Fast Facts:
(Memphis, 08/18/2009) In his new job as Memphis Mayor Pro Tem, Myron Lowery is determined to put his own stamp on the city's most powerful office.
"I think I'm a candidate of change because I'm promoting not doing business as usual and I think everybody realizes that with what has happened in the last two weeks."
Since being sworn-in last month, Lowery has tried to shake things up at city hall. He's releasing records requests to the news media, holding town hall meetings, opening up the mayor's office to the public, and who could forget his highly publicized attempt to fire Memphis City Attorney Elbert Jefferson.
"I offered him a very generous package, which he didn't accept. So, I had to make a move."
Some of his moves are the reason former mayor Willie Herenton is considering running again for the job he vacated. Dr. Herenton calls Lowery's style of leadership reckless.
"In terms of taking him on, I'm not taking him on. I don't want to fight. He's the one who initiated the fight and I'm not running away."
It's a fight that has Lowery taking jabs at Herenton's style of politics.
"I will not be racially divisive as our former mayor who was calling people names. I will not try to pit one group against another. He says he's running for Congress and he says he's running on race. I think he needs to run on his qualifications to serve and not for race."
Lowery was first elected to the Memphis City Council in 1991, but many Memphians were familiar with him as a reporter and weekend anchor at WMC-TV who sued his former station and won a racial discrimination lawsuit before entering politics.
"As a former journalist who covered the city council I didn't like what I saw. I saw a city council that wasn't responsive to the community."
That's why he says public safety is one of his top goals.
"We have got to rid our city of the criminal element on our streets. Stop the drug traffickers in North Memphis and South Memphis."
He says the former mayor left behind unfinished business such as the Mid-South Fairgrounds, Beale Street and the Pyramid-Bass Pro Deal.
"We should be pushing Bass Pro. They're paying us $30,000 a month rent. We need you to sign that final contract. We need to resolve the issue of the fairgrounds. For 18 months the council has been looking at it and it's been on the mayor's desk. Beale Street, 26 years? I'm not moving too fast. Government has been moving too slow."
It's why he wants to reinvent government by creating a Metro form of government to save tax dollars.
'For those municipalities like Millington, Collierville, and Bartlett, they are free to remain the way they are or they're free to join the metro government. It means combining perhaps our police force, fire departments, combining our taxing structure so that we can have more efficiency in government with less taxes."
As for Myron Lowery the man, he admits he's not always understood.
"Many people who don't know me think that I'm mean and somewhat angry at times. I'm really a funny guy."
He says he's a funny guy who can laugh at himself even after getting booed at a recent blues concert.
"Well, I took it in stride. I said 'if you stop booing I'm going to sing for you'. They continued to boo. I said 'if you stop booing I will dance for you'. They didn't stop booing. So I gave my certificates and said okay."
Lowery admits he has a short time to get a lot of accomplished as mayor pro tem, but he says he's up for the job full-time.
"It's hard work and long days, but it's a unique opportunity I've been given. I've been blessed and I'm not going to mess it up.>
- Mayor Pro Tem Lowery Says He's Qualified to Lead
- Lowery Says It's A New Day At Memphis City Hall
- Interim Mayor Says Unfinished City Business Will Be Addressed
(Memphis, 08/18/2009) In his new job as Memphis Mayor Pro Tem, Myron Lowery is determined to put his own stamp on the city's most powerful office.
"I think I'm a candidate of change because I'm promoting not doing business as usual and I think everybody realizes that with what has happened in the last two weeks."
Since being sworn-in last month, Lowery has tried to shake things up at city hall. He's releasing records requests to the news media, holding town hall meetings, opening up the mayor's office to the public, and who could forget his highly publicized attempt to fire Memphis City Attorney Elbert Jefferson.
"I offered him a very generous package, which he didn't accept. So, I had to make a move."
Some of his moves are the reason former mayor Willie Herenton is considering running again for the job he vacated. Dr. Herenton calls Lowery's style of leadership reckless.
"In terms of taking him on, I'm not taking him on. I don't want to fight. He's the one who initiated the fight and I'm not running away."
It's a fight that has Lowery taking jabs at Herenton's style of politics.
"I will not be racially divisive as our former mayor who was calling people names. I will not try to pit one group against another. He says he's running for Congress and he says he's running on race. I think he needs to run on his qualifications to serve and not for race."
Lowery was first elected to the Memphis City Council in 1991, but many Memphians were familiar with him as a reporter and weekend anchor at WMC-TV who sued his former station and won a racial discrimination lawsuit before entering politics.
"As a former journalist who covered the city council I didn't like what I saw. I saw a city council that wasn't responsive to the community."
That's why he says public safety is one of his top goals.
"We have got to rid our city of the criminal element on our streets. Stop the drug traffickers in North Memphis and South Memphis."
He says the former mayor left behind unfinished business such as the Mid-South Fairgrounds, Beale Street and the Pyramid-Bass Pro Deal.
"We should be pushing Bass Pro. They're paying us $30,000 a month rent. We need you to sign that final contract. We need to resolve the issue of the fairgrounds. For 18 months the council has been looking at it and it's been on the mayor's desk. Beale Street, 26 years? I'm not moving too fast. Government has been moving too slow."
It's why he wants to reinvent government by creating a Metro form of government to save tax dollars.
'For those municipalities like Millington, Collierville, and Bartlett, they are free to remain the way they are or they're free to join the metro government. It means combining perhaps our police force, fire departments, combining our taxing structure so that we can have more efficiency in government with less taxes."
As for Myron Lowery the man, he admits he's not always understood.
"Many people who don't know me think that I'm mean and somewhat angry at times. I'm really a funny guy."
He says he's a funny guy who can laugh at himself even after getting booed at a recent blues concert.
"Well, I took it in stride. I said 'if you stop booing I'm going to sing for you'. They continued to boo. I said 'if you stop booing I will dance for you'. They didn't stop booing. So I gave my certificates and said okay."
Lowery admits he has a short time to get a lot of accomplished as mayor pro tem, but he says he's up for the job full-time.
"It's hard work and long days, but it's a unique opportunity I've been given. I've been blessed and I'm not going to mess it up.>
