Knox County commissioners will meet this week for their regularly scheduled agenda review where they discuss their ideas on the items they will take votes on in the future.
Sounds boring, right? Think again!
It's the first time the commissioners will discuss policies since new elected officials were sworn in Sept. 1. In the weeks since, there's been a bit of political jockeying as Mayor Betsy Hendersonhas taken bold action.
Most recently, on Sept. 17, Henderson backed off an effort to asked commissioners to approvea 2028 ballot measure that would enable commissioners to decrease their salaries. She proposed that after I reportedher previous effortto ask commissioners to decreases their salaries now isn't allowed in the county charter.
Instead, Henderson
signed onto a ordinance from Commissioner Brandon Huckaby that ties commissioners' pay increases to the ones received by the mayor and the county's constitutional officers (circuit court clerk, clerk, property assessor, register of deeds, trustee and sheriff).
How are pay raises for the mayor and county officers different from commissioners' pay raises? Pay raises for the mayor and officials elected to lead county offices are set by the Tennessee legislature each year, while commissioners and school board members are technically county staffers and their pay raises are set through the budget process.
What do Henderson and Huckaby want to do? Henderson, a Republican, and Huckaby, a Democrat, want to make it so that no Knox County elected official has a say in how much money commissioners and school board members are paid. Instead, all elected officials' pay increases will be up to the state legislature.
What's the difference? Over the past five years, both the commissioners and the other elected officials received an average raise of 4%.
Raises from the state are more consistent: Commissioners and other elected officials got raises from the mayor and state legislature, respectively, every year over the past five years. But the amounts differed.
Why are county officials' salaries taking up so much oxygen? It all started in June, when the commission – including four people who are no longer members – doubled pay raises for county stafffrom the budgeted 3% to 6%. The cost of living in Knox County is going up, they said, and salaries for sheriff's deputies and service workers should reflect that.
With the vote, commissioners own pay automatically went up, too. Henderson protested.
Enter Huckaby: Eventually, we got to the bipartisan Henderson-Huckaby proposal to put commissioners' pay raises in the hands of the state.
“Mayor Henderson and I share the belief that commissioners should not be setting their own pay, and I understand her effort to remove these raises," Huckaby said Sept. 11. "My goal is to make the future more transparent and accountable. I’ll admit I didn’t know commissioner pay was treated like that of a general government employee, either.”
After talking with Huckaby on Sept. 15, he told Knox News, Henderson signed onto his proposal.
“I have said all along that politicians should not give themselves pay raises," Henderson said in a Sept. 18 statement. "I am proposing an ordinance that would tie commissioners’ and school board members’ pay adjustments to the same state certified formula used for other elected officials. This will create a clear standard that holds politicians accountable while removing conflicts of interests and self-dealing.”
When's the meeting? The commission will meet at 3 p.m. Sept. 21 in the main assembly room of the City-County Building to discuss proposals on its agenda for this month.
The commission won't vote: Commissioners can discuss anything they want, but they can't actually vote on anything until Sept. 28.
Study up: Check out the agenda at commission.knoxcountytn.gov. Click "agenda" and select the "COMMISSION" option.
Knox County commissioners could discuss veto and housing policy
Commissioners also may discuss another contentious topic that wraps three major political issues into one package: Henderson's veto of a tax incentive for townhouses.
The veto: Henderson plans to utilize her veto powers on a case-by-case basis when she sees fit.
"Mayor Henderson promised that her time in office would be characterized by bold leadership that sets a standard for the state and the nation," spokesperson Jenna Triplett told me. "That starts with doing things that are unprecedented. Her decision to veto this resolution is one step toward delivering on that promise. We will approach each resolution on a case-by-case basis, so you can expect more vetoes in the future."
Vetoes are a normal part of government's checks and balances. There could be tension as some members of the commission seek to override her veto, or they may abandon the effort.
Tax incentives: Henderson vetoed a payment in lieu of taxes that would have let Dominion Group only pay half the property taxes it would've owed for a townhome development if it kept half the homes affordable middle-class renters.
