About Memphis

What will we be called?

The Memphis Shelby Country Metropolitan Government.

That’s what we’ll be called if the new charter, recently filed with the Shelby County Election Commission, is passed on November 2.

(Personally, I think we’ll also be called progressive, innovative, and forward thinking.)

You can read the charter, FAQs, and other helpful information at http://rebuildgovernment.org/.

Here’s a quick summary from their Web site:

Local Control of Government

Metro government gives all Shelby County voters a voice in who leads our local government. A new government will enable voters countywide to determine the direction of our region.
Elections for the Mayor and Metro Council are nonpartisan. This will ensure the best candidate for the job always wins, taking the power away from political interests and parties and giving it back to the people.
Local County jurisdictions will not change. Germantown will remain Germantown, Collierville will remain Collierville, and so on. If you currently have a local jurisdiction with a local Mayor, none of that will change with a Metro government.

Education

The Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools are not merged in this Charter. This is only a consolidation of Shelby County government and Memphis City government.

Reining in Taxes

The Charter includes a three-year cap on property tax rates. This forces the new government to identify and implement efficiencies such as reducing duplicative management. In the long run, the only way to bring down taxes is to cut spending, and that’s exactly what establishing a Metro government will do.
There are three tax districts: General services, urban services, and special districts, setting up a fairer way to fund public services.
The Charter centralizes support services, including security, fleet management, information technology, printing, and property management. This reduces duplication of costs and increases efficiency, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
The Charter requires a five-year plan for strategic planning, quality, and budget.
The Charter mandates a review by an independent Charter Revision Commission every 10 years. This review will help ensure our government is structured wisely and our tax dollars are being used efficiently. Additionally, a new Inspector General position will prevent waste fraud and inefficiency.

Economic Development

The Charter creates an Economic Development Department with a laser-like focus on job creation.
Metro Government will allow us to compete with regional peers to attract new business and bring jobs to the area. Metro government will eliminate the red tape and costs that overwhelm businesses when dealing with our two separate governments.

Ethics in Government

An independent Ethics Commission would be established, as well as iron-clad rules. This new government will have the strongest ethics rules in Tennessee. The new Ethics Commission will oversee all departments and agencies of the Metro Government, as well as the constitutional officers and courts/clerks offices.

Law Enforcement

The Charter strengthens law enforcement. It establishes an appointed Police Director as chief law enforcement officer and Sheriff as head of corrections, court security, and warrants to centralize functions and make them more efficient.
Merged firefighting services will create more efficiency and better response time for greater safety.
9-1-1- Emergency Communications will be centralized operations to eliminate delay and confusion.

Have you read the charter yet? Any opinions?