County Commission - Special Meeting

Please remain standing. Pastor um Pastor Commissioner Caswell, if you could lead us in a in the invocation. Thank you, Madam Chair. Let us pray. Father God, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the work that you have called us to do in Chevy County. Once again, we pray for each and every one of our commissioners on today. That you continue to give us wisdom and guidance to lead this county in this in this work forward. We pray for all of the the citizens of Chevy County as we continue to do this work in Jesus name. Amen.

You may be seated.

Madame clerk, please call the role. Commissioner Whez Sugarman present. Meals present. Shalai present. Write present. Horn present. Morrison. Brooks. Larry present. Bradford. Chair woman. A present. We have 10 present.

We have a quorum. Our first item on the agenda. Oh, sorry. Let me give give information for uh those that would like to join. There are two ways possible to join our meetings. Via the designated email account BC. Shelby County tn.gov G O or via phone at 9012212 34. Members of the public who desire to address the county commission shall request permission by completing an appearance card which will be given to the chair by deputy. Members of the public shall be permitted to address the county commission unless ruled out of order by the chair or denied the opportunity to speak by majority vote of the commissioners present in voting. Please note that as it pertains to public comment, our rules of order set a limit of no longer than three minutes when recognized by the chair. The chair may set a limit for discussion by the public of less than three minutes for each individual if circumstances required. Finally, to the members of the public, if you would like to express your pleasure or displeasure on the matter before the county commission, please do so by raising your thumb up or pointing it down as opposed to applause or other expressions of approval or disapproval. Disruptive members of the public are subject to removal from the commission chambers by the deputy sheriff. Thank you for your attention and in advance for your cooperation today.

Thank you. Parliamentarian, if you could read item one. Item one is a resolution approving extraordinary litigation and amending the fiscal year 2026 FY26 general fund operating budget and allocating, appropriating, and expending from fund balance $200,000 for the purposes of engaging council to support the legal action of Shelby County and the Memphis Shelby County School System against the state of Tennessee for adopting criteria which effectively applies only to the Memphis system out of 80 similarly situated districts across the to be taken over and managed by individuals selected by the state officials and to take set action to transfer management to state officials without any vote from the residents of Shelby County. This item requires the appropriation and expenditure of fiscal year 2026 general funds in the amount not to exceed $200,000 sponsored by Commissioner Muel Lowry and Commissioner Matthew Shalai.

Thank you. Is there a motion? Okay. I have a motion by Commissioner Lowry. I have a second by Commissioner Thornton. I do know uh that we also have Mayor Harris on the line. Um and he wanted to be able to speak a few words to this. Uh if that's okay with the sponsors, if Mayor Harris, I'm sorry, Mayor Harris could speak to this item. Mayor Harris, are Are you there on the line? Yes, madam chair. I'm here. Okay. You would like to go ahead and make comments at this time?

Okay. Very good. Um, so as you've heard in the press, Brent Taylor's new takeover law strips the voters in Memphis and Shelby County of any say in the school system and gives that authority to state officials like the speaker of the Tennessee Senate and the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives. These are individuals who have no connection to Memphis and Shelby County and certainly no accountability to our voters. The resolution before the commission allows for us to support an action against um the state of Tennessee potentially. The county attorney is present uh I believe and is available to answer any questions as they participated in the construction of this resolution because the new takeover law law is such vast to our community and there's been very little information about the law. If it's okay with you, Madam Chair, I'd like to spend about one minute talking about the significance of this new law. Is that okay, Madam Chair?

All right. Thank you. I'll now move um to there's a couple commissioners in the queue, Mayor Harris. So, if you could just stay on um there may be some additional questions and or comments you may be able to opine on. And and Madam Chair, before we get to questions, is it okay if I just for one minute or so about what the law does? Yes.

Okay. For those of you who have not reviewed the law, the law provides that these outsiders will take over every building, every personnel decision, and every contract of our school system. Regarding the people who work for the school system right now, Brent Taylor's new law says that this new board can assign the current MSCS staff any task that it chooses. They can pay such staff whatever salary or compensation they want. Imagine that. You can hire whoever you want without any oversight and you can pay them whatever you want from public tax dollars. It's crazy. They can fire almost any employee, including any untenure teacher, and they can certainly fire the superintendent. They can replace any fired employee with a friend or a contact in their network. They can cancel and change benefits, raises, promotions, or any previous policy of our school system. And it gets even crazier. The state takeover board can close down any school. The new law doesn't say anything about notice or public meetings. It just says specifically they can close any of our schools. It can use any building or office they want and presumably kick out whoever was in that office. They can cancel contracts and they can give contracts to people in their own networks. And the worst part of it all for Memphis and Shelby County right now, there's nothing anyone can do about it. You can't vote any of them out or in. You get no say in the matter whatsoever. So I would say to you, Madam Chair, and to members of the commission that we

have to do something that this is one community and we have to join together and we have to stand up and yes, we have to fight. With that, Madam Chair, I would turn it back over to you and I am available uh here if there are any questions from the Thank you, Mayor Harris. I'll now I'll now go to commissioners that are in the queue. Commissioner Wright.

