Shelby County Mayor-elect Mickell Lowery has little time to ease into the job.
Elected Aug. 6 and set to be sworn into office Sept. 1, Lowery is moving quickly to assemble his administration, assess county government and prepare for the challenges awaiting him on day one.
After the first meeting of his transition team Thursday, Aug.13, Lowery spoke one-on-one with the Tri-State Defender about the work ahead, what he is learning from seeing county government through a different lens and why he believes residents should think differently about the people they elect.
Q: You’ve got less than three weeks between the election and taking office. What’s the biggest challenge waiting for you?
Lowery: Well, a lot of people don’t know that you get elected on Aug. 6, you take the job on Aug. 31. So, most importantly, it’s making sure we have the right people in the right position.
We’ve got to make sure we’re getting our financial footing on the right trajectory. We didn’t get here overnight. It’s not going to change overnight. But we’ve got to set the foundation and culture to change it for the better. That’s a looming issue.
Q: But it sounds like there isn’t just one overriding issue.
Lowery: We have a lot of issues that are going on in Shelby County when it comes to our schools, when it comes to our jail, when it comes to making sure that we’re doing the best thing to tackle mental health in our community, as well as doing whatever we can to make sure people feel safe.
So there are a myriad of issues, and there’s none more important than the other, including health care when it comes to Regional One and everything else.
Q: So how do you keep one of those issues from getting pushed aside while you focus on another?
Lowery: We have to attack those simultaneously. We can’t put something in a corner while we look at something else, because that’s how things happen and cans get kicked down the road because we didn’t give that attention while we were focused on something else.
My job is to make sure that we’re all focused on the top priorities and helping the best people to be focused on their areas of expertise to move us forward.
And I’m excited about that. I’m excited about the great things that are happening in Shelby County as well, that we’re moving in the right direction with.
Again, moving forward with making sure that we’re prioritizing health care in every community, building new schools, building a mental health facility — those are steps in the right direction. Now we’ve got to build on that with our generational development to help change Shelby County for the better.
Q: You’ve been on the County Commission for years, so you know county government. What looks different from the executive chair?
Lowery: Being a county commissioner gives me a unique perspective, but I’ll tell you, as I’m learning, the lens is definitely different.
There are things that the County Commission is responsible for that are much different than what the executive administration is responsible for. The day-to-day operation of the county is not what a county commissioner does.
You see these things every so often at meetings, while there’s day-to-day work happening every day. So my eyes are open to some of these opportunities that we have going forward.
There are some things that I thought I knew. Now that I see it on the other side, it’s becoming kind of a revelation.
Q: Does seeing it from that side change how you want to communicate with the County Commission?
Lowery: I want to make sure I am communicating the best way I can with the County Commission, so none of us have revelations.
My goal is to be as transparent as possible, not only with the County Commission, but with the public as well, because we all want the same things — to move our county forward and for us all to be successful.
Q: Shelby County elections are known for low turnout, but now you need citizens — including people who didn’t vote — to stay involved. What do you say to the people who stayed home?
Lowery: I’ll just say these times are too critical to sit on the couch.
But first, let me thank everybody that went and voted. Voter turnout has increased over the last four years. In fact, over the last eight years. We had the highest percentage this time around, so we’ve got to build on that.
So while I’m talking to people who sat on the couch, I’m also talking to people who went out and voted and saying, “Thank you.”
Now, to those folks who haven’t voted yet: These are issues that are too critical for you to stay at home. We need your voice. We need your support.
I understand why some people are skeptical, but you still have to make your voices heard. And know that we are hiring people to do jobs here. We’re not electing folks.
Q: You said “hiring,” not “electing.” That sounds intentional. Why make that distinction?
Lowery: I’m trying to change the culture when it comes to that. Think about it: You’re hiring someone to go to work for you day in and day out, and it’s your decision on who that person may be.
So please make your voices heard.
You’ve got another opportunity in November. We’re going to be electing state and federal officials. I’m not running, but I want to make sure people are getting out to vote to make sure whoever is elected in those roles — my bad, hired in those roles — has Shelby County’s best interests at heart.
Note: Questions and responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length. In a few places, follow-up questions have been added to divide longer responses by subject; Lowery’s answers remain drawn from his original responses.
