Back on 1/10/2016 Jim Weaver, Chief Deputy to lame duck Property Assessor Phil Ballard contacted me that he would attend the Center City Conservatives Republican Club on 1/28//2016. The email is photographed below,
Email from Jim Weaver confirming he would attend the CCCRC on 1-28-2016
Last night as the meeting started, after the candidates for Law Director spoke. When I mentioned that Weaver wasn’t there and I hadn’t heard from him, his wife Rochelle said that she would speak for him.
Andrew Graybeal went first, a Realtor by trade, he spoke to several over assessments and to the current state of the office. Graybeal briefly mentioned about the continued talk since the WBIR Inside TN airing last Sunday about the office facing an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigative Unit.
Andrew Graybeal, Candidate for Knox Co Property Assessor speaking to the Center City Conaervatives Republican Club 1-28-2016
Rochelle Weaver said that she and her husband Jim Weaver the Chief Deputy to lame duck Property Assessor Phil Ballard had multiple events this evening, she spoke about her husbands long career with the state before retiring and going to work for Ballard.
Rochelle Weaver wife of Jim Weaver, Chief Deputy to Phil Ballard speaking to the Centwr City Club on 1-28-2016.
Longtime Center City Conservatives Republican Club member John R. Whitehead spoke about his career in the office and the past 7 or so years representing citizens that appealed their appraisals and assessments, he discussed the overall state of the office and how he will use his experience to correct the office.
John R Whitehead speaking to the Center City Conservatives Republican Club
The room was packed with many citizens that came to hear from the candidates. I had the opportunity to meet several former Property Assessor employees. One in particular, Betty Lane. Lane has been written about here on BrianHornback.Com over the years and I found her to be a very pleasant individual. Clearly, in my humble opinion that while in the employ of the Knox Co Property Assessors Office Ms. Lane was simply following the orders of Ballard and Weaver.
Several questions were asked, one about if there could ever be a senior citizen, disabled veteran assessment freeze like currently exist with the tax freeze in the Trustee’s Office. That would have to go through the legislature. A question was asked about under assessments, the candidates knew of few, but how broad and rampant, is not real clear.
Whitehead had mentioned that the current Chair of the assessment appeals board (Board of Equalization) is also the Treasurer of Weaver’a campaign. Both Graybeal and Whitehead indicate that when citizens appeal to the equalization board, the deck appears to to be stacked against the citizens. Ms. Lane asked based on what was said on WBIR by Weaver about how the Board of Equalization was appointed by the Mayor’s, doesnt the Property Assessor submit recommendations to the Mayor’s of individuals to serve? Mr. Whitehead confirmed that does occur.