Henderson criticized the PILOT andwrote in an op-ed for Knox News the county should focus more on tax incentives for commercial development projects. She did not provide specific standards for what constitutes a "good" deal.
By the time a developer asks for a PILOT, they've likely already spent lots of money on a project. Commissioners may try to get clarity from Henderson on what standards she'll use moving forward so nobody wastes their time.
How to provide affordable housing? The whole dilemma centers around how the county will support affordable and middle-class housing during Henderson's administration, my colleague Sophie Tiedge reported. The 80-unit townhome project would create housing for middle-class workers such as teachers, nurses and firefighters who increasingly struggle to pay rent in Knox County.
The county works with developers using the state's low-income housing tax credit program, but historically has not provided incentives for developments that serve middle-class workers. Without the PILOT, the vacant South Knox County site could be used to build market-rate apartments or condos that don't benefit either demographic, assuming another developer wants to try.
As construction costs go up, Fourth Creek Capital President Daniel Smith told my colleague, it makes sense that developers would seek PILOTs because development is "harder than ever," and "the returns just aren't there" to keep rental prices low for middle-income residents without some help.
You can still weigh in on the future of Knoxville
Knoxville and Knoxville-Knox County Planning officials want to hear from you about the future of the city.
Officials are working on the What's Next, Knoxville? comprehensive plan, which will outline the future vision and priorities for development. It'll guide land use, transportation and investment priorities for the next 25 years.
Staffers are hosting the next round of listening session this week.
Opportunities this week:
- 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at Norwood Elementary School, 1909 Merchant Drive
- 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at Whittle Springs Middle School, 2700 White Oak Lane
- 4:30-6:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at Urban Wilderness Gateway Park
And there are three meetings next week, too:
- Noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 30 at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St.
- 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at Bearden Middle School, 1000 Francis Road
- 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 1 at Dr. E.V. Davidson Community Center, 3124 Wilson Ave.
Chilhowee Park Advisory Group will wrap up its meeting series
The group created by Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon to shape the future of Chilhowee Park will meet this week to build a framework for the park's future. This week's meeting will be the "last in its series," according to a report from the group's last meeting.
"It will reinforce the collective themes and guiding principles to achieve setting a new framework that will help guide future planning decisions towards a new master planning process," the report says.
Through the series of meetings from March to now, group members have established a few guiding principles:
- Lake Ottosee is the soul of the park
- Comfort and everyday usability trumps big-ticket ideas
- Flexible gathering and performance space should connect the park to the community
- Nature, education and stewardship should be top of mind
When's the meeting? 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at Dr. E. V. Davidson Community Center, 3124 Wilson Ave.
Turf to meadow at Victor Ashe Park?
City officials want to convert 17 acres of turf grass at Victor Ashe Park into "a more healthy and ecologically diverse oak savannah – with native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers," according to a press release.
The city parks and recreation and public service departments are inviting community members to learn about their plan and provide feedback.
"The idea is to create lush native-plant ecosystem that provides shade, reduces stormwater runoff, and provides food and shelter for birds, pollinators and other wildlife," the release says.
Cross-country trails and the disc golf course wouldn't be affected.
When's the meeting? 5 p.m. Sept. 22 at Victor Ashe Park large pavilion, 4901 Bradshaw Road
Five things you may have missed
Here's 5 news highlights from last week:
USA TODAY Network-Tennessee reported President Donald Trump's approval rating turned negative in Tennessee, a Beacon poll found
Anthony Nicotera reported how many Flock cameras remain in Knox County
Keenan Thomas exclusively reported why the Haslams stepped in to lead University of Tennessee's $3.5B fundraiser
Caitlyn Meisner reported the National Constitution Center's efforts to strengthen democracy thorugh civics lessons
Joanna Hayes reported a longtime employee filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against Mike Chase
Allie Feinberg is the politics reporter for Knox News. Email: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com; Reddit: u/KnoxNewsAllie
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Mayor Betsy Henderson joins bipartisan plan to overhaul commissioners' pay
