Consolidation: Not this time

   For the third time, a metropolitan referendum to merge Memphis and Shelby County governments failed at the polls. With 183 of 185 precincts reporting (98 percent) Tuesday night, 67,480 Memphians, or 50 percent, voted to consolidate and 65,012, or 49 percent, voted to keep the governments separate.
    Voters in suburbia, or those outside of Memphis, remained steadfast and hard-nosed in their determination to stay clear of consolidation. With all precincts (64) reporting, those who pulled the level for consolidation tallied at 13,633, or 15 percent, compared to the 76,988, or 84 percent, who were adamant about remaining, once and for all, autonomous.
    Proponents of consolidation will no doubt gear up for another opportunity to merge both governments, just as those who oppose consolidation will meet them at the polls for another showdown in the distant future. Until then, consolidation will not to pass the muster until the voters in both Memphis and Shelby County avoid another impasse.