Our hopefully helpful guide to Knox County Civics
I find it particularly concerning how little we as the public know about what our elected officials are doing. I find it even more concerning still that we are voting for these officials not knowing what their jobs are supposed to be. So, I with the help of Scott Barker and Jessie Mayshark from Compass Knox and Brian Hornback of Brianborback.com, and some other sources are building this site to help give you the citizen a better idea of what the job these politicians are asking us to give them is.
If you don’t know your district or polling location go to kgis.org
If you need to check if you’re registered or how to register go to Knoxcounty.org
Special thanks to Compass’ Jessie and Scott and the wonderful Brian Hornback for helping me create this guide.
Our hopefully helpful guide to Knox County Civics
I find it particularly concerning how little we as the public know about what our elected officials are doing. I find it even more concerning still that we are voting for these officials not knowing what their jobs are supposed to be. So, I with the help of Scott Barker and Jessie Mayshark from Compass Knox and Brian Hornback of Brianborback.com, and some other sources are building this site to help give you the citizen a better idea of what the job these politicians are asking us to give them is.
If you don’t know your district or polling location go to kgis.org
If you need to check if you’re registered or how to register go to Knoxcounty.org
Special thanks to Compass’ Jessie and Scott and the wonderful Brian Hornback for helping me create this guide.
Some salary data resorced from CTAS UT database (2018-2019)
Job Descriptions
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County Mayor
Department: Knox County Government (https://www.knoxcounty.org/countymayor/)
District: Knox County
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 4 Years
Salary: $180,598
Job Requriemtents:
Can:Many of the duties and responsibilities of the county mayor are not specifically addressed in the Tennessee Code, but are a function of the fact that the county mayor is expected to provide leadership and direction to the county in most policy areas. The county mayor should have a better picture of the total government operation than any other county official, and should also have the knowledge, information and leadership ability to steer the county in the direction most beneficial to the county’s future. The county mayor is required to devote full time to the office of county mayor, except in counties where, by referendum, it has been determined that the work is insufficient to require a full time county mayor. T.C.A. § 5-6-105. However, this requirement does not necessarily mean that the county mayor cannot have another job or manage another business. It does mean that the county mayor should devote a normal working day’s time to the office. The county mayor is the accounting officer and chief financial officer of the county; he or she is charged with the care and custody of county property (unless the law specifically places the care and custody on another official, such as the chief administrative officer of the highway department for highway equipment). T.C.A. § 5-6-108. While the county mayor is charged with care of county property, the county legislative body has the power to erect, control and dispose of county property (T.C.A. § 5-5-121), and the authority to levy taxes for this purpose. T.C.A. § 5-5-122. The county mayor appoints members of county boards and commissions and appoints department heads unless, as is frequently the case, the law specifically provides otherwise; these appointees are subject to confirmation by the county commission. T.C.A. § 5-6-106(c). Unless there is a conflict of interest or other prohibition, the county mayor is free to appoint a member of the county legislative body in exercising the appointment power, although the appointee should not vote on the confirmation. Op. Tenn. Att’y Gen. U94-004 (January 4, 1994). Approval of an appointee requires a commission majority; if the county CTAS e-Li Relationship to County Legislative Body-County Mayor Page 4 of 7 Reference Number: CTAS-26 Reference Number: CTAS-753 commission does not approve an appointment, the county mayor must make another appointment that will also be required to be approved by the county commission. The county mayor is authorized to employ secretarial and clerical assistants needed in the performance of the duties of the office of county mayor. The county mayor shall establish the compensation of any such assistant within the amount appropriated for such purpose by the county legislative body. T.C.A. § 5-6-116. While leadership is the most important responsibility of the county mayor, leadership alone is not enough to keep county government functioning properly. Smooth operation also requires that each county official perform statutory administrative duties in several different areas.
Cannot: Make
Links: UT eLi library
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Sheriff
Department: Knox County Government (Sheriff's Office Website)
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $144,863(minimum)
Job Requirements:
Can: Each sheriff is the Chief Executive Law Enforcement Officer for their county. The duties of the office of the sheriff are corrections, service of process and Patrol.
