Add Wallen to trustee rumor mill

On Wednesday, I wrote a piece about how the Knox County Commission will go about picking a new trustee, and some of the well-known names that folks are floating around.

You can now add Missy Wallen's name to the list. Missy, 60, served as BB&T's Tennessee president from 2007 until Monday when she officially retired. (She also is the vice chairwoman of the Development Corporation of Knox County.)

Anyhoo, from what a number of people have told me, George Korda has been pushing her name to the commission, which has begun taking applications for the job. Others, though, have told me that she might not be all that interested. (Course we've all heard that one before.)

Time will tell, but figured it was worth mentioning as her qualifications (on paper anyway) look pretty good.

No wheel tax reduction this year

There's been some talk from a few folks about whether to slim back or do away with the wheel tax.

Yeah, that's not happening. Makes for good headlines, though.

The $36 fee (technically, it's really not a tax) generates roughly $12.5 million in coin. Of that, $10.5 million goes toward operating the county's library system and $1.5 million goes toward the general purpose school fund (stuff that doesn't involve construction).

Then another $525K heads toward the county's general fund. Now, the actual focus would be on reducing the fee, so that it still helps out schools and libraries. Overall then, that would mean a $1.50 to $2 cut, and you'd do away with tucking money into the general fund.

However, the FY 2014 budget took effect Monday, so you can't count out this year. Obviously next year is an election year with county primaries set for May, so the issue might make for some good chatter then.

County accepting resumes for trustee

The Knox County Board of Commissioners has begun taking resumes to replace John Duncan III, the former Trustee who resigned Tuesday after pleading guilty to a felony charge.

Resumes should be submitted no later than noon on July 15, the same day the board holds its work session.  A public hearing has been set for that day at 1 p.m. in the Main Assembly Room of the City Cuonty Building, 400 West Main St.

Commissioners will look over the resumes and interview the candidates then. The board will make an official appointment during its regular meeting on July 22.

Resumes should be sent to: Office of the Knox County Commission, Suite 603, City County Building, 400 Main Ave., Knoxville, TN 37902.

They also can be faxed to 865-215-2534 or sent via email to commission@knoxcounty.org.

Potential picks to replace Duncan

With John Duncan III out as trustee, you know folks are going to come from all around the woodwork, looking for that good $110K-a-year (or so) job. Heh.

Anyhoo, at this point it looks like the county commission will meet some time in the upcoming weeks to hash out the rules and then start taking resumes.

I know board Chairman Tony Norman would like to appoint a caretaker to the post rather than someone who intends to run for the seat. From what I’ve heard, though, not everyone is on board with the plan, so we’ll see.

So far, I’ve heard six names getting kicked around.

Sooooo, in alphabetical order: 

• Ann Acuff: Former longtime Knox County finance worker and high up on the bean counting team's totem pole before retiring about a year or so ago.
• Mike Hammond, a Knox County commissioner, former board chairman and someone who’s been rumored as a candidate for the criminal court clerk post.
• Craig Leuthold, a former Knox County commissioner, former trustee office employee, currently with the property assessor’s office.
• Ed Shouse, a Knox County commissioner, member of the pension board, chairman of the county’s investment committee and all-around sharp guy.
• Fred Sisk, former Trustee and all-around nice dude. 
• R. Larry Smith, a Knox County commissioner, the board’s current vice chairman and someone who’s been rumored as a candidate for a number of seats.

Now, I’m also hearing that of these potential picks, only Sisk  is interested in seeking the spot in the caretaker capacity. (I've heard the same also about Acuff although I haven't talked to her and I'm not absolutely sure she wants the job or if folks are just floating her name.)

“Whoever wants to run, can run and start fresh,” Sisk told me. “I don’t want to use the appointment as a leg up.”

Fred said he’d be able to start immediately and “that there are a number of things that need to be done.”

He noted that the county just wrapped up its fiscal year, so that means the annual audit is right around the corner. After that? Tax season. 

Sisk also said he’d be willing to stay on board to help mentor a new trustee through the transitional process. (This in fact should have been done under Duncan, but he opted not to keep Sisk.)