Thank you, Madam Chair. First, I had a a point of order. Um Point of order being is that um it looks like rule six. So we dealt with this last time as an add-on that this item didn't have a routing sheet or a summary sheet at that time. We didn't have the votes to suspend the rules. Um rule six seems to me to still be um at issue here because it this didn't originate in committee. Um so can we speak to that rule? Commissioner Wright, the rule you're referring to has to do with procedures around add-on items for the purposes of ensuring that items are not easily added to the agenda that are not time-sensitive or otherwise urgent in nature and ensuring that items comply with Tennessee's sunshine law. Rule 36 has been invoked because it has been determined that the objects and purposes for which this special meeting has been called to be necessary, is for an emergency purpose, and because the public necessities require it. Again, time sensitivity is involved and a special meeting is in order to take up this substitute business as determined by a simple majority. It has been properly moved and seconded is now 40. So, I think I heard the parliamentarian say that because rule 36 has been um called that that the rule dealing with items originating in committee are not in effect. There there is not a rule about an item originating in committee. There's a rule about add-ons and there's a portion of it that deals with items added at committee and there's a portion dealing with items added at commission. Neither is applicable at this time. So an item that is added at commission would have been proper uh by a simple majority vote

because we were missing a routing sheet and you were there was missing a a summary sheet. They suspended the rule and so the rule there was an objection and it would have required two vote and they did not meet that threshold.

If I may continue at that point of order. So the what I'm speaking of in particular is rule six part A where it says all ordinances, resolutions and discussion items shall be referred to the appropriate committee. Um so again are we saying that that rule is not being required at this time? Again sir, this has been invoked. Rule 36 has been invoked because it has been determined that the objects and purposes for which this special meeting has been called is deemed necessary is for an emergency purpose and because the public necessities required. This is a special rule for special meetings for which you all would determine by a majority vote whether this is something that is time sensitive and is required to be taken up at that at this time. The other rule is a technicality. It's a substantive rule. The purpose around add-ons is so that we do not have a situation where items can be added on that are not deemed necessary. Um also so that we can comply with sunshine law because rule 36 contemplates things being urgent. You have a separate rule and it has been invoked at this time. This is my guidance.

So may I continue the point of order? Sure. Uh so I I would simply um ask the parliamentarian um why then in the past our past practice has been to hold to either have items originate in committee even if they are taken care of in a special called meeting or to hold a special called committee meeting first. Um the previous example of that that I found most recently was August 15th when we had a special called committee meeting followed by a special called meeting. Can um can you explain why that is that practice is not being continued?

Sir, there's no rule that I'm aware of about a special call committee meeting. Um but I do know that the public has been properly noticed of the contents in this meeting. I will be happy to get with you another time where we can really thoroughly flesh this out if we want to look at having some amendments to shore this up. But there's a special rule for special meetings that are deemed uh necessary for emergency purpose or because the public necessities require it and as your parliamentarian my guidance is that is probably at this time.

Thank you. So continue with a point of order if I can still be recognized. Um what about madame parliamentarian or madam chair what about rule number 26? Rule 26 deals with um routing unbudgeted expenditures before um anything else routing it through budget committee first. Is that rule in effect? Is this item an unbudgeted expenditure? Is this item an unbudgeted expenditure?

No. I believe Mayor Harris has identified funds for this item. So, it's not an unbudgeted expenditure. I would say that this is a resolution amending the budget and pulling $200,000 from our general fund fund balance. which is an unbudgeted expenditure that should route through the budget committee as we've done as has been our practice for as long as I can recall. So I'd like the county attorney

Megan Smith County Attorney's Office. The the expenditure being proposed here is from the tort fund. It will be ultimately from the tort fund which the county government is u required to fund its liabilities among them defense of its rights and privileges. So to the extent that it is unbudgeted in line item it is contemplated by the funding policy um which requires the county to cover its liabilities and provide for its defense.

Yeah. I would simply object to that interpretation based on our previous practice. Uh it with that expansive understanding of our rule um every time it's been invoked over the past several months um has been for not for no reason. So that I guess that's a question for the county attorney. When we brought litigation before the commission in the past, has it gone through the budget and finance committee?

Megan Smith, county attorney's office. No. So I think from the response that the county attorney said that these items have not gone through the budget and finance committee. Is that correct? Megan Smith County attorney's office. Yes. This is before you today for approval. The concept and requirement of extraordinary litigation and is telling you that it's going to come from the tour fund. I want to go to commissioner shin.

