Oak Ridge Today

Phillips to return as county budget director, step down as commissioner

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Chris Phillips

Chris Phillips

CLINTON—Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank announced Thursday that Chris Phillips will be rejoining Anderson County government as budget director.

“I never wanted Chris to leave, but I certainly understood from the beginning that Lake City, now Rocky Top, was in search of next-level management in modernizing their accounting structure,” Frank said. “Though Chris tried to accomplish Rocky Top’s goals by working part-time on weekends, it really took him leaving the county to be in Rocky Top full-time. I made it clear from the get-go that if I had not filled the budget director position, he was always welcome back home here in Anderson County government.”

“While the thought of disappointing those who were kind enough to vote for me weighs heavily on me, I know I can best serve the people of this county by implementing and directing policy, rather than making policy, and that requires that I step down from my position as Commissioner to serve Anderson County in another way,” said Phillips, who was elected to one of two Anderson County Commission seats in District 4 on August 7.

Phillips will resign his County Commission seat effective October 10, a press release said.

Former Anderson County Commissioner Zach Bates, who ran for county mayor in the May 6 Republican primary, did not seek re-election in District 4, which includes the Lake City (Rocky Top), Briceville, and Rosedale voting precincts. [Read more…]

Mayes will seek election to the office of Circuit Court Clerk

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Tyler Mayes

Tyler Mayes

Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk Tyler Mayes has announced that he will seek to retain his position in the 2014 election.

Mayes was appointed in October 2012 to fill the term of former Circuit Court Clerk Barry Pelizzari.

In a press release, Mayes said the top issue for the office is accountability to taxpayers and the courts.

“During Mayes’ first year in office, he has aggressively pursued new policies and procedures that have resulted in record collections and has made the office more efficient in its daily operations,” the release said. “The aggressive pursuit of bond forfeitures, the installation of new software, and the increased collection of court costs has made the Anderson County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office a standard of excellence across Tennessee.” [Read more…]

Democratic Party honors volunteers Monday

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The Anderson County Democratic Party will honor and thank volunteers who worked in the campaigns of all Democratic candidates in 2012 elections with a free dinner and party at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, at the Clinton Community Center.

Volunteers throughout the county worked in campaigns ranging from President Obama’s re-election campaign to the campaigns of state and local candidates in 2012.

[Read more…]

After week of debate, Beehan re-elected mayor, Miller vice mayor

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Tom Beehan

Tom Beehan

Jane Miller

Jane Miller

After a week of spirited public debate, the Oak Ridge City Council re-elected Tom Beehan to a third term as mayor in a 4-3 vote on Monday.

He narrowly beat Oak Ridge City Council member David Mosby, who announced his candidacy this past weekend.

Council also re-elected Jane Miller to a third term as vice mayor—or mayor pro tem—on Monday. She received four votes, and Mosby, who hadn’t sought the position, received three.

[Read more…]

Roane State campuses closed Dec. 15-Jan. 1 for holidays

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All Roane State Community College campuses will be closed Saturday, Dec. 15 through Tuesday, Jan. 1 for the holidays.

The campuses will reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 2, and spring classes will begin on Thursday, Jan. 17, a press release said.

[Read more…]

Letter: Time to try a new mayor in Oak Ridge

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Note: The following is a copy of a letter sent to Oak Ridge City Council.

Dear City Council Members,

Over the last decade, while he was vice mayor and mayor, Mr. Tom Beehan accomplished some very noteworthy things.

Oak Ridge completed a major upgrade to its high school. The west-end turnpike was modernized. The Guest House (Alexander Inn) was preserved. And Oak Ridge was selected to host a brand new Kroger Marketplace store.

Despite these accomplishments, it’s time to recognize that the clock is ticking on our city’s economic problems and move to a fresh new approach.

[Read more…]

Baughn asks for mayor’s travel records for past five years

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

After asking Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan to consider resigning, new City Council member Trina Baughn requested trip and cost information for all of his city-related travel in the past five years.

She asked Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson for the trip information in a Wednesday afternoon e-mail.

Baughn requested the mayor’s travel records for the dozen boards and committees she knows about, as well as any she doesn’t. She asked Watson to also give the total cost of each trip, including mileage, per diem, hotel expenses, entertainment, and other charges, as well as the funding sources.

[Read more…]

New council member asks mayor to consider resigning, mayor says ‘no’

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

Tom Beehan

Tom Beehan

New Oak Ridge City Council member Trina Baughn has asked Mayor Tom Beehan to drop his bid for a third term as mayor and consider resigning.

In a column posted on her website and submitted to local media, Baughn lobs accusations at the mayor that range from his alleged public encouragement of “backroom meetings” on the high school debt to the alleged benefits he received from the $30 million Kroger Marketplace shopping center.

“An overwhelming percentage of Oak Ridgers have lost all confidence in Tom Beehan’s leadership abilities,” Baughn said. “They elected me to be their voice, and with this letter, I am keeping the only campaign promise that I specifically made: I will not cast my vote for Tom Beehan as mayor.”

The seven-member council is expected to appoint a mayor to serve a two-year term during a Monday, Dec. 10, meeting.

It’s Baughn’s first major move as a new City Council member, and Beehan dismissed it with dismay this week.

“If you had to fact-check that whole column and label it, it would be ‘pants on fire,’” Beehan said. “It’s mostly fiction.”

[Read more…]

Anderson County mayor hires part-time fiscal analyst

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Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank announced today that she has hired local businessman Thomas Shope as her part-time fiscal analyst.

“When I campaigned for office, I pledged to internally audit the books to look for efficiency on behalf of the taxpayer,” Frank said. “Hiring Tom is part of keeping that pledge.”

Frank was elected to her first four-year term as county mayor on Aug. 2.

[Read more…]

Official results: Liquor referendum fails in Oliver Springs

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Voters in Oliver Springs have rejected a liquor referendum that would have allowed retail package stores to sell alcoholic beverages.

The proposal failed 488-520, according to official certified results released after the Nov. 6 election. That’s a 48 percent to 52 percent vote margin.

[Read more…]

Letter: Micromanagement or good government?

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To the Editor:

I am very saddened by the loss of Ellen Smith from the Oak Ridge City Council. I have told her that she will have my support for running again in two years. We will be greatly impoverished by her absence until then.

There are those who blame long meetings on Ellen’s dedication to detail and asking many clarifying questions. The devil is always in the details, and it has been Ellen’s interest, talent, incisive mind, and dedication to the details that has made her so vital to the maintenance of good government and to ensuring the people’s right to accountability of how their money is being spent. It has been her dedication to scientific principles of actual verifiable proof of bald assertions that has made her the guardian of the people’s best interests.

[Read more…]

Rep. Fleischmann appointed to House Appropriations Committee

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U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, an East Tennessee Republican, has been appointed to the House Appropriations Committee.

Fleischmann, re-elected to a second term on Nov. 6, is one of six new members appointed to the powerful committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. The appointments were approved by the House Republican Steering Committee on Thursday.

Fleischmann’s district includes Oak Ridge. In a press release, he said the committee does critical work to ensure that tax revenues from hardworking Americans are spent wisely.

[Read more…]