Wright re-appointed to Knox Co. Commish chair; Smith to vice chair

Dave Wright

The Knox County Commission unanimously re-appointed Commissioner Dave Wright to lead the 11-member board during its annual reorganization Thursday after the one other member nominated withdrew his name.

Commissioner Randy Smith was picked to serve as vice chairman.

Wright, who represents East Knox County and won re-election this year, will hold the seat for one year.

"We are doing what the citizens of Knox County want us to do and that’s without bias to look after the citizens," Wright said. "It’s taken years but were’ on the threshold of doing all those activities that the citizens want us to do."

Wright initially said he wouldn’t seek the chairmanship for a second time but on Thursday said he changed his mind after “commission members looked at the lay of the land and spoke.”

Only Wright and Bob Thomas were nominated to the post. However, Thomas said he wanted to vote for Wright and he couldn't if he was in the race, so he withdrew.

Thomas, who spent the last year as the board's vice chairman, also was nominated for that post again.

But, he also withdrew his name from consideration to "give someone else that opportunity."

Rest of story right HERE.

Commish gets $1.5M Regal proposal

The Knox County Commission on Monday officially was handed the first piece of a multimillion-dollar financial proposal that would relocate Regal Entertainment Group’s corporate headquarters from the Halls community to the South Knoxville waterfront and keep the movie theater giant in East Tennessee.

Commissioners opted to forward the proposal without a recommendation to next Monday's voting meeting. They did not publicly discuss the matter.

Knox County Finance Director Chris Caldwell, at the request of Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, added the $1.5 million funding proposal to the board’s work session agenda on Monday.

The commission will publicly address the matter during next Monday’s monthly voting session.

Burchett issued a statement Monday about the potential move: “Whenever we have a chance to invest in growing new jobs or keeping existing ones here in Knox County, I want to be part of that conversation. When considering this type of investment, we always have to make sure it makes sense for the taxpayers. I look forward to being able to provide additional details about this exciting opportunity in the near future.”

After the meeting, Commission Chairman Dave Wright said: "It's economic development. This is about jobs, and Mayor Burchett and the commission are interested in jobs, and if this is playing out for jobs to leave Knox County, then we need to be working to keep those jobs in Knox County."

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

Wright to serve as commish chair

Dave Wright

The Knox County Commission appointed Commissioner Dave Wright to lead the 11-member board. Commissioner Bob Thomas will serve as vice chairman.

The vote took place Tuesday during the board’s annual reorganization.

Wright, who represents East Knox County and is up for re-election next year, succeeds Brad Anders, who held the seat two years.He was previously the vice chairman.

“I’d like the commission to have a seamless transition from Brad to me,” Wright said.

The new chairman added that he “has no set agenda,” other than “wanting to take good care of the county’s business.”

Wright said he won’t seek the chairmanship next September when the spot comes open again.

Bob Thomas

The positions generally are symbolic, although the chairman runs the commission meetings and sets the monthly agenda. He or she also oversees the board's three-member staff, determines how the board's public meetings will be handled, and often serves as liaison between the public and the board.

The chair by default also serves on a number of boards, including the Great Schools Partnership and usually the pension board.

Commissioners can hold the seat twice during a term.

The vice chair carries out the chair's duties when he or she is not available and helps run board meetings.

Wright, a longtime Corryton resident, was appointed to the commission in February 2008 and won the 2010 race for the 8th District. He’s a University of Tennessee graduate who earned a degree in management. He also served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He later worked for AT&T.

Thomas, an at-large commissioner, was elected to his seat last year. He’s a well-known community figure. At one point during his 30-year career in media, he had the highest-rated midday radio show in America for 16 years, according to his official board bio.

Early look at Commish chair vote

Dave Wright

The Knox County Commission will meet Sept. 1 to reorganize its board, appointing committees and naming a chair and vice chair.

At this point it appears that current vice Chairman Dave Wright will be nominated to lead the 11-person board. Current chairman Brad Anders, who has held the gig for two years, said he won’t seek it, nor does he plan to seek the vice chair seat, which he’s also held in the past.

I’ve heard from a couple of commissioners that Bob Thomas might be nominated, although I've also heard that he's not actively/personally seeking the seat (Hey, the guy has a big 2018 mayoral campaign he’s got to launch).