Thank you chair. And I just want to welcome um school board members Stephanie Love, Sabote, and Natalie McKenna. And I will move to add my name as a sponsor. I have a motion by Commissioner Sugarman to be added as a sponsor, second by Commissioner Caswell. Can we do that without objection? See none. So moved. Commissioner Wright, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Um so you know, obviously trying to use our our rules to my advantage and the position that I hold on this issue. Um my my opinion is is certainly that we should not vote in favor of this item. We should not um aid the district in uh in launching yet another lawsuit uh among the many that they're already engaged. Um, however, I I am concerned about the previous um guidance that we're getting. Uh, with with full respect, as I certainly respect our parliamentarian, I respect our county attorney's office. Um, I would just say that our previous practice has been the opposite. that it it may be that our practice has not been to to put um litigation resolutions through the budget committee when they're timely, but if if we've done that, we've done that against rule 26 and we've probably suspended the rules if that rule has come up. I know there's been discussion among our body about we the rules that we have, we should be following the rules that we have and getting back to the practice of following the rules. But for us to do to do this today, um we're having to ignore the rule in general where these items flow through committee before they get to full commission. We're having to ignore a rule in which unbudgeted items, of which this is one, we're pulling from fund balance to add and amend our budget. That is in direct violation of our rule that we've been recently adhering to in other matters. We're ignoring our p paste called committee meetings before having our special called full commission meetings. Examples being like the one

that I shared from last August as well as previously to pass amendments to our MWBE ordinance. We've done that in the past have uh special called committee meetings before having this special called full meeting. So we're ignoring our rules. We're ignoring past practice and we're pulling money from no nowhere. Money that we don't have by the way. uh money that we were required to borrow from another fund just to get through the month in November. So, money we do not have to assist a school system that is blatantly failed our kids. And we've had how many months of this body f of this chamber filled with parents who are desperate for something to change? Two years of a superintendent search that resulted in a transformation. agent that that was then dismissed for being a transformation agent. The people are certainly against this. I can tell you that. Um they may not be here today because we gave them very little notice and we're rushing this through. I don't think we should. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Commissioner Brooks, you're recognized. Question. I'm sorry. question. There are a couple of committees there uh commissioners that were in the queue. So, we'll let them get to we'll get to them and then call be able to take a vote on this. Uh Mayor Harris also would like to comment, so I wanted to give him an opportunity before I call on the other commissioners. Mayor Harris.

Oh, thanks, Madam Chair. I was only going to make one comment about one part of Commissioner Wright's um remarks and that is with respect to the money. We have many projects that are um for which we can adjust the timeline and so some of those projects won't be completed by the end of the fiscal year and so the resources needed for those projects with adjusted timelines um can be shifted to cover this extraordinary situation. And so the money is there and um and we will be able to adjust timelines with some of the projects that won't finish by June 30th. Thank you. All right. I'll go to the commissioners. Um Commissioner Sugarman.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And so as a classroom teacher over 27 years where I've taught over 8,000 students as well as a commissioner um I do find this offensive that I believe is an overreach from the state. I do not support this at all. I want to remind the public the first time this happened um Tennessee has tried a state-run takeover model um in Memphis before research from Vanderbilt's Tennessee Education Research Alliance found that the Achievement School District ASD schools performed no better or worse than comparison to schools in the district-led ISO. reforms and even evidence shows that the effects from the benefit study um put children behind two years and when they were released and turned over back to the Memphis Shelby County schools, they were two years behind and there was no additional funding from the state to catch these children up. Second, this takeover shifts control um from the public trust of Memphis Shelby County Schools. We need accountability. We need local accountability. Memphis Shelby County School operates a 1.9 billion fiscal year 2025 according to Chalkbeat. Current reporting on the takeover proposal indicates a stateapp appointed oversight board would exert authority over Memphis Shelby County Schools budgeting according to Tennessee lookout. This is precisely why local governance matters. Just like we have state rights, we have local rights.

The people who pay taxes and send their children to these schools deserve direct accountability. Third, the state's policy choices do not align with claim that this is about the children. Tennessee's education freedom scholarship program provides $7,295 per student in 202526. This is occurring while the state is debating greater control of a large title one school district public system and resources. The state will prioritize investments that lift outcomes for all children in the state that public systems before expending private school subsidies. If the state was so concerned about our children, then why are they taking money from our children and giving them to kids who are in private schools as a discount? This is not acceptable.

Commissioner Mills Thank you. So, the money is in the fund balance right now and we've got to move it to the torque fund. Is that correct? Yes. The money's in fund balance right now and we've got to move it to the tort fund.

