Knox County Clerk Attempting a Gotcha, Is He Flash backing to His Old Knoxville Ashe Days?

Four days after this blog post appeared revealing that Knox County Clerk Foster Arnett had hired KPD outside their jurisdiction to provide security at a high cost of the taxpayers excess fees paid to the clerk, I received a letter from Travis Adderhold of the clerks office advising about a business license for my blog. This blog has been in operation since August 9, 2004, has promoted businesses since February 2013. The blog survived a libel slander suit filed in October 2013 and was granted Summary Judgement on September 11, 2015. If paying a $15 business license was required, you would think I would have been advised through hours of deposition research/discovery that I was not in compliance. The TN Statute regarding a business license is 14 pages long.

Within the last year, through an open records request, I asked for the business license of Floyd’s Auction on Amherst Road. The Clerk returned a print out that said no record (business license)exist. Floyd’s is a business where the property is owned by the County Mayor and leased to a woman. Floyd’s is a bricks and mortar business that sells second hand goods.

Four days after this blog post where security payments where reviewed through an open records request, a certified letter is sent as a second letter from Travis Adderhold about a business license. I called Mr. Adderholdt and informed him that I am in receipt of his two letters (one sent certified) at a cost to the tax payers and that I am reviewing the state law and have someone smarter than he or I to review it. I mentioned how timely his letters are to the blog posts, he did not respond. He says that they view it through “advertising sales.” I did congratulate Adderhold on placing PBA officers at the Halls office saving the taxpayers from  costly out of jurisdiction officers after I exposed it. He says well I think that was in the works before. No one is buying that political rhetoric!

Had the Clerk’s office collected the hotel/motel occupancy tax in the manner they pursue a business license from an Internet blog that reveals truth about the operation of the Clerk’s office through government open records they would not have had to play catch up last year.

As always, this blog will do what is right and appropriate. So, if a business license is required, when one will be received.

Of course, Mr. Adderhold is no stranger to politics, here is a newspaper article where he sought to be the Repulican nominee for Jefferson County Clerk two years ago. Obviously, the results were not favorable for him. Through the article we learn that he has worked in several Clerk’s offices. He worked in Jefferson County Clerk’s office for 15 years and a brief time in Monroe County’s office apparently before Knox County.

Travis Adderhold, Jefferson County Clerk Candidate photo that appeared in the Jefferson County Post.

The results of the Jefferson County Clerk’s Primary election from this Jefferson County Post article says, Three candidates were seeking the office of County Clerk for Jefferson County. Frank Herndon brought in 38.65% of the vote with 2946 ballots cast in his favor. Herndon was followed by Adderhold with 2800 and Estes with 1873. As there is no democrat on the General Election ticket for August, Herndon will assume the role of Jefferson County Clerk from a retiring Rick Farrar.