{"county":"shelby","description":"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).\n\n**Salary:** $34,900/year ([Action News 5, Dec 2021](https://www.actionnews5.com/2021/12/21/pay-raises-approved-elected-officials-shelby-county/)).","district":"13","districtgroup":"county_commission","id":75,"key":"county_commission_district_13","lastchangeby":null,"name":"Michael Whaley","next_election":"2018-11-08","notes":"85","officegroup":"county_commission","partisan":0,"party":"","qualities":"- Policy judgment on countywide matters \u2014 budget, taxes, land use, services, intergovernmental \u2014 within Tennessee county-government law and the Shelby County Charter.\n- Budget literacy: the 13-member commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, and authorizes bond issues that span decades.\n- Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on resolutions and ordinances; chairing or sitting on committees that pre-screen items.\n- Constituent relations in a single-member district of roughly 70,000 residents \u2014 case-work and community issues flow through the commissioner's office.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required seven hours of annual continuing education through UT CTAS.","quantity":1,"source":null,"state":"TN","term_end":"2026-08-04","term_start":"2022-08-04","term_years":4,"terms":[{"current":1,"description":"","electiondate":"2022-08-04","name":"Michael Whaley","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nCommissioner Whaley was elected to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners in August 2018, and re-elected to a second term in August of 2022.  Commissioner Whaley represents District 13 in East Memphis and Cordova.\n\nA native of Dallas, Texas, Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Policy from Southern Methodist University.\n\nHe serves as the Tennessee Director of Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) where he works with current and former teachers to build their civic engagement and leadership. Commissioner Whaley was also the Founder and Executive Director of Memphis College Prep, a kindergarten through fifth-grade public elementary school. He is active in several local communities and civil boards, including Shelby Farms Park, the Downtown Memphis Commission, and Let\u2019s Innovate Through Education (LITE).\n\nA member of 2006 Teach for America corps in Memphis, Michael taught elementary school with Memphis City Schools before being selected for the Building Excellent Schools Fellowship, nationally recognized for its rigorous, year-long training program in school leadership.\n\nCommissioner Whaley is a seasoned traveler, having been to all the continents at least twice, except Antarctica. He is currently studying to be a sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers. He is the proud owner of Harper, a Labrador retriever.\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [County Commission (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=WHALEY&id=77683&f=195444&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2026** \u2014 [County Commission (SS-8005 (Amended))](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=WHALEY&id=77683&f=195444&v=2) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2026** \u2014 [County Trustee (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=WHALEY&id=77683&f=198679&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2025** \u2014 [County Commission (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=WHALEY&id=77683&f=185930&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [County Commission (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=WHALEY&id=77683&f=177351&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-25.*\n","firstname":"Michael","lastname":"Whaley","token":"d4hQ6v9c5B"},"term_end":"2026-08-04","term_start":"2022-08-04"}],"title":"County Commissioner District 13","type":"legislative","url":null,"whenchanged":"2026-04-25 19:49:19"}