Okay. Um, according to the exhibit, I think that's what it said. Move the money from fund balance. So, it's not in the tort now. Um, while we're waiting on finance to come down to answer that, I'll just say, let's be honest about where we are. Our school system is struggling and it's been struggling for years. The outcomes are not where they need to be. And the people we represent, the parents, the students, the taxpayers are the ones paying the price. At some point, doing the same thing and expecting different results. That that's not leadership. State intervention is not about politics. It's about outcomes. It's about bringing in additional ex expertise, stronger oversight, and a sense of urgency that frankly has been missing. And let's address the concern about accountability. The current system hasn't delivered the results that our children deserve. So the question isn't whether we prefer local control. The question is whether local control as it stands today is working. Because if it's not working, then we have a responsibility to act. This is not about giving up. It's about stepping up. It's about being willing to accept help, make changes, and do what's necessary to turn things around for our students. We can still advocate for transparency. We can still demand communication. We cannot continue to defend a system that's not producing results. At the end of the day, this is not about adults. It's not about power. It's not about politics. about the kids and to give them a brighter future, which in turn helps Shelby County. I won't support an effort to sue the state or anything that doesn't bring accountability to our schools. We've got to we've got to try something different. I think the definition of insanity is

doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results. Let's try something different. May maybe Maybe this works. We're We are at a point in Shelby County with the help fighting crime, with help coming in for education. I mean, we can really turn things around. Let's do it. Let's not fight it. Let's have some cross collaboration here and accept the help. Let's not sue. That does not make any sense when we're trying to get better outcomes for the kids. If that's what we're trying to do, that's what I want to see happen. Um, I'm almost out of time, so I will go to finance and ask where the money is now. Is it in fund balance and we've got to move it over to the tort account or is it already there? Because I think we were told it's already there and I don't I'm not sure director of administration and finance. Currently the money is in the general fund and we will move it over to the port.

What projects are we going to give up the 200,000 which it'll probably 200,000. It'll be out of the general fund. But the mayor said we were going to have projects that we can move around. Do we know what those are? What we're giving up? Uh the way the legal expenses work, we pay them out of the tort fund. So at the end of the year, we then as I think um Miss Megan Smith said before, we then true up the TOR fund fund balance to cover any deficit that's there from the general fund. So in essence, it is coming from the general fund to the TOR fund. The transfer that you see is to show the transfer coming out of the general fund going into the TOR fund. It says fund balance or rainy day.

That's the opposite side. When when you do one side, you have to do the other. So the fund balance is the opposite side. So at the end of the day, everything basically comes out of cash from somewhere. So this is general fund. So it comes from the general fund and goes to the to fund. Okay. I won't be supporting this, but we've got plenty of money to sue the state. Do we have plenty of money to sue the state? We don't have plenty of money for any. That's what I thought. Thank you, Commissioner Way.

Uh, thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll try try to be brief on this, but I mean, there's certainly, you know, much much that can be said. Uh, but I think the first thing is that, you know, it used to be that our leaders would want to work together uh to accomplish and try to solve problems to make our communities better. Uh and it's disheartening that I think we seem to uh come to a place where the discourse is more about fighting each other, wanting to oneup each other uh and bringing out the worst in us. Uh because I think particularly on this very important issue of the outcomes of our school system and the fate of our 100,000 plus students, I would think that we would all want the same thing, which is we want improved student outcomes. We want a vibrant district that is led by great people. And the truth is that sure, yes, our schools need, I think, significant improvement. I think there are things that are working well, but there's a lot that can be improved. And I think we need to say that's true, right? Um I also think that we have enough really good people in the county of Shelby that can help lead that effort, right? I don't necessarily buy into the, you know, that, you know, the state coming in is inherently good or bad because it hasn't happened yet and we don't know. We don't know. Um, and I think if it ends up happening, we certainly would want it to work because if it doesn't, then it's our kids that are being failed. That said, you know, I just months ago uh supported essentially electing local schoolboard members, right? So that people would go to the polls and they would vote to decide who they want their leaders to be. We are literally I mean you couldn't get more literal in terms of the eve of electing half of our school board. And I

have been very pleased in seeing many great local leaders step up and run. Right? Just in my district, we have two outstanding candidates. Neither of them needed to do it, right? They certainly could have uh stayed on the sidelines and done other things, but they decided to step in the arena because they saw a need for change. And that's exactly what I thought we said we wanted just months ago. So the only support this today is because we haven't even yet selected those people and they stood up and said, you know what, I want to serve. I want to be a leader for my community because I want to make it a better place and I think they deserve at least a chance to see them lead. Now, I don't know if if they're going to have all the answers. I don't know if we can pin it all on them. But if we start with the fact that we should all want our schools to be successful, then we need to put aside of our conceived notions about things and work together to get it done. And that requires both the school system, it requires the state, it requires all of us to realize that we might not all be 100% right. Right. Each person might be a little right, but if we decide that we really want to improve this, I have no doubt in my mind that we can come together and do it. And I for one want to see the people that we elect, our leaders to lead our school board this year and in two years. I want to see them lead and I think they will know that there's an opportunity to change an opportunity to make it better.

That's all I got. Thank you. Thank you.

