MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - The Shelby County mayor has no faith in the Tire Redemption Program. The popular "Cash for Tires" program will still happen but with less funding. The city of Memphis already chipped in its portion of the deal: $50,000 plus labor. Shelby County is only supplying labor, even though commissioners say the county can afford the $50,000.
Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy met with Mayor Mark Luttrell this week. The meeting didn't end well for Mulroy's Cash for Tires program.
"The reason he gave was that he had concerns about the effectiveness of the program,” said Mulroy.
Concerns that tire dealers are not properly disposing of the tires. The program is only for city and county residents and Mulroy says this year, they added more restrictions of who can take part and where people can go to pick up tires. He says no program is 100 percent flawless.
"I think with all those anti-fraud measures combined we're talking about 70 to 80 percent of the tires being valid tires and that makes up for it, it makes it worthwhile, and it’s a more cost effective way to get these tires off the streets,” Mulroy stated.
ABC24 News wanted to meet with the county mayor today, but he's out of town. This is what Mayor Luttrell told us last month.
"We never made any commitment on this what so ever,” Mayor Luttrell told ABC24 News on September 19.
Although the county isn't chipping in its portion of the funding, it's still helping the program: "The mayor has agreed to provide in kind services, inmate labor and other public works labor to assist with the program,” said Mulroy. “I am sorry that the mayor hasn't seen fit to make a contribution towards this. We will continue with the program. We won’t be able to redeem as many tires as we hoped but it's better than nothing."
There will be an official announcement when the program will start in the next couple of months. A list of areas to pick up tires will also be posted on the Shelby County's website at
www.shelbycountytn.gov.
