Knoxville News Sentinel has a story about the turn over for Knoxville Police and Fire Department is actually low. If you can afford or have the disposable cash flow to jump the pay-wall to read it, here ya go.
This story is about the effect of term limits. In 2008, Black Wednesday County Commissioner Phil Ballard was elected Property Assessor. Term limited Assessor John Whitehead having been elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2004 stepped out because of term limits. Black Wednesday Ballard bested Former Trustee Mike Lowe in the Republican Primary and won the General election of 2008.
Now, that Black Wednesday Ballard has 6 years of his 8 year term limited term completed, it was time to examine the turn over rate and the pay increases for the Ballard buddies.
Out of 96 employees that have received some form of compensation in the years of 2008-2014, 36 employees have left with three years or less than of service.
These employees are:
Karen Bacon
James Beck
Stuart Blackstock
William Bright
Rhonda Chadwick
Brittany Copeland
Gregory Cowan
John Cunningham
Zane Duncan
Neal Fitch
Heath Grubb
Michelle Hansford
Heather Harb
Arthur Harris
Carla Hatfield
Nathasha Hearn
Martha Key
Mark Kitts
Betty Lane
William Laugherty
Paula Leonard
Tyler Lockwood
Diana Marshall
Catherine Merrell
Janet Kay Mills
James Owens
Judy Parker
Jacqueline Raley
William Sarrett
Ralph Watson
Emily Wells
Jerry Wells
Larry White
John Whitehead
Elizabeth Woodson
Heather Young
There are 7 employees that have left with 5 years of service or less since 2008. They are:
Karissa Deal (4 years)
Joyce Edwards (5 years)
Regina Higgins (4 years)
Eric Julian (4 years)
Jamie Roland (5 years)
Paula Rudder (5 years)
Terry Stinett (4 years)
There are 19 employees that have been and were still on payroll when the list was generated a few weeks ago. They are:
Jodie Allen
Black Wednesday Ballard
Charles Brown
Vickie Carter
Kimberly Cotton
Cary Dalton
Mark Johnson
Robert Keeler
Robert Koho
Teresa Lawson
Traci Ann Long
Anita Vada Long
Gregory McPhetridge
Roger Ownby
Hubert Paul
Peggy Smith
Jordan Taylor
Michael Widner
Warren Wiser
The 14 employees are still listed as active with 4-6 years service.
Amanda Benedict (5 years)
Rebecca Burnette (6 years)
Charles Cobb (4 years)
Hannah Gard (4 years)
Rodney Lane (4 years)
Craig Leuthold (4 years 2010-2012 and 2014)
Arthur Lewis (5 years)
Mary Beth Read (4 years)
Douglas Russell (5 years)
Perry Sanders (5 years)
Daleta Sawyer (4 years)
Linda Turner (5 years)
James Weaver (6 years)
Chris Woodruff (6 years)
There are 13 employees listed within the last three years of service.
Tamyra Brown (only in 2014)
Kimberly Clark (3 years)
Nikki Davis (3 years)
Gary Jones (2 years)
Mark Kidd (2 years)
Sean Kitts (3 years)
Logan Lewis (3 years)
Gary Mahoney (3 years)
Jody Martin (2 years)
Barry Mathis (2 years)
Marsha Robinson (3 years)
Debbie Scribner (3 years)
Taylor Merritt (only in 2014)
Then the following are listed as Board of Equalization Members and compensated less than $4,000 in 2014.
John Anderton
John Donaldson
Joseph Gouffon
Archie Johnson
Barbara Ray
Jerome Salomone
Now to examine salary compensation. A couple of staff examples that have served the entire 6 years under Black Wednesday Ballard their pay appears to match the normal increases of other county employees.
Employee A in 2008 made $33,221.76 and in 2014 makes $36,280.40, an increase of $3,058.64 over 6 years.
Employee B in 2008 made $31,048.42 and in 2014 makes $33,065.50, an increase of $2,017.08 over 6 years.
Black Wednesday Ballard in 2008 made $122,941.78 and in 2014 makes $135,071.04, an increase of $12,129.26 over 6 years.
Other staff that salary increases have exceeded $5,000 over their years of service are:
Amanda Benedict increase of $18,732.22
Vickie Carter increase of $8,237.06
Cary Dalton increase of $10,307.70
Hannah Gard increase of $6,457.88
Robert Keeler increase of $10,032.62
Rodney Lane increase of $11,901.78
Craig Leuthold increase of $35,117.42
Arthur Lewis increase of $8,297.12
Douglas Russell increase of $8,063.90
Daleta Sawyer increase of $6,666.66
Linda Turner increase of $13,230.36
James Weaver increase of $19,819.80
Based on this comparison, does term limits serve the public’s best interest or does it only help to bring in a political base that enriches their buddies aka cronies?