Typically, though, commissioners like to see a choice, so expect someone, if not Thomas, to get a nomination.

I suspect if the vote was taken to day, Dave would get it. Folks on the board do like Bob, but I know some commissioners last year promised Dave their vote this time around so I think the numbers weigh in his favor.

As for vice chairman, the only name I’ve heard at this point is Randy Smith. Last year, Amy Broyles threw her name in. I don't see if happening this time around. She's missed way too many meetings.

Bob Thomas

Dave, who represents East Knox County, is up for re-election next year, so leading the board would look good going into a campaign. That said, I don’t believe Dave will muster a serious challenger. (Thomas, who holds an at-large seat, won office last year.)

All this said, we’re still a little

The 11-member board selects the chair and vice chair seats during its annual reorganizational meeting, which typically takes place in early September each year.

The seats are generally symbolic, although the chairman runs the commission meetings and sets the monthly agenda. He or she also oversees the board's three-member staff, determines how the board's public meetings will be handled, and often serves as the liaison between the public and the board.

The chair by default also serves on a number of boards, including the Great Schools Partnership and usually the pension board.

Commissioners can hold the seat twice during a term.

The vice chair carries out the chair's duties when he or she is not available and helps run board meetings.

Broyles seeks commish vice chair

Broyles (Photo: KNS)

Later today, the 11-member Knox County Commission will pick a chair to lead the board. In addition, members will pick a vice chair.

At this point, current chairman Brad Anders will more than likely take on Dave Wright for the gig. I expect a close on here, but I think Brad will eek it out with a 6-5 vote.

Also, Amy Broyles has thrown her name in the pot for the vice chair.

She made the official announcement over at the board's online forum:

After serving the past six years on Commission, I feel I am well qualified to serve you in this capacity. I have served on almost every committee of the Commission, and have served as Chair or Vice-Chair of many. I have also represented the Commission on several outside boards and committees. I am well versed in the rules and procedures of the Knox County Commission, and am studying to become a certified parliamentarian.

For those who have worked with me, you know that I am not overly influenced by any individual or group; I take each issue individually and on it's own merits. I also have a reputation for doing extensive research on the matters before us and reaching out to the constituency I serve - regardless of party affiliation or position - as well as to my colleagues on Commission, not only as fellow Commissioners, but also as individuals. My particular skills are in coalition-building and collaborative problem-solving, encouraging fair and open communication and seeking a win-win for all sides in a difficult situation.

I have also spent the past few years delving deeply into the study of leadership (good and bad) and have observed both at close range. I am also a graduate of the highly competitive National Association of Counties Leadership Institute, for which only 5 individuals from Tennessee have ever been accepted. I have served on National Boards as well as local ones. In short, I feel I have a great deal to offer you in this position.

You can read the rest, RIGHT SMACK HERE.

Hawkins responds to CTAS questions

Barry Hawkins (Photo by Dan Andrews)

Knox County Trustee candidate Barry Hawkins on Tuesday took exception to County Commissioner Dave Wright’s request to talk about an educational bonus he received while working in the Trustee's Office years ago, calling the discussion “a political witch hunt” and “backroom politics.”

All this of course ties into the $3,000 payments former Knox County Trustee John Duncan III gave himself and six other employees in December 2010. The payments were tied to the University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Services, or CTAS. To get the money, you must be certified as a “public administrator.” None of the employees were.

Everyone except for Hawkins paid back the money. Actually, you know what? Click right smack here for the original background post.

Back to Tuesday’s commission meeting.

Wright asked the board whether it should do something, like ask Hawkins to pay back the money.

Law Director Richard “Bud” Armstrong said he wasn’t sure the commission could do anything, noting that Hawkins no longer worked in the office when the workers were initially asked to return the payments.

He suggested that it was up to the Trustee’s Office – not the commission – to address the matter.

Hawkins spoke briefly, saying Wright was “trying to intimidate a candidate and abusing the power of the commission to help a candidate and colleague.”

Commissioner Ed Shouse, and interim Trustee Craig Leuthold (both Republicans) and Democrat James Berrier are also vying for the job.

