MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - The Shelby County Mayor wants one on one time with you. Mayor Mark Luttrell is opening his door for sit down meetings with the public.
Luttrell says he's hoping the one-on-one meetings help the County get problems fixed faster.
Now in his second year as Mayor of Shelby County, Mark Luttrell is digging deep into his past to answer community concerns. The one-on-one meetings were inspired by 1960's Memphis Mayor Henry Loeb.
"It's one of those ideas that stuck with me," he says. "As a teenager I sat in on one of those sessions. I'm hoping we can resurrect that same spirit, concern and interest from the public that I was able to see several years ago."
Luttrell will spend two hours once a month listening to the public. Each person will get 10 minutes alone with the Mayor.
Memphian George Grider says, "It's a great idea, people in Memphis will like that."
Dirk Crystal lives in Detroit, and he thinks other governments should follow suit. "An open door, that's a positive thing, it's got to be positive."
The idea immediately got citizens' wheels turning. Grider says, "We have so many issues, crime, schools... I'd probably talk about the new Veteran's Court that is just starting up."
Lifelong Memphian Marcia Levy says if she had 10 minutes with the Mayor she would only talk about one thing, "I'm very concerned about the schools and what's going to happen."
If demand grows, the Mayor says he'll expand the meetings.
"The more we can get citizens involved in government, either by expressing opinions or bringing problems to us that need to be addressed and the quicker we can respond to that," Luttrell says. "Then hopefully we can restore some confidence in government's ability to take care of the basic needs of the people."
The first meeting is scheduled for July 10 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. To schedule a visit with the Mayor, call his office at (901) 222-2000.
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton already has several meetings a month with different community groups and uses public outings as an opportunity to hear what's on the minds of citizens.