So the question was called Commissioner Brooks and so I allowed folks who were in the queue. So if you've already spoken in this queue, I'm not going to allow any anyone else to be added to the queue because the question was called Is there a second to any commissioner may call previous question form question debate shall be terminated and the county commission electing because

I mean madam chair my objection is in fact that reason I want to be able to have discuss We don't have time during committee to be able to vet this. Then this is the time for us to get all the questions asked. And right now I have eight written out on my paper that I don't think I'll be able to get out in the time allotted for one round of questions. Okay. So now we're voting on calling question. If you are voting I then you are voting yes to us calling the question after the folks who are in the queue. Everyone that was in the queue I've said we'll have an opportunity to speak on the issue but no more after. So if you want I if you're voting I you're calling a question no you're giving more um opportunity for discussion. Please prepare the screen for a vote. Please report the tally. We have eye votes from commissioners why Clay Bibs Caswell Sugarman Shalon Brooks Lowry interw and three nos that motion passes. [clears throat] We'll go we'll go back to the queue. There were two commissioners that were still in queue will have an opportunity to speak. That's Commissioner Caswell and then I think

Thank Thank you, Madam Chair. Well, I just want to speak to this as a parent who child was in the school felon school district of the achievement school district uh in Frraasier. When we talk about parents uh want this, don't want this. The parents in our community don't want what we had previously to this. I I remember being asked by and I'm again in in agreement with Commissioner Mc Whyley to say I wish this was not the way because I went I was invited by Cher Mark White to come to the state to testify on the impact of trauma and truency and all the trauma that those children was dealing with in that community where we were seeing a lot of money put in but no real results put out because they were not listening to the people here. Even when we said mental health and other resources were needed, the the investments didn't come and we had nobody on the local level to advocate for us to get those resources here to our community for those kids. So, we s seen that. So I understand parents who may be outside of our district who hadn't have who have not experienced the impact of that failing because I'm dealing with some of those children now who are going through depression and all the other factors that came out of a district that c that said they wanted to make it better for their community and for their schools. But they left our schools. They left our buildings worse than they were. They left our community worse than they were. Now they now we say supposeding that that they going to come back and make a better decision for us. I I say this that if we didn't have the representation that we had and the leadership of one our commissioner commissioner love commissioner love who fought for us to have a new Frasier high school fought for us because tresman got molded holes in the wall everybody we've been there we visit that school we seen what the children in Frraasier were dealing with and achievement school district went they seen it the state seen it they got the data they had

thousand of our children that the data showed that we were failing because we're not we were not fully funing in these communities that was in poverty for decades and we didn't invest back into those communities and yet we believe that they're going to come down this time and and and support us building better schools for our children investing into our community. So yes, many people who may be in Bartlett or other municipalities at Lakeland, Cerville that got their own school district chose to pull away from here may feel like this shouldn't happen, but their children are not going to be impacted by what we're seeing here. I wish it was a better alignment and working together. I want to see that happen. It got to happen, but it didn't. When I went and testify, I came back to the same trauma, to the same problem, no real investment, no real opportunities for our children because we had voices in middle and east Tennessee. And I remembered it well because they were they thought I was fighting just for this school. But I was coming out of Crossville, Tennessee, and Knoxville doing training for people in those communities that was experiencing the same impact our children were, but state was not funding it. And so I I want to see us do something different. I wish this was not the route. I wish we were sitting down at the table working together in a better way. But this is just a door opening to many other things that's to follow. And if we don't stand on something, we gonna fall for every and anything they continue to dish to us. Thank you,

Commissioner Thordon.

Thank you, Chair. Um, so I know that I'm I'm locked into just one round of discussions and so I'm just trying to wrap my head around some real confliction that I have here. Um, With each person that has called me, I've heard you um make your points, which have been valid points. I just want to say that I appreciate all that has been said on both sides of this argument. Um my objection and my no vote today is not because I don't think that we shouldn't fight to be able to maintain local control. It it feels to me like I'm a child forced and abusive relationship. And so I have to stay with this parent that I know is not actually um taking care of me um all for the the sake of not being lost to the state. And so I wish that we could just stop wishing. I think that at this point what I want the public to do because this has the votes today to pass is to pay attention to when we pass the budget. We send over $500 million to our local school board and listen for every single vocal person today. What will they say? Are they going to ask questions about the underperformance? Are they going to make these same passion and pleas about the students who will continue to graduate in drolls and be failed by our local control? Probably not because I've been here for almost four years and I haven't heard those discussions. And so when it comes down to it, um the real frustration that I have is in the lack of fight around other um important fights. Over a year ago, the state actually repealed our MWBE program and our mayor was silent. Our body was silent. So when you talk about being fearful of the state controlling the contracting process, but you don't fight to be able to actually regain the control that you had to be able to advocate for local black and minority businesses. It just doesn't make sense to me. And so in this

