employees eligible for life and health insurance, drew criticism after The Commercial Appeal reported the benefits would also be eligible for two-term commissioners.
That resolution passed with an 8-2 majority, supported by commissioners Justin Ford, Reginald Milton, Steve Basar, Walter Bailey, Melvin Burgess, Van Turner, Terry Roland and Willie Brooks. Roland later told The Commercial Appeal that he would not have voted for the resolution if he had realized it lowered eligibility requirements to eight years.
The insurance resolution would have left a new mayor and commission with a “hole in the budget,” Luttrell said. He also called it “very self serving on the part of the commissioners.”
Returning Commissioner Mark Billingsley, who opposed the insurance resolution, tweeted on Sept. 1 his thanks to Luttrell for the veto.
The proposal for a 543-lot development on the east side of Quinn Road, south of Collierville, has been fiercely opposed by the Town of Collierville as well as neighbors in that part of unincorporated Shelby County.
Harvey Kennedy, who ended his time as chief administrative officer for Lut-
trell at midnight Aug. 31, said Luttrell vetoed the insurance resolution since he believed it needed further study.
“They voted to approve that without a real, complete study by the actuary to determine the financial impact, but our early estimates were that was going to start next year’s budget off in a hole somewhere in the range of $6-10 million,” he said.
Luttrell vetoed the development near Collierville for similar reasons, Kennedy said, namely that there were “unanswered questions” regarding the development’s impact on schools, roads, utilities, the fire department and other services.
Heidi Shafer, who ended her term as commission chairwoman at midnight Aug. 31, said she briefly considered reconvening the commission late Aug. 31 to vote on an override, but decided it was unnecessary.
“This was awfully desperate on the mayor’s part,” she said. “The next administration is more than capable of taking these on.”
She also said there is a legal question of whether the mayor has authority over land use cases such as the Quinn Road development.
Although some commissioners had heard that Luttrell vetoed those items shortly before midnight, Kennedy and Luttrell said it was “late in the afternoon.”
The new commissioners, who were sworn in Aug. 30 and took office Sept. 1, can consider overrides of the vetoes.
Luttrell said he vetoed the two items in order to give the new mayor and commission time to slow down and study the issues before making a final decision.
Returning Commissioner Van Turner said they will have to review the vetoes and whether Luttrell has legal authority over land use cases.
The commission could also consider creating a committee to do a more indepth review of the benefits resolution, Turner said.
“I don’t want past issues between the commission and the mayor to carry over into this new term,” Turner said. “I think we just need to be very careful and be measured. We need to work together to resolve any of the issues that have been presented to us at midnight (Aug. 31).”