As reporter Amos Maki writes today, City Councilwoman Wanda Halbert has asked embattled City Atty. Elbert Jefferson to explore whether Lowery should have recused himself from the July 21 vote to recognize a vacancy in the mayor's office.
Halbert and councilman Joe Brown questioned whether Lowery should vote, since his pay increased once he moved to the mayor's office.
As chairman, Lowery was paid $2,633 per month. As interim mayor until Oct. 15, he earns about $14,291 per month. A city ordinance says officials should not vote when they could benefit financially.
Whether or not Halbert and Brown raise a valid point, it should be noted that Halbert is a candidate in the Memphis mayor's race. That means she also has something to gain by hurting Lowery's chances of winning the special election on Oct. 15
Halbert said this is not a conflict because she brought this issue up weeks ago when discussion of the mayor's vacancy was going on - before Mayor Willie Herenton had even left office and before she decided to run in the mayor's race. "Why it's coming out now, I don't know," she said.
If this holds as a precedent, it spells out potential deadlock on any Council vote that could potentially remove a Mayor from office, because of the possibility of a 6-6 tie. This just seems like a bad idea all around.
Wanda Halbert should resign.. Or are her standards so high that they're double???
Wanda needs to go sit down somewhere and be quiet. She has about as much business running this city as Prince Mongo.
It's not a ridiculous question, but upon reflection I opine that the right of the people Myron represents to be heard on such questions trumps the conflict of interest, particularly when the City Charter thrusts such a vote on him rather than some shady secret deal causing it and also particularly when it's plausible that his vote would decide the issue, else he could take a walk to look more pristine.