MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis City Council committee narrowly passed a measure Tuesday to provide council members and their staff members lunches.
Some council members feared that this would send the wrong message to the public since the city was already dealing with serious budget issues.
Council Member Harold Collins raised the issue in the meeting with Council Member Wanda Halbert backing him up.
“There are days council members can’t leave the building,” Halbert said.
The measure provided $7,000 per year for council members’ lunches.
“We have other folks we have to think about in this process; our staff,” Collins said.
Council Members Jim Strickland and Kemp Conrad opposed the measure.
He said covering council member expenditures, travel, and lunches would cost the city about $57,000.
He pointed out that was about how much it would cost to hire another firefighter or police officer.
“Firefighters have to work 24 hours in a fire house, and the city does not pay for their meals,” he argued.
Halbert, who said she was running for City Court Clerk this fall, would not receive the lunches, but said it was important for future council members.
Halbert said the city had done a lot of work to cut back on spending.
“You know what? It’s not about lunches, and I really think it’s pretty sad that we can have a discussion in this city about $7,000, when the council had cut 50-something thousand dollars from its budget,” Halbert said.
The entire council will weigh the issue as part of the budget process.