The Undertaker Vs. The Sheriff: The Battle For Shelby County Mayor

By Eleanor Boudreau

Memphis, TN – It's a match-up that pits the undertaker versus the sheriff; and the county mayor's race is shaping up to be one of the closest this election.

The Republican candidate, Mark Luttrell, is the sheriff--literally. He was first elected in 2002 and he got the jails national accreditation. But he's a little bit bored with his job.

"What you've seen us do in the sheriff's office," Luttrell said, "I want to take those same management principles and leadership principles to the mayor's office and do the same thing at that level."

His opponent, Democrat Joe Ford likes his job. Ford spent decades working as a funeral director, and served on the county commission, but more recently he was appointed interim mayor.

"We have shown that we can do this job. We are great at this job," Ford said.

One of the biggest points of contention is the Regional Medical Center. Ford says he "saved" The MED during his term as interim mayor by procuring local, state, and national funds. Luttrell says The MED "survives to fight another day."

In addition to the funds that Ford helped secure, after Governor Phil Bredesen took a scalpel to the roles of TennCare, Tennessee hospitals transfused The MED with cash by agreeing to pay a "hospital coverage fee." But the fee only lasts one year. So what happens next year?

Ford is optimistic. "Obama's healthcare plan will insure all Americans," Ford said.

Luttrell isn't. "What we have seen this past year as it relates to MED funding, we will see that same scenario in the future if we don't come up with a more permanent funding source," Luttrell said.

Luttrell thinks Shelby County isn't business-friendly enough. He wants to shake things up by lowering taxes. Luttrell says he recently met a barber, "Who in four years has seen his property tax multiply tenfold." Luttrell said, "Wouldn't we have been better served if he had taken that money and invested it in his business?"

The tax rate hasn't changed since Ford got into office. He's running a more steady-as-she-goes platform, and running on his eight-month interim record. "I have shown that I can lead this county, I can lead it over the next four years," he said.

One man will wrestle the election from the other August 5th.