one minute that I have left, I'm just going to ask the questions that I would hope that any legislator representing me would ask. How long will this suit, you know, this lawsuit process take place? The potential for us to exceed $200,000? What is it? What is the process of us hiring a legal team? Will there be um people outside of our county um legal team that will be hired? um when it comes to intended outcomes like what is it that we actually hope this that this lawsuit this lawsuit will do and what type of intervention in blocking you know this state intervention what do we hope that it will have I also have to legal a question about will us passing this resolution actually halt the intervention process and then I just really just want to understand you know just the tort fund in and of itself I know that this fund has continued to increase because the lawsuits coming from 2011 what are What are we going to do to be able to address this increasing tort fund and how many lawsuits is MSCS currently in? I think it's interesting that there's just so much litigation, what is actually coming of it as a taxpaying citizen. I know that so many people just want to know. And finally, I would just want to know what's the sense of urgency. This should have been able to go through committee and I just don't understand today why it hasn't. Thank you.

All right. I have one pull up a comment card. Anthony War Anthony where war Mr. War can say your name and zip code and you have three minutes. My name is Anthony War, 3650 West Big Ben, right? Just spoke few minutes ago saying about what's been going on. Look here, y'all. Let's say this, this a done deal with the school board. We We're sick of them. We're sick what what's been going on. I hear you cashwell. I hear what you just said, but we're sick of them. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. We're sick. Sick of Lee Harris. I don't know why he he he's so coward. He couldn't even show up today. I'm sick of it. We don't need to be funding nobody to be suing. Look here. Taxpayer money is taxpayers money. Whether from the city, from the county, it's taxpayers money. It's taxpayers money. And I'm sick of seeing it. All these foolish decisions coming up about the school. They hadn't done their job and they know it. Let them pay it out of their own pocket. If I get ready to sue somebody, I got to pay it out of my pocket. I got to pay it out of my pocket. I have to. I don't know what interest y'all have in this here. Young man, you just got on the board two days ago.

Two days ago. I'm sick of it. Enough is enough, y'all. This city done went to the dogs and y'all blaming the young people. I'mma tell you who to blame for. It's the people downtown. That's why that's why the city the way it is today. That's why it is today. That's that's the exactly reason why we see what we've been seeing. Lee Harris hadn't done nothing since he been in office. Not a thing. We don't know one thing. He And now he decide he want to show up now, man. Go hide somewhere and calling himself a mayor. We had two mayors when Trump came here. Neither one of them showed up. Neither one. Neither one. I'm not going to let somebody come to my house and I and I don't be there. Y'all Y'all need to look here y'all. It's time. It's time. Look here. We can't keep on with this foolishness. Lee Harris need to go ahead on. How many more months he got? Go ahead on and ride it out. These children is hurting. I asked my grandson to get at the table to to to write his name on a piece of paper in courtesy. He said, "Granddaddy, what is that?" They they they when Mart mate Jones gave up the school board in 2010, they should have thought about this at the end.

Thank you, Mr. W. Thank you, Mr. War. Your time is up. I have public comment card. Liz Marble. Please say your name and zip code. You have three minutes. Good afternoon. My name is Liz Marble. I'm a teacher with this school district and a graduate from Memphis City School. So, I hear a lot of comments that are very disturbing. What have you done? Because it rests on your shoulders to continue to live leave our communities in poverty, to continue to not provide a transit system for the people that need it the most in this county. Some of you continuously over my 40-year career as a high school mathematics teacher beat the school district down because they have to be everything. But what have you done in this body? Everyone has to look at themselves. I'm here on behalf of the students. It has been my fight for over 40 years and God willing, it'll continue to be my fight. Martin Luther King died in this city so people could have representation. So, my black and brown brothers and sisters that I teach with and the parents of my students and my former students, vote matters. Every one of you as an elected official, you want everybody to go vote. But then the power of their vote means nothing.

that we can have a Republican majority in this state to take our Democratic voice away and then you know you're so wrong. So then you pass legislation so we can't fight it with public dollars. Our school district is not perfect and your hands are dirty just as well. I asked you to support this measure and to support the kids of this school district because yes, the state did come in as one of you said and they took 31 schools and it was a disaster. So much of a disaster. The state recognized it on record and now has disbanded the ASD. And another question I want you to ask yourselves, what about the 34 districts in this state that are performing worse than the Memphis Shelby County schools, but the law doesn't apply to them because you wrote the six measures to make sure they applied to this black city and to these black and brown children. and we continue some of us to hide behind Jesus Christ. God forbid the day of your reckoning. Thank you, Miss Marble. Dina Vaughn, Miss Vaughn, you have please state your name and zip code and you have three minutes.

Dr. Dina Von and you can pull you can pull the microphone down so it's more convenient for you.