Hawkins, who worked in the office for 17 years, said that after he received the payment he questioned Duncan but was told it was “office policy and procedure.” He said he also asked his other superiors and was told the same thing. He added that his job was eliminated before he could finish the training.

“I have done nothing wrong and don’t appreciate any accusation otherwise,” he said

You can find Hawkins’ complete speech right smack here.

Wright denied that his discussion was politically motivated. He suggested that if it was then he would have called out Hawkins on some of “his campaign promises.”

“I could say that my feelings are hurt by what he said, but then I’m the seated commissioner and I have no feelings,” he added.

Trustee candidate's CTAS payment on commission work session agenda

Well, it looks like those CTAS payments aren’t going away. Knox County Commissioner Dave Wright wants the board to talk about an educational payment given a couple years ago to Barry Hawkins, who at the time was an employee in the Trustee’s Office and is now a candidate for Trustee.

“I think that would be hypocritical, in a way, to say ‘I’m going to be able to run this office,’ when he participated in something that caused some people to lose their job,” Wright said.

Quick rehash: Former Knox County Trustee John Duncan III gave himself and six other employees each a $3,000 education bonus - most of it tied to the University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Services, or CTAS , program - in December 2010, three months after taking office. To get the money, you must be certified as a “public administrator.” None of the employees were. Almost a year later, in late October, he gave himself and another 11 people the same payments.

Duncan and several staffers eventually pleaded guilty to various crimes connected to the disbursement of the money and resigned from office.

In the meantime, everyone paid back the money, except for Hawkins. He received $3,000 in the first go-around, but left soon after. He was not certified

“All I’m doing is asking the question . . . maybe he’s paid back the money,” Wright said.

Hawkins is one of three Republicans, including Commissioner Ed Shouse and interim Trustee Craig Leuthold, running for the seat. The primary is set for May with a general election in August. James Berrier, a Democrat, also is seeking the gig.

Wright, referring to Shouse and Leuthold, said “they’re both good guys” and that he’s not necessarily supporting either one, but that he’s been asked to introduce Leuthold at an event.

“I think they both could do a good job,” he said.

I put a note out to Hawkins to see if he wants to weigh in on the item. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear back.

For another take on the matter, click right smack here for what the Rogue has to say.

The commission will talk more about the issue during its Feb. 18 work session.

More on Seven Islands land transfer

The Knox County Commission later this month is expected to approve a resolution to transfer almost 391 acres in the Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge to the state to use as state park. 

The ol Porch initially reported about this right smack here, but we’ve got a little more info.

The land is located in the 8^th and 9^th districts, which are east and south – find some fancy maps right smack here – and the plan will be to build some cabins and a bridge over to the island.

“I think it’s another fantastic feather in South Knoxville’s cap and I think it will bring a lot of folks out to the area,” said Knox County Commissioner Mike Brown, whose area includes South Knox County. “It’s a beautiful area with lots of birds and wildlife. We also should be able to get a lot of traffic off that and traffic means business.”

Commissioner Dave Wright, who represents East Knox County agreed, calling it “a big deal.”

“This is going to be a jewel,” he said. “It looks like the state and county are going to move on with plans that were just dreams a few years back.”

Auditor: outsourcing vs. in-house

The Knox County Commission has drawn up retirement plans for county internal auditor Richard Walls, but the fate and costs of the operation that he oversaw for more than a decade still remain in limbo.
The board, though, hopes to work something out within the next month or so.

In the meantime, commissioners on Monday will more than likely approve a severance package for Walls that gives him almost $31,000 and provides insurance coverage for 18 months. It would take effect Sept. 3.

They'll then shift focus toward his old office and determine whether to outsource the operation or keep it in-house.

"Should it be a contract employee or a county employee? There are pros and cons, good and bad to both circumstances," said Commissioner Dave Wright, who also serves on the county's Audit Committee. "Costs are going to be an issue. If there's going to be a lot done, then it will probably be better to have a county employee, but if we're only occasionally going to do something, I think we're better off to contract by engagement."

You can read the entire bad a$$ story, right smack here.

It should be noted that the key to who will eventually take over will mostly hinge on the price tag.

