Memphis mayoral candidates take questions from business community at chamber debate

The upcoming election for a new Memphis mayor is of particular importance to the city’s business community in a time of historic economic development activity, said Ted Townsend, president and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber.

“We need a mayor who understands that Memphis is at a critical moment in its history and will rise to the challenge,” Townsend said.

Chamber members had a chance to hear six top candidates in the Oct. 5 mayoral election address issues most relevant to them Thursday afternoon at the Halloran Centre at a debate hosted by the chamber.

In attendance were Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, State Rep. Karen Camper, businessman JW Gibson, Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board Member Michelle McKissack, former Memphis NAACP President Van Turner and Downtown Memphis Commission President Paul Young.

Questions were developed from surveys and interviews with business leaders as well as the work of a debate committee. Some questions were for all candidates, while others were specifically addressed to a particular candidate.

The debate crowd was invitation-only, with chamber members and media invited. Theryn Bond, who was working as a freelancer for The Tennessee Lookout, was blocked from entering with organizers saying they had concerns she would disrupt the debate. Bond had previously been approved to attend as media.

Here is what candidates had to say on some of the key points from the debate.

On bringing jobs to the city

McKissack: Investment “needs to be people-centric. People are at the heart of everything we do here in Memphis, including attracting people here to Memphis.”

Young: We must expedite processes and procedures like zoning, also addressing public safety. “We want to give them comfort in the fact that we are dedicated and committed to ensuring we are reducing the level of crime and violence we are seeing in our community.”

Bonner: “The major thing is we must get crime under control. We must stand firm with our thoughts, our beliefs. All of us want a great Memphis, but people are not, companies are not gonna want to move to Memphis or do business with Memphis if we don’t get the crime under control. I’m the only one on this stage tonight that has public safety experience.”

Camper: We must invest in the workforce, including providing childcare for workers and investing in affordable housing.

Gibson: It is “very important” to give businesses support so they “recognize up front there is a responsibility and an expectation that they give back to the community.”

Turner: We must work with the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County and the chamber to make sure there are good job location sites. The mayor must also focus on the Memphis Area Transit Authority, with the “big bold dream” being light rail. “It’s not just enough to give someone a job, they have to be able to get to and from that job in the best way.”

On actions taken to reduce crime

Young: “It’s a constant effort to ensure we are keeping our eyes on what strategies are going to change the game.” The Memphis Police Department must find more efficiencies, use technology to identify negative activities and root out “the negative culture” in MPD so we “never see incidents like what took place with Tyre Nichols.”

Bonner: “It’s not that any other neighborhood is more important than downtown, but downtown is the front door to our community.” Officers should be taken away from jobs civilians can do and state troopers should be in Memphis for “constant patrol on (Interstate) 240.”

Camper: If mayor, I would establish a working group “to develop a comprehensive long-term public safety plan,” including identifying repeat offenders with community engagement.

Gibson: Within the first 100 days of election, I would host a crime summit to invite national and local experts and members of the community to identify ways to combat crime and offer wraparound services for youth.

Turner: We have to disrupt crime in communities all over the city, and as mayor, I would appoint a public safety commissioner. The city would have to work on third-grade reading levels and also extend community centers to be open 24 hours. “We have to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.”

McKissack: My approach to safety is rooted in a “whole city Memphis” plan that would include hiring more officers, including more detectives, having bail reform “so that serious violent offenders, gun crime offenders are held accountable and there’s not this revolving door of them getting back out on the streets,” and investing in young people.

On Turner’s criticism of law enforcement as an attorney, head of the local NAACP

Turner: “I’ve been a vocal critic of bad law enforcement. What we saw in the case of Tyre Nichols was bad law enforcement. … When I come back to the community as mayor, I believe based on my track record of working with the community, of advocating for good policing, I will be able to be a broker. We need to build back that trust between law enforcement and the community because it’s gone.”

On Young never having been answerable to the public as an elected official

Young: “Although I hadn't served in an elected position before, I've served in a number of high-profile positions throughout this community … When I work in these communities, what people want is someone to accept accountability. And that's what I have always stepped up to the plate for when projects in their neighborhood didn't turn out like they wanted them to. I was accountable.”

On a career highlight for Bonner

Bonner: After the death of George Floyd, “I came up with a citizen hiring committee … We’re very proud to take citizens just like you in the audience to hire the next generation of law enforcement.”

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 race: candidates take questions at chamber forum