In a show of independence, the city council on Tuesday rejected four of Mayor Herenton’s nominees to be directors of city divisions and postponed voting on two others. Rejected outright were Roland McElrath in Finance, Inetta Rogers in Human Resources, Jerry Crawford in Fire Services, and Darrell Eldred in General Services. Richard Copeland, put forth as interim director of the joint city-county Office of Planning and Development, saw a vote on his appointment delayed for four weeks — on the issue, essentially, of defining the concept of “interim”– and, on the most widely anticipated matter of all, the vote on Joseph Lee to be director of Memphis Light Gas & Water was also delayed four weeks. The premise was to encourage a “national and international search,” but the bringer of the motion to postpone, councilman Rickey Peete, was frank to say that “political realities” were a major factor.

SPECIAL TO THE FLYER — After six years with Memphis Light Gas & Water, CEO Herman Morris was given his walking papers Monday morning. In a closed meeting with Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton and MLGW Board Chair Dr. James Netters, Morris was told he would not be re-appointed.