Okay. Is that better? Yes, ma'am. Okay. Dr. Davon. Um, I'll be quick. Try not to make an emotional appeal. Just facts. Um, I'm an advocate for our kids. I'm a product of this district. Um, I'm a product of this city. It means so much to me. It's made me who I am as a person. But this moment is about more than what is facing our kids. It's about more than litigation. We've been here before. This is the playbook. Racism is the play. But fascism is the plan. And when the state launched ASD, as we just heard about, it was presented as a bold solution to improve struggling schools. But years later, the results tell a different story. The outcomes did not match the promises. Many schools saw little to no sustained improvement. Communities were disrupted and trust was eroded. We cannot afford to repeat that history. Funding this litigation is not about resisting accountability. It is about demanding that accountability works and that it works for Shelby County and not against it. Because what we are witnessing right now is not just policy. It is narrative. We are hearing rhetoric from our officials at the state level that frames this in ways that are deeply divisive. language that diminishes the work of our educators, ignores the progress being made, and paints our community as incapable of governing itself. That kind of rhetoric is not leadership. It is destabilizing. And we must ask ourselves, what is the broader context? This proposed takeover does not exist in a vacuum. It comes at a time when there are ongoing

conversations at the state level about reshaping political power in Tennessee, including discussions that could impact the state's only democratic congressional district. When you look at these efforts together, control over the schools, control over the narrative, and control over representation, it raises serious concerns about intent. If we are not questioning intent in this moment, what are what are we doing? and whether this is truly about helping children or consolidating control. Our students should never become collateral damage in political strategy. Our educators should never feel that their work is being undermined for the sake of a headline. And our community should never be told directly or indirectly that their voice does not matter. Commissioners funding this litigation is about drawing a line. It is about saying that Shelby County will not be While decisions about our children are made without us, it is about protecting local governance, ensuring due process, and demanding that any action taken by the state meets the high standards of fairness, transparency, and effectiveness. But if the state truly believes that the takeover is justified, then it should withstand legal scrutiny.

Thank you, Miss Von.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Please prepare the screen for a vote. I'm an eye. My screen is frozen. Madam cler, please report the vote. We have eye votes from commissioners bibs caswell July Brooks Lowry and a commissioners Mills right and have voted no have eight eyes and three no motion passes please read the add on item 1 A

item 1 A is an add-on item item 1 A is a resolution acknowledging vacancy in the Tennessee State House of Representatives, District 93, and setting the following dates. One, Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 as the application deadline. Two, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, as a date for interviewing candidates. And three, Wednesday, May 6, 2026 as the date for appointment. Sponsored by Chairwoman Shante K. Sorry, I can't see. My I have a motion by Commissioner Sugarman, a second by Commissioner Thornton. Commissioner Wright, your work.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, I'd like to make a motion to suspend the rule uh rule 36D um which controls what can be heard in a special call meeting. Um if to the extent we are following our rules, I would make that motion to suspend. Have a motion by Commissioner Wright. Is there a second? Second by Commissioner Thornton. May I just clarify? We'll Are you okay with modifying that to suspend the portions of the rule uh that around publication?

So the exact rule that I'm making reference to is 36D. I'll read that portion. Yes. Says the call or notice shall specify the objects and purposes for which s Such special meeting is called no other business but that contained in the call shall be transacted during such special meeting. So we would like to suspend that so we can take up this item.

So I had a motion by commissioner right second by commissioner Thorne. Can we do that without objection? Seeing none so moved. Okay. Uh I'm sorry my screen is rebooting again so I don't know if there's any other commissioners that are in queue. Commissioner Clay Bibs. Thank you, Madam Chair. For the record, I just want to say just so we can have it correct in archives as we move forward. The words Tuesday and Wednesday of number one and three on the resolution as it been been placed in the system is spelled incorrectly. Then I think as also going into the resolution um Wednesday was spelled incorrectly again. Just make sure those corrections are in place because it is in the caption.

Yes. Yes, ma'am. If it's okay with you, we'll just take that up as a script error and just make sure that those are spelled correctly in the item. That's fine. Thank you, Commissioner Mills. I just want to make sure I heard this correctly. We're opening up applications tomorrow and then interviewing and choosing on Wednesday. That's correct. So, has someone already been chosen? that's filling out their application tomorrow. The application deadline is 5:00 pm tomorrow. So after 5:00 pm tomorrow, we will know who has applied for the vacant.

That is such a short notice. I just worry about the transparency the way it looks. Um doing it that quickly. Can I ask how that was decided? Well, I think the transparency of us having the emergent moment of the general session being called as it has been this week um has expedited the process for us. Um this isn't the way that we probably would have done a vacant seat. However, General uh the Tennessee Assembly has called the special session and the people who represent that district have asked us to act expeditiously in order to have someone in the seat. So, uh I guess the transparency of the assembly being called over the weekend. We're now making sure that we at least attempt to have someone to fill that seat. The vacancy was sent to me at 1:29 p.m. from the governor's office. From that time, I've had each of your um legislative assistants call you to check availability to see who would be able to be here on Wednesday, understanding it is very short notice, but that is the reason why these things have transpired in this way and at this speed. Okay. Um, thank you.