KPMG, which the county would probably use if it outsourced the service, charges between $92 and $288 an hour per worker, depending on what that person does, according to the paperwork the company submitted to the county's purchasing department.

By comparison, the county pays Walls, who earns $92,700 annually and is the highest paid employee in his office, roughly $44.50 per hour.

During the bidding process, the county asked firms how much auditors would charge to perform a financial analysis of the county, and the school activity funds and to look into the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, the Hardin Valley Academy construction project and the medical examiner.

The internal audit department, which has a $257,000 a year budget, turned in reports for most of these and some others during 2012. It did outsource part of the Hardin Valley project, which cost $14,500, but that money was included in its annual spending plan.

KPMG, according to records, would charge $171,500 to oversee the five initiatives. Officials with the company could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Not all happy with audit committee

A month after the Knox County Audit Committee recommended firing the county's longer-time internal auditor, one member resigned and another local leader publicly berated the panel's chairman.

Mary Kiser, in an often emotional speech during Tuesday's meeting, told the committee that she felt it unfairly suggested to the Knox County Commission the need to terminate Richard Walls.

Shortly after her announcement, Knox County Commissioner Mike Brown, who attended the meeting, accosted its chairman, Joe Carcello.

"I know crap when I see it and you're throwing some here, fella," said Brown, adding that he was "tired" of Carcello's "smug and smiling attitude."

The resignation and the heated discussion came a month after the committee in a 4-1 vote agreed to ask the County Commission to fire internal auditor Richard Walls. Committee members, led by Carcello, said Walls did not do anything illegal or inappropriate, but, rather, it was what he didn't do while performing his duties that made them want to replace him.

Officials called his work "limited" and said he only conducted three audits last year, a low amount for the money spent on the responsibilities. Committee members also said he should better focus on areas where the "county has the greatest risk," including the Trustee's Office, which has a recent history of wrongdoing.

The panel, which makes recommendations to the County Commission, is comprised of Carcello, a University of Tennessee accounting professor; Kiser, a manager for internal audit services at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and county commissioners Ed Shouse, Dave Wright and Amy Broyles.

Kiser, who's served on the committee since its inception five years ago, cast the dissenting vote to get rid of Walls. The County Commission, which oversees the county's internal audit department, will talk more about the recommendation during its Aug. 19 work session.

During Tuesday's meeting, Kiser said she was stepping down, but not before defending Walls and suggesting that the Audit Committee could have done more to guide his work.

She said the "overall" audits that he's conducted during the past half decade "have been satisfactory and some even more than satisfactory."

"I believe Richard, as a long-time county employee, has been treated unfairly," said Kiser, who represents the East Tennessee Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors on the committee. "He has uncovered fraud and identified controls that needed to be strengthened."

Click right smack here for the rest of the bad a$$ story.

Knox to become 'Purple Heart County'

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is looking to make Knox County the first "Purple Heart County" in Tennessee.

And he is asking the County Commission to proclaim the designation at the board's meeting later this month.

In a released statement, the mayor said: "This nation was built on the shoulders of men and women in our Armed Forces, and we owe our freedom and everything that is good in this country to their willingness to fight on our behalf. Many of our veterans were called away to war, and too many of them were in injured or never returned. If approved, this designation will be yet another way that Knox County shows support for those who take up arms in defense of our great country."

The Purple Heart is a combat decoration awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were wounded in combat.

You can find out more about the mayor's efforts, right smack here.

In his released statement, the mayor also noted that three commissioners - Richard Briggs, Dave Wright and Jeff Ownby - served in the forces, as have a number of county employees (including HR head honcho Col. Richard Julian). He also pointed out that Veterans Service Officer Robert "Buzz" Buswell is a Purple Heart recipient.

Walls days more than likely numbered

Richard Walls

I've always gotten along with Knox County internal auditor Richard Walls, but he's certainly rubbed people the wrong way. And it's always been the wrong people, too.

Mayors, top commissioners and, not the least, audit committee chairman Joe Carcello, who led this morning's revolt against the (let's call him "embattled") auditor.

Only Mary Kiser voted to keep him. Carcello and Knox County Commissioners Ed Shouse, Dave Wright and Amy Broyles voted to fire him. The audit committee only makes recommendations, so the full commission will talk more about it on Monday.

