Former Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie Herenton posted his concerns about the direction of the Memphis community to social media this week. Herenton said, “And it saddens me, as a Black man whose public service spans four decades, to witness the diminishing quality of some who now hold those offices unprepared.”

Herenton continues with a recitation of the ways in which he prepared himself for public service, then criticizes the decision by Shelby County Government to issue $125 million in tax anticipation notes (I wrote about this last week and why it is not as dire as some think). Herenton ends by plugging his forthcoming memoir.

Because of both his historic election in 1991, his election to five terms, and his predilection to make controversial statements, local media took the bait and platformed the former mayor again. This time, Dr. Herenton sat for an exclusive interview with the WMC. In the interview, he reiterated the statements in the social media post, but also said he supported the state’s takeover of Memphis Shelby County Schools and criticized the decision of the school board to fire Dr. Marie Feagins.

Many, mostly from the right, have expressed their support for Herenton’s comments. The irony is that the same demographic was the most critical of Dr. Herenton when he was mayor; in fact, conservative radio relished in assigning the moniker, “King Willie.” While Herenton deserves credit for the role he played in the downtown renaissance, the relocation of corporate headquarters for International Paper and ServiceMaster, and landing the Memphis Grizzlies, among other accomplishments, today’s cheerleaders for his social media post should be reminded he hasn’t always been a public servant to emulate.

Herenton is critical of the fiscal management of the current County Mayor, but Herenton’s first approved budget as Mayor of Memphis included a $.53 property tax increase. Sanitation fees were increased multiple times during his tenure. Building permits and fees, planning and inspection fees, park and recreation fees, and other cost-recovery fees were increased regularly to help balance the budget. Herenton also claims City reserves were at a paltry $3 million when he took office. Official records show that the reserves were $38 million. To his credit, the city’s reserves were at $89 million when he left office 18 years later.

Dr. Herenton served as superintendent of Memphis City Schools for 12 years before his election as Mayor. During his tenure, students made gains on state-required tests but remained well below state averages throughout his tenure. This is similar to the gains that current MSCS students have made, and they too remain well below other better-resourced districts around the state. It is unlikely that Dr. Herenton would have supported a state takeover during his tenure despite the academic difficulties.

In 2013, Dr. Herenton launched a consortium of charter schools. However, because of poor academic performance, the schools were in the bottom 5% and landed on the state’s priority list. By 2019, all of the schools were closed.

During his tenure. Herenton was sued by a teacher for sexual harassment. The teacher claimed Herenton initiated an affair and promised promotions. Herenton denied the promise of promotion but admitted to the affair and settled out of court.

As Mayor, Herenton was investigated by the FBI and TBI on multiple occasions, though he was never indicted. He was criticized for appointing unqualified political cronies to six-figure positions. One example was the appointment of Michael Gray as Deputy Director of Library Services despite not having any education or experience related to the position. He appointed three former members of his security detail to deputy director’s positions. One served prison time prior to her appointment for concealing $70,000 in drug money.

These are just a handful of controversies and missteps during Dr. Herenton’s public service. Again, there are many accomplishments and benefits to the City and broader community that can be traced back to decisions and initiatives of Mayor Herenton. However, being the standard for public service leadership, as he implies, is not one of them.