What could a new government look like?
Is it the answer?
How would it affect me and my family?
Below are frequently asked questions and answers. If you have another question, ask us and we will find the answer for you as quickly as possible..
What is the Charter Commission?
The Charter Commission was created by resolutions of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners and the Memphis City Council. Then, Mayor Wharton, as county mayor and then as Memphis mayor, nominated 15 persons to serve as its members. They were responsible for writing a charter for a new government.
What is a charter?
The charter is in essence the constitution for a new government, setting out its structure, its functions, and its elected officials and their responsibilities.
How does a new charter go into effect?
The charter commission wrote a new charter for a new government and the Shelby County Election Commission put it on the ballot for November 2. To become effective, it must be approved by a majority of Memphis voters, and in a separate vote, it must be approved by the voters who live outside Memphis.
What exactly is the new government?
It is a new government which replaces the present city and county governments. It has a mayor and a 25-member legislative body. This new government is not simply the merging of two governments. Instead, it is the creation of a totally new government that responds to the values of our community and the challenges of the 21st century.
Why are people talking about this now?
Many people believe the current trajectory of our community - notably the loss of 38,000 jobs in the past decade and the loss of almost 50,000 people and $1.9 billion in income -- demands a government that is more productive, efficient and responsive, and that our community's future depends on our ability to create a high-performing government that takes us into the future.
How are the other cities in Shelby County changed by a new government?
They would not be changed. They continue to exist and their governments would still have responsibilities for their municipal services. They cannot be forced into a merged government, and each city will only be part of it if it decides to be.
Aren't there other options to improve government?
Some people have suggested that more annexations by Memphis or more contracts between city and county government are better. Mayor Wharton says we have tried a range of things in the past to improve government's bad business model but nothing worked. He said that a totally new government is needed to eliminate fragmentation and duplication, produce more accountability, power economic growth, and eliminate the divisiveness of race and geography that all people of good will want to end.
Is government merger a new idea?
No. The first government merger was in New Orleans in 1805. Boston followed in 1821, Philadelphia in 1854, San Francisco in 1856, and New York City in the 1890s. The latest merger of a major city and county took place in Louisville in 2000.
Can a new government be forced on the public?
A new government can't be forced on the public, because the public has the final say. Voters inside Memphis have to approve unified government in an election before it can take place, and in a separate election, so do voters outside Memphis.
What happens to the sheriff, trustee, assessor, register, and clerk?
They remain part of the unified government. Their duties would be set out in the new charter.
How many metropolitan governments are there in Tennessee?
Three, with the largest being Nashville/Davidson County, which merged city and county governments under the Metropolitan Government Act in 1962. The two other metropolitan governments are found in small counties.
