MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - The big showdown expected at the Shelby County Commission Monday afternoon didn't happen. Commissioners voted not to censure two of their own, and not to change rules which would allow them to replace the chairman.
Don't get the wrong idea, things didn't go smoothly. Commissioners aren't holding hands and singing 'We are the World.' They didn't do much of anything, but at least they accomplished one thing: nobody threatened anybody.
Commissioners quit arguing long enough to hear from the people. They were a frustrated group of people who just wanted them to do something.
Ida Turner with the NAACP made the simple request, "I want to urge you to get to work and to resolve the issues."
They have a lot of things to resolve, because things haven't been going very well for the commission - to put it mildly.
There have been threats against each other, and a move to approve a plan that would allow commissioners to change the chairman was not going over well with Van Turner, the head of the Shelby County Democratic Party.
"I would urge you on the commission not to vote for this plan," he said. "It is a very partisan political plan that we don't think would be in the best interests of the people, so we urge you to vote against it, especially all you Democrats on the committee."
The lobbying seemed to work. Commissioners didn't vote to change the rules.
On the issue of censuring Commissioners Mike Ritz and Terry Roland for some of their comments, commissioners gave both men a pass.
Roland did apologize for his actions, Ritz didn't, and commissioners have decided to start the new voting district process all over again after months of a stalemate.
