MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Shelby County Commissioner Terry Roland is calling Memphis city government "top heavy," saying there are plenty of things the city could do to save money.
He's dead-set against a plan that would charge you for car inspections, and that would include people who live outside city limits but drive into the city more than twice a week. It's a plan to help get cleaner air in Memphis, says the plan's architect, city councilman Edmund Ford Jr.
Terry Roland was so concerned about the plan he wrote a letter to Memphis City Council members urging them to vote against it or else he'd push for retribution from the suburbs.
"My constituents, they're right with me. They think that it's unfair and they think that two can play it both ways," Roland said. "We can have inspections when they come into north Shelby County, you know."
This plan comes at a time when city and county relations are at an all time low. Fighting is emotional over issues like the school systems merging, and now this.
But now a few days have come and gone. Roland's not as worried as he used to be.
He said, "I saw a couple of the city councilmen since I sent that letter. They said not to be worried, that it's not going to go anywhere."
County Commission Chairman Sidney Chism lives in Memphis and represents the city. He's not to thrilled with the Ed Ford plan either.
"How do you police it? How do you tell a person that's coming to town he's got to get his inspection? Number two is, even if he came every day, how do you police it? So i see it being a nightmare."
Now Sidney Chism and fellow Commissioner Terry Roland are miles apart when it comes to politics. Chism is a long time Democrat, Roland is a member of the Republican Party. On this plan however, they both agree it's a bad idea.
The fears that some on county commission have is that unless the city and county put their differences aside, things are going to get a lot worse.
With the school merger on the horizon and the city budget problems looking even worse next year, it might be too late.