Say what you will, but the idea makes a lot of sense.

Duncan’s term expires Aug. 31, 2014.

As for Kristin Phillips, who is serving as the interim trustee, I don’t expect her to run. She’s served in a manager capacity for quite some time, however, she also lives in Anderson County. Or Blount County. Or whatever county that isn’t Knox County.

Can't apply diversion law to Duncan

So, if you follow Knox County government and you've been under a rock, click right smack here for today's story about now-former Trustee John Duncan III stepping down from his post and pleading guilty to a felony charge.

(And, yeah, pat of the back. We broke this story. Love this #*(#$&7)

Anyhoo, JD3 will more than likely receive judicial diversion. It's actually pretty common. However, he's pretty lucky on that one. Under a state law that took effect last July, officials who commit crimes "in the person's official capacity or involved in the duties of the person's office" are no longer allowed judicial diversion. (All this is because of former Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner and his, er, pill problem.)

But, Duncan was grandfathered in. He's accused of paying out illegal free money in December 2010.

You can find a copy of the Senate bill, right smack here. And here's the TCA part of the law where it gets inserted.

Historic Knoxville High to be sold

Historic Knoxville High School is officially county property as of today.

The 116,292-square foot school, located at 101 E. Fifth Ave., sits on 1.9 acres. The county on Sunday will advertise the official "request for proposal," or RFP, for its sale and redevelopment.

Potential owners will have until Aug. 21 to submit a bid.

Headed out to give broadcast a shot

Most folks know by now, but if you don't . . . well . . . today's my last day at the Knoxville News Sentinel.

I'm headed over to Channel 10 (WBIR) where I'll be part of an investigative team that they're putting together.

There's no one reason, really, why I'm leaving. I've heard a couple of conspiracies and they're not true. Quite frankly, I've been doing this newspaper thing for at least 15 years, probably more, and I was looking for something different.

I've got no problem with the paper and I'm glad the KNS gave me the opportunities that it did. And there are a ton of great folks over there, no matter what the vocal minority of knuckleheads who comment on the paper's message board would have you believe. (I wonder how tough those losers would be if they actually had to sign their name to something. But I digress . . . ).

Again, I've been in papers for a good while, and I wanted the chance to try something new. It was not an easy decision.

On a side note, da Porch is coming with me. I own this sucker, so I'm not shutting it down. I'll also continue to keep an eye on Knox County government at least for here on the blog, although the station is giving me the chance to look into a lot more.

I start Monday.

In the meantime, I'm out.

Regards.

More on the $300K thing, ObamaCare

There's some interesting spin going on (and one media outlet kind of messed up some stuff) about this whole ObamaCare thing and what the county owes. It's not just Knox County, folks. Anyhoo, here's a little more from the documents included in yesterday's post, right smack here, and from an email I got from the county's health insurance consultant (nope, not sharing that one, cause I'm greedy).

Sooooo, yes, Knox County this year is on the hook for almost $300,000 in “transitional reinsurance” fees tied to the Affordable Care Act, typically known as ObamaCare.

In addition, it will also have to make payments – 5.25 per member per month – each of the next two years.

Right now, the county has 4,700 members, including spouses and dependents, on its plan, so the amount owed will fluctuate as people join and leave, said county Finance Director Chris Caldwell.

The money at this point will come from the county's health insurance reserve fund, which stands at about $500,000. However, the administration wants to put up to $4 million in expected surplus revenues into it, once officials close the current fiscal year books, which will more than likely be in late August or early September.

The county's plan covers general county workers, fee office employees and the Sheriff's Office.

Humana, the county's third-party administrator, will actually collect the fee, and turn it over to the federal government.

The transitional reinsurance program will require all self-insured group health plans and health insurance issues – not just Knox County – to pay the per-enrollee fees.

In a note to county officials, Drew Mann, the county's health insurance consultant, told officials that the fees “are intended to stabilize premiums in the individual market for the first three years that the exchanges are in effect.”

He added that they will be used to make “payments to health insurance issuers that cover high-risk individuals in the individual market.”

