COUNTY LOBBIES FOR DRUG COURT, TAX LEGISLATION

The proposal for a full-time drug court division in General Sessions Court
drew both support and requests for more information from Shelby County
legislators last week.

Dist. Atty. Gen. Bill Gibbons said he believes the drug court, which would
include treatment programs, would reduce crime significantly, "salvage
lives" that otherwise would be lost to society and, in the long run, save
tax money.

Rep. Larry Miller (D-Memphis) said he is particularly interested in the
treatment aspect of the program.

"If you can get someone into an effective treatment program, it is going to
have an impact on the crime rate," Gibbons said during a Friday meeting at
which county officials outlined their legislative agenda to lawmakers.

The General Assembly convened this month.

Some legislators asked that further information be provided on a part-time
drug court that has been operated in General Sessions Court and on a
division of Criminal Court that was operated as a drug court several years
ago.

County Mayor Jim Rout and others at the session also sought support for an
effort to give the county more control over tax freezes granted by suburban
industrial development boards.

The industrial development board (IDB) tax proposal would prohibit boards
in suburban municipalities from waiving county property taxes on business
development projects within the municipalities without county approval.

Officials said Collierville, Bartlett and Millington have IDB boards. The
boards under current state law waive county taxes without county approval
when they grant municipal property tax freezes.

Rout said county officials don't want to interrupt commercial development
in the municipalities, but that for budget and revenue planning purposes,
the county needs to know when county taxes are being waived.

Rout said he believes all or most of the tax breaks would be approved, but
he and County Commission members need to be made aware of the waivers and
have a say about them.

The proposal also provides for county government to receive payments in
lieu of taxes when tax breaks are granted.

Memphis and Shelby County have a joint industrial development board that
grants tax breaks for business and industrial development in Memphis and
unincorporated areas.

The county's legislative package, which has been endorsed by Rout and the
County Commission, also includes proposals to exempt state and local
governments from liability relating to any Y2K computer problems that might
develop plus some court fee changes and other proposals.

Rep. Kathryn Bowers (D-Memphis), delegation chairman, said, "I think that
the proposed legislation from the county is good legislation and we are
hoping that we will be able to pass it, particularly the latter piece
involving taxes and waivers by municipalities."

Rout praised the "cooperative spirit" exhibited by the delegation's leaders
and members. He said Bowers and Rep. W. C. `Bubba' Pleasant (R-Bartlett),
delegation vice chairman, "have indicated a strong bipartisan effort. That
is a real positive for us in this community."

Rout, County Commission representatives and other county officials met with
the legislators during a luncheon in Rout's conference room.

To reach reporter Jimmie Covington, call 529-2389 or send E-mail to
covington@gomemphis.com