MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The race continues to be the next mayor of Memphis. On April 29, voters got a chance to hear from six of the candidates vying for the position.
"Commit to Memphis" hoped to give people a more personal look into who Michelle McKissack, Paul Young, Karen Camper, Frank Colvett, JW Gibson and James Harvey were as Memphians and potential future leaders.
The discussion started off with questions like what the candidates do in their free time, and Memphis icons who had an impact on them, but this discussion soon turned to harder-hitting questions.
“These are all important conversations that we all need to be having,” said Kathryn Winsley, one of the several Memphians who attended this discussion at the Mosaic Church.
For many, this was a chance to ask the candidates on their approaches to public transportation, education, law enforcement reform, transgender healthcare, affordable housing, and what they would do to the city budget.
“I want to know what plans do you have for education, I want to know what plans you have for our children, for our future,” said Winsley.
When asked about what they would do within their first three to six months as mayor, candidates offered a variety of answers. Gibson wants to focus on community development while Colvett wants to create more opportunities to help Memphians become homeowners.
In their plans, Young, Camper, Harvey and McKissack all mentioned they would have a focus on crime prevention. To accomplish this, each candidate had a different approach, from using crime data to create a strategy, to getting input from those working in the criminal justice system and non-profits, to listening to Memphians who want to be part of the solution.
“This city will come back, tourism will come back, people will come back to Memphis if crime is addressed immediately,” said Mal Atkins, another forum attendee.
Absent from Saturday’s mayoral conversation were Van Turner, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner and Willie Herenton. Those three candidates are in jeopardy of losing their ability to run for mayor if they do not meet the city’s eligibility requirements.
So far there have been three different opinions on whether a candidate should live in the city for five years, two years or 30 days before the election takes place.
Now, eyes are on City of Memphis Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Sink, who is expected to give her opinion on the requirement to the Shelby County Election Commission May 1.
Current Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland was also considered to voice an opinion on the requirement, however the commission decided against it. In order to avoid a future debate, Memphians will vote on whether or not there should be a clear two-year residency requirement on the 2024 ballot.