Oak Ridge Today

AC Charter Commission recommends no changes to county government, no charter

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Information from WYSH Radio

With little fanfare, the Anderson County Charter Commission has completed its work and will meet just one more time, this Thursday, February 15, to conclude its business.

Eight people were elected in November 2016 to serve on the commission, which examined the structure of county government.

The issue was placed on the ballot after a group obtained enough signatures to call for the election of a charter commission. The race ended up coming down to two groups, one in support of things like term limits and making the county law director an elected position, and the other in support of a more measured approach to the process.

Meeting last week, the Charter Commission voted unanimously to recommend no changes to the current form of government and that no charter be drafted. [Read more…]

Letter: Scott has best qualifications, will look at county government with open mind

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To the Editor:

I wish to say why I am supporting Theresa Scott for charter commissioner.

Theresa has served her community and the City of Oak Ridge as a Neighborhood Watch captain and Oak Ridge Beer Board member for many years. When the Cedar Hill Park renovation committee was formed, Theresa was there. When the work was to be done to rebuild the park, she was there. When new ideas were needed on the Anderson County Fire Commission, she stepped up. As a new District 7 county commissioner, she has been from one end of this county to the other helping our residents with their issues.

Ask anyone from Briceville to Claxton, from Norwood to Rocky Top, from Oak Ridge to New River, they will tell you how Theresa has contributed to making our communities better. She never stops in doing good, she is everywhere! [Read more…]

Letter: Iwanski endorses Smallridge for Charter Commission in District 8

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To the Editor:

Choose your charter commissioner wisely.

As noted in a recent Knoxville News Sentinel editorial “Voters must take care with charter commission picks” in the upcoming Anderson County election. They note further that a home rule charter has “options for improving county government, but also ample opportunity to make government worse.”

A charter abolishes and replaces the constitutional form of government. The charter form of county government is an option that completely restructures county government in a way that could affect almost every elected office and the citizens they serve.

It is important that we elect members to the charter commission that will take on this important task with an open mind and willingness to study the options carefully in a way that looks out for the long term interests of Anderson County. It is important that those selected have a proven history of successful experience in county and city government. [Read more…]

Charter Commission a ‘big deal’ for Anderson County, attorney says

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Joe Jarret

Joe Jarret (Submitted photo)

 

The Charter Commission being elected on November 8 is a “big deal” for Anderson County, an attorney said this month.

“If you live here, you’re going to be affected by it,” said Joe Jarret. He is an attorney who has served two different charter county governments as law director-chief legal counsel, a University of Tennessee lecturer, and former chief legal counsel to the Knox County Charter Review Commission.

Jarret said there are three types of county government in Tennessee: [Read more…]

Seventeen pick up petitions for seats on Charter Commission

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Information from WYSH Radio

As of Thursday morning, 17 people had picked up qualifying petitions to run for seats on an Anderson County Charter Commission in November.

The Charter Commission will be comprised of one person from each of the eight Anderson County Commission districts, and it will be responsible for studying possible changes to the county government. Their recommendations would then be placed in front of county voters to decide in a countywide referendum that would most likely appear on a ballot in 2018. Once elected and sworn in, the Commission would have nine months to complete its work.

Some of the possible changes that could be made include slicing the number of county commissioners from 16 to nine members, establishing term limits for commissioners and the county mayor, and making the county law director position an elected office. [Read more…]

Letter: City willing to address questions, wishes county could say the same

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To the Editor:

I can’t help but comment on the difference between our county government and the government of the City of Oak Ridge.

In Oak Ridge, questions have been asked about the city government, and most of the City Council said they had a duty to look into the issues and either address real problems or clear the names of the those being accused of wrongdoing.

Now look at our county government. I have been to too many committee meetings and full commission meetings to even count. We have meeting after meeting where the benches in the room are filled with concerned citizens. Many of us believe there is ongoing wrongdoing and abuse of our tax money in the office of the law director.

I and almost two dozen citizens put our names to paper to officially raise these issues, and there are many more who have given us support or who feel the same way. But no one on county commission seems to care. [Read more…]

AC Commission replaces Phillips with Bates

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Zach Bates

Zach Bates

WYSH Radio/Oak Ridge Today

The Anderson County Commission has voted to replace Chris Phillips in Commission District 4 with the man whose vacated seat he won in August.

Phillips resigned his Commission seat—won in the August 7 election—so that he could return to work as the county’s budget and accounts director after leaving that post earlier this year to become city recorder in his native Rocky Top. Phillips left the county government to help the town update its accounting practices as it makes the transition from Lake City to Rocky Top and prepares for what is expected to be a busy time for the city. [Read more…]

Biloski seeks re-election to County Commission

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Robin Biloski

Robin Biloski

Anderson County Commissioner Robin Biloski is seeking re-election to Anderson County Commission in the Aug. 7 election. Biloski represents District 8 in Oak Ridge, which includes the voting precincts of Emory Valley, Hendrix Creek, and Woodland.

During her tenure, Biloski has helped secure and complete energy initiatives for the county that are sustainable and save taxpayer money, a press release said. It said she secured donated funding to repave the county’s offices in Oak Ridge by working with the County Clerk and Trustee to open a drive-through operation and actively supported the expanded and updated Dental Clinic in Oak Ridge, which are all within District 8.

“I feel very positive about my contributions to Anderson County these past eight years, and seeing the expansion at Roane State and the beginnings of the new facility for Emory Valley Center shows the continued growth within District 8,” Biloski said. “Acting as a resource for city/county inquiries is what I most love doing as an elected official. I have always considered myself a professional, independent, and educated voice in my service to all county residents. I humbly and respectfully ask those in District 8 for their vote in the upcoming election.”

Paul Spray is again Biloski’s treasurer for her campaign, the press release said. [Read more…]

Reporter taken off government beat after mayor files missing keys report

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Anderson County Courthouse

The Anderson County Courthouse on Main Street in Clinton is pictured above.

A reporter at the Clinton Courier News will be taken off the county government beat for now as authorities investigate a missing keys report filed Monday by Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, the newspaper’s publisher said Tuesday.

Frank filed the missing keys report after the Monday night meeting of the Anderson County Commission in Clinton. She told Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Cpl. Bradley A. Prewitt that she had stored her keys under a desk and noticed them missing sometime after 10:30 p.m. Monday. She said she had left her seat during the meeting to address the commission and for a break, and Courier News reporter Chris Silcox had sat in or near her seat at some point during the meeting, Prewitt wrote in an incident report.

After the meeting, Frank said Silcox contacted her and explained, via text message, that he had unintentionally grabbed her keys, mistaking them for his wife’s. Silcox made arrangements to return the keys to Richard Burroughs, Frank’s chief of staff, Prewitt said, but only the auto key fob and business key were returned.

“Ms. Frank advised that her home and office keys were still missing,” Prewitt said. [Read more…]

Anderson County mayor to give update on first year in office

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank will discuss her first year in office during Lunch with the League on Tuesday.

The lunch starts at noon Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church.

Frank was elected in August 2012 to serve a two-year term as Anderson County Mayor, completing the unexpired term of former mayor Rex Lynch, who resigned in January 2011 after being indicted for sales tax fraud. She was sworn into office on Sept. 1, 2012. [Read more…]