Shelby County Proposes Election Reform for School Board in Wake of Ethical Scrutiny

Shelby County commissioners will soon weigh an ordinance that would place all nine Shelby County Board of Education seats on the 2026 primary ballot. Commission Chairman Michael Whaley is set to introduce the proposal at the May 19 meeting. Originally tied to a broader measure about conflict-of-interest rules for school board members and other officials, the proposal was split during the May 5 meeting. “This removes that component from the ballot initiative that would amend the charter, since it would require state approval,” Whaley explained. The shift comes after state lawmakers rejected a bill from Rep. G.A. Hardaway that would have allowed local governments to implement a recall process. Without that legislation, commissioners lack the authority to pursue recall reforms—making this ballot measure a critical next step in local education governance.