Futures of MLGW, MPD leaders discussed by Memphis mayoral candidates at debate

None of the five candidates for Memphis mayor present on the first televised debate of the race would commit to keeping either Memphis Light, Gas & Water President Doug McGowen or Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn C.J. Davis in their roles.

“I don’t promise hires and I don’t promise fires,” said Paul Young, president of the Downtown Memphis Commission and one of the frontrunners for mayor.

Young was joined by State Rep. Karen Camper, businessman and former county commissioner J.W. Gibson, Memphis-Shelby County School Board member Michelle McKissack and former county commissioner Van Turner at the debate Tuesday night.

The debate was hosted by WKNO and The Daily Memphian and held in WKNO’s studios without a public audience. It was broadcast live from the studio.

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner had previously accepted the invitation to attend, but backed out around an hour before the debate’s start, according to The Daily Memphian. Another frontrunner, former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton, declined his invitation.

Much of the discussion Tuesday focused on recent MLGW power outages as well as a surge in crime and how the candidate would, if elected mayor, address those issues.

When asked to raise a hand if they supported keeping McGowen in his role, none of the candidates did so, although Young voiced something inaudible to the viewing audience.

Earlier, Gibson criticized the appointment of someone with “zero utility industry experience” to lead MLGW, seemingly referring to McGowen.

Later, when asked about Davis, no one raised a hand, although Gibson made a gesture indicating indecision.

“I hadn’t had an opportunity to interview the chief,” Gibson said, explaining his hand gesture. “I don’t understand why there’s such a rush to push this lady out of her job. She’s been here for two years. She’s done a great job from all that I’m hearing of improving the morale in the police department.”

Turner, an attorney, called the question “political malpractice,” saying he also would need to know the positives and negatives of a person before deciding their future.

Infrastructure, crime focuses of debate

Each candidate said infrastructure improvements would be a focus of their administration, but some differed on how to pay for those improvements.

Both Gibson and Young raised their hands when asked if they would support a rate increase to pay for improvements to MLGW, while the others on stage did not.

“It’s heartbreaking to see the families in pain, having to throw away food,” Young said, pointing out that lives can be lost when the power goes out.

Those things must be remembered “when it is time to pay for the solution,” he said.

Several mentioned seeking state or federal funds for infrastructure improvements.

McKissack pointed to how the Hernando de Soto “M” bridge was fixed just four months after a crack was discovered in one of its beams.

“That’s the same level of urgency we have to apply here with MLGW and our infrastructure system,” she said. “We need more accountability and more oversight for MLGW and as mayor that’s what I would do, provide that oversight.”

When asked whether the city should reopen the analysis of whether MLGW should leave the Tennessee Valley Authority, Turner, Gibson and McKissack raised their hands, while Camper and Young did not.

On crime, multiple candidates said that the police force needs to be strengthened numerically even as more recreational and educational opportunities must be made available for youth.

Some discussed the challenge of operating a city that has seen significant gun crime in a state with lax gun laws and a legislature often hesitant to create restrictions.

Gibson and Turner both said they supported a recent move by the Memphis City Council to allow voters to vote on gun restrictions even though those restrictions currently contradict state law.

“We’ve been screaming to the top of our lungs for change out of Nashville and it has not occurred,” Turner said, with both him and Gibson mentioning legal challenges to state law.

Candidates were also asked whether they supported recent ordinances passed by the Memphis City Council to curb certain police actions such as pretextual traffic stops in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death.

Gibson said he did not support those ordinances and that body cameras and skycop cameras can be the mechanism to stop abuses.

Nichols’ beating was filmed on both body cameras and a skycop camera.

More election news: The races for Memphis City Council are packed. Read what candidates have to say.

Camper said she agreed with some of the ordinances, while McKissack, Turner and Young said they support the changes.

“The Black and brown community is already over-policed,” Turner said. “We have to figure out a better way and there is a better way.”

This was the first of what is likely to be several televised debates before the Oct. 5 election.

One of those debates will be hosted Sept. 14 by The Commercial Appeal, Action News 5 and The League of Women Voters of Memphis-Shelby County. It will start at 7 p.m. at the University of Memphis’ Michael D. Rose Theatre, 470 University and be televised live on Action News 5 and livestreamed on commercialappeal.com and actionnews5.Katherine Burgess covers government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis mayoral election: candidates talk MPD, MLGW changes