← Back to Shelby County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-08-06
Contest for County Commissioner District 7
County Commission District 7
general - Partisan - County Commissioner District 7
About this office
Shelby County Commissioners are the 13 members of the county's legislative body. Each represents a single-member district, and together they pass resolutions and ordinances, approve the annual county budget, set the property-tax rate, and set countywide policy. They attend regular Monday commission meetings and Wednesday committee meetings and must complete at least seven hours of continuing education each year through the UT County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS).
Salary: $34,900/year (Action News 5, Dec 2021).
Term length: 4 years.
This role calls for
- Policy judgment on countywide matters — budget, taxes, land use, services, intergovernmental — within Tennessee county-government law and the Shelby County Charter.
- Budget literacy: the 13-member commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, and authorizes bond issues that span decades.
- Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on resolutions and ordinances; chairing or sitting on committees that pre-screen items.
- Constituent relations in a single-member district of roughly 70,000 residents — case-work and community issues flow through the commissioner's office.
- Willingness to complete the state-required seven hours of annual continuing education through UT CTAS.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.
Campaigns
Henri E. Brooks brings extensive legislative experience as a former state representative and current commissioner, including committee chair roles relevant to budget and land use. Her biography documents leadership in drafting civil rights legislation and overseeing court reforms through oversight committees. Bio does not indicate prior direct experience managing countywide property tax rates or authorizing multi-decade bond issues.
Gerald Green's biography shows nearly thirty years of residence in District 7 and a legal career since 1981, offering potential insight into policy judgment and legislative processes. However, records document multiple disciplinary findings by the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, including two censures and a stayed six-month suspension for client neglect and communication failures. Bio does not indicate experience with county budgeting or constituent case-work administration.
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