Who remembers Neshoba County?

[VolunteerHillbilly]

This craziness with the school systems in Big Shelby is going to make for some really interesting political wrangling. The two county solution is probably not feasible but the legislature can redraw the county lines without any local approval, which could put Collierville and Germantown in Fayette County and the northern suburbs in Tipton County. Not saying it will happen but if it's ever going to now is the time.

 

[Pepe_Silvia]

The merger of Memphis city schools and Shelby County schools would inevitably lead to the county schools deteriorating to the level of the city schools.

 

[fl0at]

Removing Germantown from Shelby Co, and Collierville to a lesser extent, would make the county look more poor than it already is; Germantown's average household income props up and artificially elevates Shelby Co's average household income.

I don't see it happening.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

My understanding is that most of the suburban incorporated towns do not want a county wide school board (dominated by representatives from Memphis) to have authority to levy property taxes on them. The only solutions at this point are to throw up the white flag and surrender to domination by Memphis or get out of the county. Seems like a no brainer to me, but I don't live there.

 

[fl0at]

My understanding is that most of the suburban incorporated towns do not want a county wide school board (dominated by representatives from Memphis) to have authority to levy property taxes on them. The only solutions at this point are to throw up the white flag and surrender to domination by Memphis or get out of the county. Seems like a no brainer to me, but I don't live there.

It is a no brainer for those who fear Memphis annex, and many have that view, but that doesn't mean it will be easily accomplished, especially politically.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Since my op, I realized that the legislature could redraw the Fayette/Shelby line to add 20-25 acres to Shelby County without any approval from anyone in either of those counties and then authorize the creation of a new county. In order for the new county to come into existence you'd need 2/3 of the people in the suburban municipalities of Shelby County and some rural county residents to vote in favor of it. People in Memphis would not get to vote. The question then would be, do 66% of the folks in the 'burbs want out?

 

[fl0at]

I'm not sure if they'd desire a new county or not. A good portion of the "suburbs" of Shelby county, except for a few areas around Arlington, and such, send their kids to private school.

The Collierville/Germantown area near Houston are probably pretty content with Houston High School, and the Arlington area doesn't seem to mind Bolton.

I doubt that a new county creation would succeed, unless there was a lot of threat of annex.

That threat doesn't seem to currently be there, so I'd assume most would be content. If Memphis annexes, or there is a measure in place for annex, people will be up in arms... taxes are rather high.