Cannot:
Links: wiki
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Board of Education (School Board)
2022 elections School Board D;1,4,6,7,9
Department: Knox County Government Knox County School Board Website
District: 1,4,6,7,9 respectively
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 4 Years
Salary: $17,000
Job Requirements:
Can: Vote on all policies and procedures that govern the operation of the school district. Selects the Director of Schools. Has oversight of 2/3rds of the spending of Knox County’s tax dollars.
Cannot: hire or fire any employee of the school district except the Superintendent. Implement or ban any classroom curriculum(ex. CRT-Critical Race Theory). Must adhere to Federal and State education regulations
Swearing in Date: 12/18/22
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County Commission
2022 elections School Board D;3,7,10,11 Department: Knox County Government (Commission Website)
District: Knox County
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 4 Years
Salary: $22,554(2018 KNS)
Job Requriemtents:
Can: Vote on land use adjustments, County Tax policy, Must approve budgets(mayor, sheriff, schools)
Cannot: Make curriculum changes to schools
Swearing in Date: 12/18/22
links to content…
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Trustee
Department: Knox County Government (Trustee Website)
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 4 Years
Salary: $131,694 (min)
Job Requirements:
Can: The Trustee generally acts as treasurer or banker for the county and serves three primary functions: (1) collecting all county property taxes (all property, real and personal, tangible and intangible, must be assessed for taxation by the state or its political subdivisions unless property is declared to be exempt by some provision of Tennessee law); (2) keeping a fair regular account of all money received; and (3) investing temporarily idle county funds.
Cannot: Make
Links: UT eLi Library
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County Clerk
Department: Knox County Government (www.knoxcounty.org/clerk/)
District: Knox County
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): ? Years
Salary: $131,694
Job Requirements:
Can: The county clerk has numerous duties, including acting as clerk of the county legislative body, issuing motor vehicle titles and registrations, collecting privilege taxes, and overseeing the issuance of beer permits, marriage licenses, and pawnbroker licenses. In addition to these statutory duties, some county clerks also issue certified copies of birth certificates under T.C.A. § 68-3-206, and some county clerks contract with the department of safety to issue driver licenses under T.C.A. § 55-50-331.
The law regulating the licensing and operations of title pledge lenders is found in Tennessee Title Pledge Act, T.C.A. § 45-15-101 et seq., which was amended in 2005 to transfer responsibility for licensing and regulating title pledge lenders from county clerks to the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions. This set of statutes is separate from the laws regulating pawnbrokers.
Cannot: Make
Links: UT eLi Library
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Circuit Court Judge D 1,2,3,4
Department: Knox County Government
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $????
Job Requriemtents:
Can: Vote o
Cannot: Make
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Chancellor D 1,2,3
Department: Knox County Government
District: Knox County (State Circuit 6)
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $????
Job Requriemtents:
Oversees probate, divorce, property dispuits, “court of record”
Cannot: Make
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Criminal Court Judge D 1,2,3
Department: Knox County Government
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $????
Job Requriemtents:
Can: Vote o
Cannot: Make
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District Attorney General
Department: Knox County Government
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $????
Job Requriemtents:
Can: Vote o
Cannot: Make
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Public Defender
Department: Knox County Government
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $????
Job Requriemtents:
Can: Vote o
Cannot: Make
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Gerneral Sessions Court Judge D 1,2,3,4,5
Department: Knox County Government
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $????
Job Requriemtents:
Can: Vote o
Cannot: Make
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Juvenile Court Judge
Department: Knox County Government
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $????
Job Requriemtents:
Can: Vote o
Cannot: Make here
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Circuit Court Clerk
Department: Knox County Government
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $144,862(2018KNS)
Job Requriemtents:
Can: Vote o
Cannot: Make
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Criminal Court Clerk
Department: Knox County Government
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $144,862(2018KNS)
Job Requriemtents:
Can: Vote o
Cannot: Make
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Register of Deeds
Department: Knox County Government
District: ?
Petition Deadline: 2/7/21
Primary Date: 5/3/21
Type of Employment(Term): 8 Years
Salary: $????
Job Requriemtents:
Can: Vote o
Cannot: Make