MEMPHIS, Tenn. — “Like sands through the hourglass so too are the Days of our Lives.”
Sorry. We were talking about sand.
There is a reason. A serious reason.
Because this pandemic resembles sand shifting.
Example?
During their Wednesday morning committee meetings, Shelby County Commissioners were told a juvenile court detention center officer tested positive for Colvid-19.
Commissioner Van Turner broke the news.
“I think isolating the young people is good,” he said, “... and having everyone tested that officer came in contact with is good as well. But that only highlights that once this breaks out in our detention centers, it’s hard to socially distance.”
One way Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and others have tried to do it is by ordering shelter-in-place quarantines. A side effect of that is non-essential businesses close. No sales tax is collected. People don’t have money to purchase goods.
Shelby County’s Chief Financial Officer says all departments need to cut expenses by two-and-a-half percent.
Commission Chairman Mark Billingsley told Commissioners “I think we are in unprecedented times. We come respectfully asking for a 2.5% cut in expenses.”
The trouble is court clerks and others say there was nothing respectful in the way they were told - less than 24 hours before the commission meeting.
“It’s important to be fiscally responsible,” Commissioner Mick Wright said. “It’s also very necessary we communicate well.”
So the group will push everything to their Monday meeting, giving people more time to figure out what to do. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris made it clear - they’re going to have to do something.
“We can have a reasonable expectation that as we go down the line, there will be a phase two and possibly a phase three. In September, you can expect to see a significant amount of layoffs. Right now, a stimulus package makes organizations hold off on the layoffs until September.”