Heh, what a coincidence: The same day they talk about firing their auditor (the position reports directly to the commission), they'll also talk about replacing the trustee, too.

Anyhoo, I somewhat expected this move.
Walls' office in the past couple of months has overseen two audits - one that looked into the county's purchasing cards practices and the other into its ethics policy - that have raised eyebrows.

And not about what he looked into, but rather some of what officials say are unfounded accusations.

Afterward, he and Carcello got into a somewhat heated/sarcastic debate about each of them. Walls backed off somewhat, but not all the way.

I'm not going to go into the details of the audit. I wrote about them awhile back, but essentially it's about "risk versus reward," and Walls felt the county should take a more conservative approach and the mayor's office feels that by using them more often, the county gets back larger rebates (and no, these aren't those Pilot rebates).

It certainly makes sense and if that's the position you take - and Carcello agrees with the position - then there's not point dying on the hill over it. Walls didn't agree, though, and I can respect that.

So, we'll see what happens in two weeks, but if Shouse, Broyles and Wright don't change their minds, I don't think he'll make it. I know that at least three other commissioners have privately said that they will not vote to support him.

Plus, a number of commissioners think that outsourcing the office, something they've discussed number times, will save the county money. It won't, but whatever.

That's another issue.

Also, another matter is whether Walls will sue if fired.

My guess is yes. A whole bunch of folks. 

Expect this to turn into a mess.

Tour set for Burchett-Carter school

Knox County officials on Monday will host a tour of the new Tim Burchett Elementary School for the Carter Community, which will be up and running this school year.

Yup, the county will take possession of TBESFTCC during a ceremonial check presentation event thing. The mayor, whom the school is named after (hey, that's just what I heard anyway) will present the check to Partners Development, the builder that took over after the initial winner pulled out of development because of – "ahem" – ties to local royalty and (because it's a long story).

The mayor will be joined by Superintendent Jim McINtyre, Commissioner Dave Wright, School Board member Mike McMillian and a number of other local elected folks who want their picture taken. Heh.

A tour will follow the check cashing - I mean, passing - ceremony. There also will be a reception with light refreshments in the school's cafeteria, so expect at least a few in the media to show up for breakfast.

Oh yeah, the whole shin-dig kicks off at 10 a.m. Monday at 8455 Strawberry Plains Pike.

Commish, elections, managment style

Couple things on this Friday afternoon that I noticed during the past week. 

A number of folks were talking about Joe Sullivan's column over at the Metro Pulse. The one in which he skewered Knox County Commissioner Dave Wright.

Find it right smack here.

Sullivan says Wright has a tendency to ramble like a mental, and he takes exception to a number of resolutions tied to school-related election issues that Wright sponsored.

I'll give da Pulse this: Wright like to ramble. That's true.

But to say there's no consensus in the 8^th District for an elected superintendent? Yeah, you're kidding yourself. And while I like Lisa Starbuck (she's a great activist and has a cool last name), she's kidding herself, too.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that countywide – if you put to vote whether to have an appointed or an elected superintendent – we'd be voting for a new one next year.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong. But you can take that vote to the bank. People in Knox County like to vote. Heck, the charter review committee had a chance to fix this and didn't bother.

Over on da Rogue's blog, Brian Hornback calls out Knox County Property Assessor. (These two have no love for each other by the way.) He says Ballard is violating all sorts of campaign laws and has the picture to prove it. Click right smack here for that bad boy.

Ballard, though, says he's not doing anything wrong. He said that he was putting together a booth that he will set up tomorrow for a home builder's association at the Expo Center. He said the sign that bears his name doesn't include the phrases “vote for” or “elect.”

“I'm term limited,” he said. “I don't need to campaign.”

He didn't mention the rumors that he'll seek another elected office when his time is up.

Finally, we got former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe and his column in the Shopper – click right smack here. Ashe talks about the managing style of county Mayor Tim Burchett and city Mayor Madeline Rogero. And he appears to be dead on about that South Knoxville stuff, which has left me scratching my head for awhile.

I really thought the city was going to take the initiative on this. Well, there's certainly still time.

