Archive for March, 2010
Behind the Budget Curtain
Sunday, March 28th, 2010Pulling back the curtain on salaries and benefits of public employees
The current city mayor, Mayor Wharton, is a great believer in transparency and when he was the county mayor, I found him to be so. Therefore click on any of the following to see city and sheriff department salaries and benefits. See 2009 city employees base salaries and cost of benefits, the 2009 city employees actual salaries and the 2009 sheriff department actual salaries.
The 2011 Memphis Budget Process
Sunday, March 21st, 2010Controlling Taxzilla
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010How Do We Control the MemphisCitySchoolTaxzilla?
I read in the paper the other day that the Memphis City School Board members accepted a $936 million dollar budget-$61 million more than last (more…)
MLGW Increases Pension Contribution
Monday, March 15th, 2010MLGW Increases Pension Contribution by $11 million
Memphisshelbyinform is determined to keep the public informed about local public pensions, OPEB (retiree health care and life insurance) and public employee benefits. This is a big job, but here is some information (more…)
Office of Talent and Human Capital
Thursday, March 11th, 2010Did you see the announcement this morning by Mayor Wharton of a new office at the City of Memphis. DRUM ROLL!! Office of Talent and Human Capital. Here are the details.
Ever Resistant to Change
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010I went to a subcommittee meeting yesterday run by City Council member Barbara S. Ware. On the agenda was the subject of auto inspections. Bill Boyd was there as was Janet Hooks, Director of Public Services and (more…)
The Cost of Obscuration (Lack of Transparency)
Friday, March 5th, 2010A friend of mine said recently when I told him about my recent experience with lack of transparency in a local government agency “Where there’s obstruction there’s fear. Where there’s fear there’s uncertainty and ignorance. Where there’s uncertainty and ignorance there’s a bloody mess.”
Transparency at the MCSchools
Thursday, March 4th, 2010I recently sent several open records requests to the Memphis City School system. Let me say that transparency in local government has improved significantly since the exit of Willie Herenton. Shelby County is the best, MLGW is next and the City of Memphis, since interim Mayor Lowery and (more…)