See, Commissioner Brooks,

thank you. Um, I need to speak so that this comfort and this I just advised someone yesterday about this in talking with the committee the community. I don't like moving like this. I really don't. I don't understand the motivation behind acting so quickly on this issue. It's not a lot more is done if we do not show transparency in this process involve the community in this process and be heard over everything else. So, I'm wrestling with this because I haven't heard anything that convinces me that I need to vote in the affirmative. I mean, what the legislature says, the Tennessee General Sim says not move. What does move me is whether or not the people have had an opportunity to say something is to show up on this issue. So I'm I'm just wrestling and I want that to reflect. I'm not sure what I'm

Commissioner Caswell. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I I got to agree to with my colleague, Commissioner Brooks. I I it's been a wrestle for me, but I understand where you just mentioned the urgency of now and and sadly we have to be pushed so that the people in district I'm sorry, in this particular district have a voice at the table need to be there. And I think that because of what's happening at the state to make this a blue county uh I mean a red county red you know across the state is concerning that these things happen. But but one of the things because I'm going to try to make sure I can make it to committee. I do plan to be at the meeting is that what I would like some type of and again it can come up in committee type of think thought around it be a shortterm appointment in in in the sense that they don't go all the way to to the election in or because just how I was with appointing the district 9 bless you I don't want to be in the position of appointing somebody that's going to turn around and run for the the seat I didn't support that when that seat came available I don't want support that person who's going to turn around and run in that district with the community not really having a real voice to pick and that who they want to see representing that district. So that's that's the push the concern I do carry with this but I do understand the urgency of now. So

seeing this is this resolution puts on notice for the committee meeting where um their applications are will be available online. People can do that until 5:00 PM tomorrow. Um the interview process will take place on Wednesday if this passes will take place on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. and then there will be a special call committee commission meeting at 1 p.m. to make the appointment. Commissioner Brooks, you're recognized.

Since um since you made that announcement, moving forward with this process, can we also include you include uh maybe some social media post outreach to local just so that it can reach as many people as possible about this. Absolutely.

Yes, we'll have a press release that will go out. We'll make sure that all of our social media um channels um blast us out as well as well as TV, radio um please prepare the screen for a vote. Madam clerk, please report the vote. We have eye votes from commissioners why Clayfields Caswell Sugarman July right Brooks Lowry and Chairwoman Aan Commissioner Mills has abained have 10 eyes and one abstain. That motion passes seeing no other business before this body. Um, we'll now if there are any announcements or statements if you could clear the screen. There's any announcements or any announcements or statements. Seeing none. Madam Chair, Commissioner Thordon.

Thank you. I just wanted to ask if there was any update concerning the budget amendments. It is May 4th and we have yet to hear what's happening with that process. Can you give a public statement? I have a number of constituents who are just in limbo and they have been waiting for almost a year to be able to just get the monies that have been earmarked for them. So, um I'm going to defer to Commissioner Wy. I think there are some dates that we wanted to set for some of the budget hearings in between committee meetings and so um Commissioner Way if you could just go ahead and

Yep. Thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, I think Commissioner Thornon uh you're referring to existing budget. I'm not talking to anything to come. So, it's Oh, my administration.

So, that's a process issue, right? No, no, no. I mean, you're right. Uh, but in terms of next year's process, the proposed budget is is set to be given to us next week in committee. Um, and then we'll have a budget hearing or internal budget hearing the following Wednesday, which was part of the schedule we got during the budget retreat. But that is something we need to make sure that that we have uh and I think chairwoman you may also work with the administration on this but making sure that those items that have already been budgeted appropriated are pro or expended uh or if we get to the point we're too close to the end of the year that there's specific language that carries them into 27 so that you don't lose it.

So I'm I'm going to reclaim my time just to go back to you madam chair and I'm going to ask if you could get um clay period to come out and speak because at this point I just need to Is this a stall tactic that currently is happening? Because if we're talking about carry forward language, I've already had $2.7 million that over a year ago had to be carried forward. So, at some point, the public accountability just needs to be there. Particularly in lie of all the discussions we've had today about wanting to fight for what's right. Here we are. The the most simple fights are just being swept under the rug. So, can we please get a conclusive understanding of what is happening with the budget amendments for fiscal year 26 and why they have not been processed as of May 4th, 2026? It does not make sense and I just want to know where does accountability need to lie at this point.

So, this body has already done what it needs to do in order for those things to happen. I think I I spoke publicly in our last meeting that the administration needed to provide some clarity on that. So I'll say again in this public meeting that the administration needs to provide clarity on those things that have not been

and so as a sitting commissioner represented by you chairwoman if the administration is not providing that clarity what are we prepared to do and who exactly are we speaking to in the administration? Is this something that director Typton needs to come down and speak on? Are we talking to Mayor Harris? who exactly is the obstructionist? Because at this point, I'm sitting in between county government being unprocessed and very frustrated, rightfully so, constituents who just need their dollars because they