Education panel starts to take form

Knox County Commission Chairman Tony Norman appointed commissioners Dave Wright, Amy Broyles, Sam McKenzie and Mike Hammond to the long-talked about education committee, which - if it's like every other committee that isn't required under the charter - will probably meet once and that'll be about it.

In the coming weeks, School Board Chairwoman Karen Carson will pick three or four members from her board to also serve on it.
More than likely, the panel will meet in February to talk about whether the county or the school system's name should be placed on the deed to the new Southwest elementary School, Brickey-McCloud Elementary School, Amherst Elementary School and Gibbs Elementary School.

In addition, the panel is expected to address finances and where the money should go - paying off reserves or general fund or wherever - when the county sells surplus land.

Officials say the committee will let the boards work through the issues without the typical bitterness that occurs between the two.

We'll see.

UPDATE: It appears that school board members Lynne Fugate, Doug Harris and Gloria Deathridge will represent the school board on the committee.

Mayor Burchett hosts another luncheon

Buchett mingling with the crowd

Knox County Mayor Tim Buchett on Friday continued his "lunch with mayor" series, this time at Central Flats & Taps in the Happy Holler community. Here's a couple of photos (on left) from the event taken by county IT guru Jon Gustin.

Also, Georgiana Vines wrote a story about it. Find that right smack here.

She notes that the "purpose of the Dutch-treat lunch was to focus on locally-owned restaurants and attract people throughout the community who might not otherwise know about the establishments. It's similar to the 'cash mob' events at locally-owned businesses."

Some guy eating some good food

I've taken in a few of the cash mobs, and if you haven't checked one out, then you should. They're actually pretty cool, and while they're not going to turn the economy around, the businesses are sure thankful for whatever extra coin they can get.

It's too bad other county and city leaders don't host their own. If anything, it gives the public a chance to interact with them on a more personal level.

That said, there were a few local leaders who turned out for Friday's event, including a number of department heads, as well, as Knox County Commissioner Dave Wright and Ed Shouse, School Board Commissioner Indya Kincannon and Election Commission Chairman Chris Heagerty.

Billboard ban extended. Once again

Well, the county's had a billboard moratorium in place for four years now. So, what's another two months?

Yeah, the commission yesterday decided to extend the ban through Jan. 31. Now, last week, they had agreed in theory (work session stuff) to hold a workshop on Nov. 29, extend the ban just one month and then vote on whatever it is they come up with in December.

Then Commissioner, Colonel, Doctor and overall bad a$$ Richard Briggs came back from a trip and told the dais that they'd be extending the ban two months. Yup, he told them flat up: It's a holiday period, we've spent a lot of time on it, so set it aside.Again.

So, they did.

But, get this, the board had to vote twice to do it. Yeah. First they extended it until Jan. 28. Then some commissioners realized that the board meets that day. So, they had to vote again to extend it to Jan. 31. Oh, man, entertainment at the expense of others. Heh.

By the way, the vote wasn't unanimous. The measure passed (both times) 7-3. Commission Vice Chairman Rrrrrrrrrr. Larry Smith, and commissioners Jeff Ownby and Dave Wright voted against it.

(Commission Chairman Tony Norman was out. His mother-in-law passed away, so he was at her funeral. Condolences to the family.)

So, when the board does meet in another week, they will talk about the three proposals that Briggs has touted for months now. But, they're not voting on them. Click right smack here for a prior back story about this mess.

Anyhoo, Commissioner Sam McKenzie again called out his fellow board members for stalling.

“How many more times are we going to put this thing off,” he asked them. “I still think the parties up here know what they are going to do . . . . I think we all know what we want this thing to look like in order to get (the six votes needed to win). It's not fair to both parties (to hold off any longer). The opponents or the proponents.”

He added: “And who knows what will happen in January. We're starting to get eerily close to budget season.”

In other words: Are you jokers going to postpone it again in January and blame it on the budget? (My words, not his.)

In the end, Briggs agreed that he was “tired of beating a dead horse,” but “I'm not sure what horse I'm beating,” suggesting that a compromise next week could change everything. “This is very important to our community and something that can affects us for the next 20 to 25 years.”

