MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Two Shelby County Commissioners have been censured. By a 7-4 vote, Mike Ritz and Terry Roland were taken to task for saying that a commissioner had tried to bribe them. The action was just the beginning of a tumultuous meeting.
In one meeting you had commissioners Taylor versus Ritz and Roland, Roland versus Taylor and Thomas, Bunker versus Chism, Chism versus Republicans, Brooks versus Chism, Chism versus Brooks, and Ford versus Bailey. All of this started after a tussle over tacos at a Mexican restaurant in Collierville.
The group can't agree on a plan to set up new voting districts. Commissioner Wyatt Bunker said they should have the right to replace the chairman, Sidney Chism.
Seven of his fellow council members agreed, but the chairman didn't, saying it's just one of those political things.
Chism said, "Look commissioners, I'm especially talking to Democratic commissioners, if you allow this to happen, it'll happen to you every day of the week."
If you think he was mad, Brent Taylor had him beat. Taylor wanted to censure Commissioners Mike Ritz and Terry Roland for saying he tried to bribe them. Taylor said that wasn't true, and he got an apology out of Roland.
"I welcome your input. I welcome your debate. But what I don't welcome are the personal attacks, threats and intimidation," Taylor said.
When you hear attacks, threats, and intimidation at commission meetings, the next word you'll hear often is Roland. He was accused of threatening one commissioner months before, and at a January 17th meeting in Collierville he had some troubles with fellow Republican Chris Thomas.
"And if you say anything I'm going to knock you out of that chair," Roland said to Thomas.
Roland said he thought Thomas said something about his father, who passed away last year. But he also said Thomas and two other commissioners had been heckling him at a public meeting where Roland was talking about his plan to set up new districts.
Nobody said anything about Roland's father at this meeting. The only person who brought him up was Terry Roland.
He also said he's not worried about facing a censure and there's no reason to be afraid, because a censure is basically just a public spanking.
After Wednesday's meeting Roland exchanged some choice words with ABC 24's 'Bulldog' Mike Matthews. You can watch the raw video in the media player above, or by CLICKING HERE.