In a letter sent June 10 to U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan, who does not support the affordable care act, Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett complained about the fee, calling it an “unintended consequence.”

He added: “It is a shame that the Obama Administration seems intent on punishing conscientious, self-insured organizations like Knox County to expand healthcare coverage to some who do not even want it.”

ObamaCare fees to cost Knox $300K

Looks like the county will have to ante up almost 300K in clams to cover a fee tied to the Affordable Care Act.

I'm certainly not going to get into whether this is a lot of money or not because it would mean debating the merits of ObamaCare and, quite frankly, both sides annoy me.

I did, however, chuckle after reading a letter Mayor Tim Burchett's sent to Congressman Duncan for no apparent reason other than to get some media coverage. He notes that Duncan didn't vote for the measure, then laments that it will cost the county money. (Like he didn't know this. Seriously. It's not a secret.)

Then Burchett tells the good Congressman that if he wants to learn more about it, he can call his office. Er . . . . . .

You can read the letter, which was no doubt authored by emperor Dean Rice and his underlings, right smack here.

The train wreck of a radio interview the two conducted this morning is more than likely somewhere on the Internet. Although it's no where near as funny as this one that has been floating around.

No word yet on how much the city, which also is self-insured, will have to spend. Probably a similar amount.

'Casual' county coin report Part VI

Chris Caldwell

And . . . again the Knox County Commission heard from head bean counter Casual Chris Caldwell during its monthly luncheon, and, so far, it looks like we're still on pace to get as much as $12 million in surplus revenues when the finance team officially closes the books in late August or early September.

He said as of the end of May the county's general fund was $5.3 million ahead compared to where it was at the same time last year. He noted that at the end of April the county was actually about $9 million ahead but called it “a timing thing.”

He then noted that the county should begin looking into putting some of those extra clams into its health insurance reserves.

The county is self-insured and has roughly $24 million in annual health insurances expenses, or roughly $2 million a month. However, he said, the county has only $500K in reserves dedicated to the fund.

“That's less than one week of claims, and so what you will see me do or beg of you to do is put as much as we can into it,” Caldwell said. “I would put a sizable amount of the surplus into the reserves – $3 million to $4 million at least.

He said the City of Knoxville, which is also self-insured, has a $13 million health insurance reserve fund.

However, he didn't say that the county right now has an overall record-freakin'-high $46.8 million in overall unallocated reserves right now – much, much, much, much higher than the city's overall reserve fund, which I'm still trying to nail down the exact amount.

Anyhoo, more fun stuff to come today. Commission meets.

Heh.

UPDATE: The city's unallocated reserves are at about $18.4 million.

Knox County Sgt. in stable condition

The Porch wishes a speedy recovery to Knox County Sheriff's Sgt. Mike Ledbetter, who was shot in the leg yesterday by some dumbass.

Ledbetter, who has been with the department since 1995, is in stable condition at Tennessee Medical Center where he underwent surgery for the wound.

He was shot yesterday during an exchange of gunfire because the suspect thought it was a brilliant idea to stage a standoff. (He got killed by the way.) The suspect was wanted on three outstanding warrants of aggravated assault, leaving the scene an accident and violation of probation.

You can find the story, right smack here.

Mayor Burchett to go creek wading

Ah, I yearn for the days when county communications manager-of-two Michael “Big Sexy” Grider did NOT flood my email inbox with “friendly reminders' tied to whatever the heck Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is doing.

Heh.

Now? Well now, Jennifer “da Kid” Lightning-something-or-other sends them.

Rambling a bit here.

Anyhoo, tomorrow the mayor will wade into Beaver Creek as part of a "fish assessment activity" during a “Families in the Creek” event.

No, really. That's what the email said, although it spins it as “an educational opportunity for families to explore a local creek and learn about water quality issues.”

I figure that, really, the mayor just got himself a waterproof metal detector and he wants to try it out.

The event, also hosted by the county's stormwater management and par and rec departments in conjunction with the Beaver Creek Task Force, is set for 10 a.m. at the Halls Grenway behind Food City, 7114 Maynardville Pike.