Ouster petition against Halbert, budget season
Budget season has officially started for both the Shelby County Board of Commissioners and the Memphis City Council. While the city council will be mulling over a property tax increase to fight off a budget hole, with a solid waste fee increase to accompany it, Shelby County has no tax increases in the works.
The city began budget hearings last week, which included lengthy discussions about the solid waste increase.
The week also involved major news into the investigation into Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert. Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp filed an ouster petition on May 6, which brings the investigation to a close but starts the ouster process.
The initial judge for the case, Judge Cedrick Wooten, recused himself from the case. Division 1 Judge Felicia Corbin-johnson has been assigned the case.
Solar farm ordinance passes through city and county
The commission had its final approval of the body’s changes to the Unified Development Code to put restrictions on utility-scale solar farms in the county. While the commissioners approved their version of the UDC, the city council still has to adopt the same ordinance with the same amendments for it to be sustained.
Harsher restrictions were placed on the development code ordinance by commissioners. The changes were recommended by a group of concerned residents from Millington who have been fighting against the Graceland
Solar Project, a proposed solar farm development near their homes, for months.
The Commercial Appeal recently reported that despite the commission voting down the solar farm development, the project will go ahead after the County settled with Graceland Solar and parent company RWE Clean Energy.
The ordinance was amended initially by commissioners to heavily restrict solar farms within the county. Those amendments included 600 minimum setbacks from residential dwellings, distance from other utility-scale solar systems must be 1 mile from a straightline distance and utility-scale solar systems must be restricted to less than 1 square mile.
During a May 1 committee meeting, commissioners withdrew the amendment that required solar farms to be more than 1 mile from existing systems. Commissioner Amber Mills said during the meeting that this would allow the ordinance to move through the city council “easier.”
After the commission passed the joint ordinance Monday, the city council passed the ordinance 11-0, but residents from Millington expressed upset over not being able to speak during the meeting. Per city rules, only city residents can speak during public comment.
Commissioners withdraw clerk budget amendment, mull over $2.7 million ask
Commissioner Britney Thornton presented a budget amendment that would allocate $2.7 million to various projects within her district. The administration asked that the resolution be withdrawn as it did not have a funding source.
The commission did not withdraw the resolution, but after robust discussion regarding the item not having a funding source it was postponed to the next committee meeting on May 15.
Two resolutions regarding budget amendments for the Shelby County Clerk to give employees raises and purchase “essential equipment” were withdrawn. Hours before the items were withdrawn, The Commercial Appeal reported that the Hamilton County District Attorney filed an ouster petition for Clerk Wanda Halbert.
Shelby County Commissioner Erika Sugarmon withdrew both resolutions during the meeting.
Solid waste fee hike
The Division of Solid Waste is requesting a solid waste fee hike to bring in more employees, bring employee pay up to market rate and fleet increases. The initial 23% increase from $29.96 to $36.85 would be the first of three over the next three fiscal years.
If passed by the Memphis City Council, it would go into effect on Jan. 1.
The wage increase for solid waste employees would not “double dip” with the Mayor’s proposed 3% raise for all city employees in the budget, according to Phillip Davis.
The increase requires an ordinance to pass over the course of three readings. The first reading was during the meeting on May 7 and passed.
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The week ahead
The Shelby County Commission will have its regularly scheduled Committee meetings at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 15. Watch the livestream via the website, or attend in person at Vasco A. Smith, Jr. County Administration Building, located at 160 N. Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103.
City of Memphis will also hold budget hearings throughout the week. To see the budget schedule visit their website.
Memphis-shelby County School District Board of Education will have a work session on May 14. For more information, please visit its website.