New leadership assignments for Memphis City Council committees were announced Monday morning in the first public move by new council chairman Jim Strickland.
Committee leadership positions can be important. Those in chairman or vice chairman roles lead meetings and can use that influence to shape the debate on big issues. For example, Janis Fullilove used her position as chairwoman of the MLGW committee to slow (but not stop) the expansion of the city’s smart meter program.
But some council members will say the leadership roles carry little weight as no piece of legislation can be stopped in council committees and must go before the full council for a vote. Strickland has said that while he kept his budget meetings moving ahead and usually on time in 2013, his position gave him little sway over the final approved budget.
The new committee assignments have a couple of shake-ups but many leadership positions remained as they were in 2013.
Fullilove was pulled as chairwoman of the MLGW committee but will remain as a voting member of the committee. Myron Lowery will serve as its chairman. Bill Boyd will be the committee’s vice chairman.
Lee Harris will be the chairman of the budget committee in 2014. It’s a big leadership opportunity for Harris who has the least legislative experience of any on the council as he joined the body in 2011.
Here’s the full 2014 committee line-up:
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Chairman – Edmund Ford Jr.
Vice Chairman — Bill Morrison
BUDGET COMMITTEE
Chairman — Lee Harris
Vice Chairman- Harold Collins
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM & TECHNOLOGY
Chairman — Wanda Halbert
Vice Chairman- Janis Fullilove
Members — Joe Brown, Kemp Conrad, Shea Flinn, Bill Morrison
HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Chairman-Joe Brown
Vice Chairman- Wanda Halbert
Members – Harold Collins, Shea Flinn, Janis Fullilove, Lee Harris
MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS & WATER
Chairman — Myron Lowery
Vice Chairman- Bill Boyd
Members – Joe Brown, Kemp Conrad, Edmund Ford Jr., Janis Fullilove
PARKS
Chairman — Bill Boyd
Vice Chairman-Edmund Ford Jr.
Members — Shea Flinn, Wanda Halbert, Lee Harris, Myron Lowery
PERSONNEL, INTERGOVERNMENTAL & ANNEXATION
Chairman — Shea Flinn
Vice Chairman — Myron Lowery
Member — Harold Collins, Lee Harris, Reid Hedgepeth, Bill Morrison
PLANNING & ZONING
Chairman — Harold Collins
Vice Chairman — Shea Flinn
Members Joe Brown, Edmund Ford Jr., Janis Fullilove, Wanda Halbert
PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND SECURITY
Chairman — Kemp Conrad
Vice Chairman — Joe Brown
Members Bill Boyd, Harold Collins, Shea Flinn, Lee Harris
PUBLIC SERVICES & NEIGHBORHOODS
Chairman — Janis Fullilove
Vice Chairman — Reid Hedgepeth
Members – Bill Boyd, Kemp Conrad, Edmund Ford Jr., Lee Harris
PUBLIC WORKS, TRANSPORTATION & GENERAL SERVICES
Chairman — Reid Hedgepeth
Vice Chairman — Kemp Conrad
Members — Bill Boyd, Harold Collins, Janis Fullilove, Wanda Halbert
