Shelby County’s general election is still about two months away, but the county commission is already sure to look radically different. Due to term limits, turnover and candidates running unopposed, we know that eight of the 13 positions on the commission will be filled with new faces, at least three of those Republicans.

In District Four, incumbent Republicans Joyce Avery and David Lillard will return, joined by conservative School Board member Wyant Bunker.

Bunker defeated incumbent Tom Moss with 39% of the vote in a tight three-way race. Bunker, who is perhaps best known for requesting disclaimer stickers about evolution on high school biology textbooks, says he will oppose “power broker developer[s]” and plans to focus on the county debt, but social conservatives will be looking more for him to “stand the gap” for religious values in place of term-limited Marilyn Loeffel.

The candidate actually taking Loeffel’s seat, however, is retired bank executive and former county planning director Mike Ritz. His experience in zoning and fiscal issues should compensate for his freshman status. Ritz won a majority of the vote in a three-way primary and does not have a Democratic challenger. He campaigned on ethics reform and hopes to work across the aisle to update campaign finance reporting laws.

Ritz will serve Distict One along with incumbent George Flinn and newcomer Mike Carpenter, who also does not face Democratic opposition in August. Carpenter defeated Karla Templenton, daughter of incumbent John Willingham, who stepped down to run for County Mayor. The executive director of the West Tennessee Associated Builders and Contractors, Carpenter says he supports business incentives, low taxes, jail privatization, austere budgets and the “aggressive prosecution” of criminals. Much of his support comes from fiscal conservatives opposed to Willingham’s tax reform plan, which includes a payroll tax many consider unconstitutional under Tennessee law.

The Republican bloc of incumbents Flinn, Avery and Lillard will be energized by Bunker, Ritz and Carpenter but may still fail to advance a conservative agenda unless Republicans hold onto District Five (where incumbent Bruce Thompson has decided to step down) or upset Democrats in the only other contested race, District 2, Position 2.

On the other hand, the Democratic side of the aisle should function very differently than it has in the past. Gone are term-limited Cleo C. Kirk and Walter L. Bailey, “two consistent advocates for property tax increases.” In place of Bailey will be J.W. Gibson, a businessman who has had some involvement with the Republican party. Another businessman, James Harvey, will take a seat beside Sidney Chism, a confidant of Mayor Willie Herenton, and incumbents Joe Ford and Diedre Malone. Unless the unexpected happens, Democrat Henri Brooks will make it six.

That means such issues as the county debt, taxes, school funding, the fate of public facilities and privatization may hang in the balance of the outcome in District Five, where liberal activist Steve Mulroy faces entrepreneur Jane Pierotti. In their respective primary races, the two candidates drew almost equal support, advantage Mulroy by only 34 votes.

Mulroy is a University of Memphis law professor and an attorney for Ophelia Ford in her case against Terry Roland and the Tennessee Senate’s dealings in District 29. He is also a leader of the “Save Libertyland” movement, which appears to have lost its fight against the Mid-South Fair Board and the City of Memphis.

Pierotti is the owner of Counterpoint, where she works as a “management consultant, motivational speaker, executive coach and speech writer.” She is the author of Super Charged Living and has an extensive background as a business executive.

Voters in District Five are in the unique situation of not only getting to choose between two solid, well-qualified representatives from both parties but also of knowing that their decision will tip the balance of the entire county.

If they choose to turn the seat over to the Democrats, the commission’s three new conservatives will certainly need to draw on their diplomatic skills if they hope to advance any part of their agenda. But the serious problems facing them when they take office means that, either way, they have quite a challenge ahead of them.