Fast Facts:
Mayor Lowery tells City Attorney to resign Attorney Refuses Lowery wants former US Atty to be City Attorney
(Memphis 8/4/09) For the first time in 18 years there was a new mayor meeting with Memphis City Council.
Mayor Pro-Tem Myron Lowery sat at the end of a long conference room table. He immediately tried to toss out a verbal peace pipe to the 12 council members. "I believe in the strength and the power of this council," Lowery said. "I believe it should be more powerful."
He really wants the council to show its strength by approving former U.S.Attorney Veronica Coleman Davis as City Attorney. The trouble is, current City Attorney Elbert Jefferson doesn't want to leave. "I'm not working for him," Jefferson said. "I work for the citizens of Memphis in my role as City Attorney."
That might be true, but Jefferson does have bosses, and one of them is the City Mayor. The Mayor can ask for a division director to be fired and the director would be fired once they get city council agreement. "It's not personal with me," Mayor Lowery said. "I just want good people to run the city."
Elbert Jefferson doesn't believe that. He believes it's personal. Lowery has said that he hasn't liked the way Jefferson has sent so much legal work to other lawyers, costing city taxpayers millions of dollars. Jefferson says he's tried to settle cases. "There is a reason I believe he (Lowery) is doing this," Jefferson said. "And it has absolutely nothing to do with the mismanagement of attorneys fees and payment of attorneys fees." Jefferson refused to say what he thinks the reason is.
Jefferson rarely talks with the news media. He is known as somebody who never returns a phone call. But on this day, he opened up. "I am a capable attorney," he said. "I lost my family because I put too much time into this job. I'm divorced now. I'm a father. I'm a single parent father. I take care of my son."
Lowery says the city charter is clear that when a mayors term is over, all department heads can be replaced by the new mayor. "Therefore," Lowery said, "I believe the term of Mr. Jefferson has expired."
Jefferson is taking Lowery to court as a private citizen to fight this case. His decision to sue Lowery as a private citizen means that city taxpayers must pay for another attorney to handle Jefferson's court case, while Lowery, even though he is Mayor of Memphis, must hire his own attorney. "I care about this city," Jefferson said. "For somebody to put my name in this type of regard, and to further try to add on to the negative is wrong."
Mayor Lowery tells City Attorney to resign Attorney Refuses Lowery wants former US Atty to be City Attorney
(Memphis 8/4/09) For the first time in 18 years there was a new mayor meeting with Memphis City Council.
Mayor Pro-Tem Myron Lowery sat at the end of a long conference room table. He immediately tried to toss out a verbal peace pipe to the 12 council members. "I believe in the strength and the power of this council," Lowery said. "I believe it should be more powerful."
He really wants the council to show its strength by approving former U.S.Attorney Veronica Coleman Davis as City Attorney. The trouble is, current City Attorney Elbert Jefferson doesn't want to leave. "I'm not working for him," Jefferson said. "I work for the citizens of Memphis in my role as City Attorney."
That might be true, but Jefferson does have bosses, and one of them is the City Mayor. The Mayor can ask for a division director to be fired and the director would be fired once they get city council agreement. "It's not personal with me," Mayor Lowery said. "I just want good people to run the city."
Elbert Jefferson doesn't believe that. He believes it's personal. Lowery has said that he hasn't liked the way Jefferson has sent so much legal work to other lawyers, costing city taxpayers millions of dollars. Jefferson says he's tried to settle cases. "There is a reason I believe he (Lowery) is doing this," Jefferson said. "And it has absolutely nothing to do with the mismanagement of attorneys fees and payment of attorneys fees." Jefferson refused to say what he thinks the reason is.
Jefferson rarely talks with the news media. He is known as somebody who never returns a phone call. But on this day, he opened up. "I am a capable attorney," he said. "I lost my family because I put too much time into this job. I'm divorced now. I'm a father. I'm a single parent father. I take care of my son."
Lowery says the city charter is clear that when a mayors term is over, all department heads can be replaced by the new mayor. "Therefore," Lowery said, "I believe the term of Mr. Jefferson has expired."
Jefferson is taking Lowery to court as a private citizen to fight this case. His decision to sue Lowery as a private citizen means that city taxpayers must pay for another attorney to handle Jefferson's court case, while Lowery, even though he is Mayor of Memphis, must hire his own attorney. "I care about this city," Jefferson said. "For somebody to put my name in this type of regard, and to further try to add on to the negative is wrong."