Wright wants 15 on the commission

Dave Wright

He's going to get absolutely zero traction from the rest of the dais, but Knox County Commissioner Dave Wright, the sharpest dresser on the board, wants officials to change the charter “to provide for a 15 member commission elected from 15 districts.”

Yeah. Heh. That one is going to go over lie a lead balloon. (The Zeppelin reunion show from 2007 is out on DVD next week – cheap plug.)

Anyhoo, Wright, who represents East Knox County, feels that voters reduced the board's membership from 19 to 11 in reaction to Black Wednesday. He called the move “the most poorly thought out charter change that went through” (whenever that was passed by voters – I forget what year).

“The people were mad with the occupants – not with the seats themselves,” he said. “We cut the size of the commission in half, but we didn't cut the work in half.”

He's got a point actually. Plus, you got those two at-large seats, which really have to cover some territory. And then you've got more than 11 committees and members are allowed to serve as chair on only one committee. Odd.

Wright doesn't expect the issue, which commissioners are expected to talk about briefly on Monday, to go anywhere.

But, he's “bringing it up again just to make a point.”

(As a side note, I think I've written about this proposal four or five times in the past couple of years and it went nowhere.)

“No one really wants to step up to it because they think the powerful that support how you go about getting elected . . . well they want to maintain control of what commission is doing,” he said. “The charter review committee didn't want the population to look at it, and the commission doesn't want to look at it. They want it to be a 'go away' issue.”

He continued: “I want to put some people on the spot. We need a little bit of frank, open discussion for 10 or 15 minutes, and then we'll go on because nothing can happen for two years – that's the earliest it can be put on the ballot.”

Wright didn't single out any commissioners, but I asked Tony Norman about it, just because he's the board's chairman.

“It came up in the charter review process, but I think it's the sense of the commission that it is too much of a change too soon given the type of redistricting issues we face,” Norman said. “I think it will take awhile.”

To be continued.

In a few years.

Commish to get raises. But not 7.6 percent

Knox County Commission on Monday night gave each member a 7 percent raise in an effort to make sure all county employees received an equal amount of scratch under one commissioner’s proposed pay hike.

Yeah, that almost happened. No kidding.

During Monday’s meeting, commissioners discussed County Mayor Tim Burchett’s proposal to give county workers – they said about 2,200 (but I think it’s closer to 2,300) – a 3 percent across-the-board raise.

Blah, blah, we’ve beaten this to death, I know.

Anyhoo, Commissioner Dave Wright offered a substitute motion/idea: Why not take the $1.5 million or so that would fund the raises (from Jan. 1 through June 30) and divide it equally among the employees. That way, everyone would get the same amount.

He argued that 3 percent for someone making $100k is way more than 3 percent for someone making $34K. OK, that’s true. He figured to just divvy it all up and every two weeks all employees would get an extra $60 in their paycheck.

At the same time, it was announced that commissioners – who make roughly $19k a year - also get the raises under any of the proposals. Now that was freakin’ news to me by the way. (Burchett is on record as saying he will not take a raise under the plan.)

So, take that $60 a week and it amounts – for this current fiscal year – as a 3.8 percent raise for county commissioners.

But next fiscal year? Yeah, if commissioners had gone along with Wright’s plan they would have received an overall 7.6 percent raise.

Nice.

In the end it was shot down 8-2 with wright and Tony Norman on the losing side. (Amy Broyles missed this part of the meeting because she was at the doctor’s office.)

Afterward I talked to some of the commissioners and asked them if they realized what the raise would have done.

None of them did.

But, I think they were thankful that one didn’t fly.

The commission eventually approved Burchett's proposal. That, too, included the members. Commissioners Jeff Ownby and R. Larry Smith by the way said they wouldn’t take the increases (Ownby joked to me that he hated money, anyway.)

On a side note, I applaud Wright for (cliché alert) thinking outside the box.

The move, however, would have messed up the county’s compensation scale. But, still drinks would have been on Wright if it had passed.

Heh.

Did commissioners violate Sunshine law?

On Saturday, Brian Hornback posted this – click right smack here – about Commissioner Amy Broyles and what he – and quite a few people at the Deathstar today who read his blog – felt was a possible Sunshine law violation.

