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    • Memphis voters approve gun control, residency endorsement for mayor
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    Memphis voters approve gun control, residency endorsement for mayor

    Sakege Posted on

    Of the Six referendum questions Memphis voters faced On Tuesday, all were approved by the electorate.

    The referendums were approved and put on the ballot by the Memphis City Council and ranged from who will set the salaries of top city officials to various gun control issues.

    All results are unofficial until certified by the Shelby County Election Commission.

    Memphis mayoral elections will have a second round

    Memphis voters approved the Council’s proposal that would require the mayor to obtain a majority of the votes cast to be elected to office.

    With all votes counted, 80% of voters voted in favor of instituting a second round.

    The move was part of discussions following the 2023 mayoral election, in which Memphis Mayor Paul Young won the seat with just over 27% of the vote. Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner came in second with 22% and former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton came in third with 21% of the vote.

    Once the referendum is approved, the two best candidates in the elections will go to a second round and must win 50% plus one additional vote to be elected. Had it been in effect during the 2023 mayoral election, Young and Bonner would have been the two candidates in the runoff.

    Memphis City Council will set the highest salaries in the city

    Memphis voters also supported the council’s effort to set salaries for the mayor, Memphis City Council members, the city’s chief administrative officer, mayor-appointed directors and all deputy directors.

    With all votes counted, 70% of voters voted in favor of the measure.

    This referendum was vetoed when former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland left office and was vetoed again under the Young administration, but that veto was overridden by the Council.

    Currently, the mayor’s salary is set by the council before the start of his term and the Memphis City Council’s salary matches that of the Shelby County Commission.

    The salary of the directors of the mayor’s administration is set by the mayor at the time of their appointment. The City Council has to approve the appointment, but they have previously been unable to modify the salary in the approval process.

    Memphis Voters Approve Residency Requirements for Memphis Mayor, City Council Members

    In future elections, candidates for Memphis mayor and candidates for Memphis City Council will have to be residents of Memphis.

    With all votes counted, almost 90% of voters voted in favor of the measure.

    The referendum passed, enforcing a two-year residency requirement for candidates and requiring them to be at least 18 years old. Mayors will also not be permitted to hold another elected office at the time of election certification and will not be able to have a direct interest in a city contract. .

    The mayoral qualifications followed a ruling by the Shelby County Court of Chancery that said the city has no residency requirements to run for mayor. Both Bonner and then-candidate Van Turner were beneficiaries of that ruling and were allowed to remain on the 2023 ballot.

    Someone who, at the time of an election, holds another elected office, will not be prevented from running for mayor of Memphis. However, that person would have to resign before the election is certified in order to take over as mayor. Under this rule, and if he had won the election, Bonner would have had to resign as sheriff before the election was certified.

    Memphians pass local gun laws

    Memphians strongly supported proposed local firearms restrictions and gun reforms. Although they are on the ballot, referendums act as trigger laws that would not go into effect without the Tennessee General Assembly establishing exemptions in state law.

    While discussing the approval of the gun control referendums, the City Council recognized that the laws would not be binding without the help of the State. Another hope of council members was that these referendums would act as hyper-accurate polls and could show the state how Memphis voters feel about gun laws.

    Question 1 asked whether permits should be required to carry and store firearms within city limits. With all votes counted, the measure had the support of approximately 81% of voters.

    Question 2 asked whether assault weapons should be declared a public health threat, banned in the city (with the exception of private property or shooting ranges by current owners who legally purchased an assault weapon, or by law enforcement and military) and whether sales should be prohibited. With all votes counted, he had the support of 80% of voters.

    Question 3 asked whether there should be what is commonly called a “red flag law” in Memphis to eliminate or block the sale of guns to people considered a danger to themselves or others. With all votes counted, he had the support of 84% of voters.

    More election results:

    Tennessee Presidential Election Results:

    Tennessee US Senate Results:

    Tennessee’s 83rd Congressional District Election Results:

    Tennessee’s 86th Congressional District Election Results:

    Tennessee’s 97th Congressional District Election Results:

    Sakege
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