Knoxville makes the paper of record
Last January the state’s Supreme Court ruled that term limits approved by the county’s voters more than a dozen years ago — and essentially ignored — were valid. The court also clarified that the county has a charter form of government; this means that if its structure no longer suits you, dear people, you have the right to change it.
So empowered, the people began to wonder. Is it time this county of 400,000 adjust to being more suburban than rural? Does it need 19, count ’em, 19 county commissioners? Could various political fiefdoms — the county clerk, the property assessor, the register of deeds — be broken up by having those elected positions appointed by the county mayor instead?
This is good to:
At curtain’s close, the 12 appointments included the son of one outgoing commissioner, the wife of another outgoing commissioner, the father of a sitting commissioner, a top aide to the politically muscular sheriff, and a businessman who years earlier had come out on the wrong end of a sexual harassment suit. It seems a catfish could have been appointed if properly connected.
February 4th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Elect them all. The moreindividually elected officials there are, the less power each will have and the more they will be at odds with each other. I believe in government being damned near powerless.
February 4th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Even the New York Times wants us to have Metro Government. The fix is in.
It is funny to hear the cry of the “reformers” whose battle cry is “Let them vote”. But what they don’t say is that the vote is to appoint the fee offices. Which are currently elected offices.
Let them vote, to take away their vote.
Idiots.
February 4th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
You’re slacking, Uncle. You forgot the “
making up the” part of the headline.