You know? That little rule you’re supposed to follow when you’re a commissioner and you want to hang out with your buds and not get in trouble.

Here’s the deal I got from talking to commissioners: Broyles, who was in the hospital recently, wanted to catch up on some of the recent audit committee discussions. So, she sent some folks this email:

“Commissioners Amy Broyles and Ed Shouse will meet at Panera Bread in Bearden (4855 Kingston Pike) on Sunday, September 25, at 3:00pm. Other Commissioners may be present. The public and press are invited.”

(Shouse, by the way, is a member of the audit committee.)

I got the email at 4:52 p.m. Friday, according to my delete folder where I dug it out of because that’s what I do with those things. Because I’m immature that way. Heh. (OK, that wasn’t fair. I have actually gone to one of Broyle’s meetings.)

It appears Amy sent that to me personally. Going back through the junk box of bad boys I also found the exact same email sent to me again, but this one was at 8:18 a.m. Saturday. It also included a bunch of other email addresses. So, lots of people got it. On Saturday.

At issue is whether the meeting was adequately publicly noticed. I don’t recall seeing it on the county’s Web site, but who checks that thing anyway?

I asked Joe Jarret, the county’s law director, about it during today’s commission luncheon and he said Tennessee Code says officials need to give “reasonable public notice.”

And there is the problem. What’s reasonable? Jarret felt 48 hours was a good number.

He also emailed me this during the luncheon:

Mike, here's the latest analysis:

What constitutes adequate public notice depends on the totality of the circumstances. In Memphis Publishing Company v. City of Memphis, 513 S.W.2d 511, 513 (Tenn. 1974), the Tennessee Supreme Court declared that, "[a]dequate public notice means adequate public notice under the circumstances, or such notice based on the totality of the circumstances as would fairly inform the public." See also Neece v. Paris Special School District, 813 S.W.2d 432 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1990).

Mike, based upon the above, the courts have issued inconsistent rulings. If a court ruled that notice was inadequate, then any action taken by the members present, presuming they had a quorum, would be considered void and of no effect.

Hornback got a similar email. Check it out right smack here. Jarret also reiterated to him the 48-hour thing.

Oh yeah – almost forgot. Broyles and Shouse did meet for several hours. They were joined by Commissioners Richard “The good doctor” Briggs and Dave Wright. In addition, radio talk dude Hubert Smith and Dan “the man” Andrews were there.

The group talked about audit stuff and then the proposed Carter Elementary School.

Anyhoo, I talked to Wright about the meeting and he said “it wasn’t kosher” that Broyles didn’t give more than 48 hour notice. He said “someone” called him Saturday to give him a heads up about the meeting.

Commission Chairman Mike Hammond agreed.

“I want to talk with Joe Jarret about this,” he said. “We need to get some clarification. When we do these things, someone has to take notes and there has to be an agenda. It’s probably time to have Joe weigh in on this again and refresh us.”

He also said he wants to put it on the chairman’s luncheon next month. (The commission meets for lunch between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on commission meeting days. Yes, they are adequately notified.)

Commissioner Jeff Ownby, who was with Wright and Hammond when I approached them about this, said he didn’t get a notification until 7:50 p.m. Friday, but he didn’t see it until Saturday.

Shouse said he got his some time Friday but he’d “prefer a 72-hour” advance notification.

None of the commissioners I spoke to said they felt there was a violation, but they weren’t exactly thrilled at the timing of the email.

I also talked very briefly with Amy about it. She didn’t seem concerned, and said that she had a number of email addresses on hand, so she sent them out as soon as she could Friday; and then later that night – when she had rounded up all her other addresses – sent out another email. (She also made a comment during the luncheon that the meeting was "sunshined".)

So, you can decide whether the commissioners violated the Sunshine law. Keep in mind that it wouldn’t just be Broyles. Although she sent out the email, three other commissioners attended the meeting.

I’m just glad they didn’t vote.

Credit goes to the rogue for pointing this out. Also, Dan Andrews has a video of the meeting but was having problems uploading it to Youtube, since it was too large of a file. He said he might be able to upload it later. If so, I'll post a link to it.

If it's as riveting as most commission meetings, I'm sure you'll all watch it.

Heh.