Proposed ordinance could give city councilmembers health benefits for life
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Should elected leaders still receive benefits after their terms end?
It’s a question that the city council will have to answer and vote on next week, thanks to a proposed ordinance.
“So the idea that this is free health care, nothing could be further from the truth,” said former council chairman Martavius Jones, who sponsored this ordinance.
The proposed ordinance could essentially give benefits for life to council members who served two full terms, or eight years, even after their time on council is done.
Jones served two terms with his time in office ending on December 31, 2023.
“This goes back to 2015. So those would be it would affect those council members who termed all such as myself and other council members. But this is not an indefinite period that goes back to the beginning of time,” he said.
Jones says it’s not much different than what we’ve seen in Bartlett and Collierville governments.
“If we look at some of the other municipalities in Shelby County, Collierville, Bartlett, those were examples that I was able to pull up just randomly with it. You know, there are provisions in there that the aldermen and other elected officials in those municipalities do the same thing.”
If passed, Jones emphasized that former council members would still have to pay their portion of the premiums out of pocket, just as they would when they were on council.
“Well, this is you know, I still want to go back to say that anyone who would be eligible for this still has to pay for it. So the fact that this is just a gimmick, I would reject that assertion. If anyone has to pay for something, then it’s not a gimmick.”
Councilmembers will have a chance to vote on this ordinance for the final time this upcoming Tuesday, January 9.
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