What is Going On at the Knox County Clerk’s Office

You may have seen the News Sentinel and the Knoxville television stations reporting how the new Knox County Clerk has refunded business taxes that had been over collected. Brian’s Blog had been informed that the longtime Supervisor of the Clerk’s Business Tax office had been promoted by the new Knox County Clerk to be his Chief Deputy. So, we emailed a question to the Knox County Clerk’s Administrative Assistant and after a couple of days the Clerk emailed back a response that in fact the former Supervisor of business tax is his Chief Deputy. Now this lady has been the Supervisor of the business tax office under Clerk’s Padgett, Tindell and Stooksbury.

This lady stood behind Mr. Arnett when he announced his candidacy at Market Square Mall. She was a avid supporter of Mr. Arnett. Although, Mr. Arnett during campaign speeches said that no current employee of the Clerk’s office would be involved in his campaign. However, it appears that was the case with the exception of this lady and an inventory clerk at the Halls satellite office. The former inventory clerk at the Halls satellite station has been rumored to have been moved uptown to a new office and has the keys to the only vehicle assigned to the Clerk’s office.

Now back to the issue of the over collection of business taxes that resulted in a photo op for the new County Clerk.

One, was the over collection ever brought to the attention of the previous Clerk’s? If so I am certain that they too would have issued refunds. I know that George Stooksbury would have.

Two, is it possible that over the last year since Mr. Arnett began running for County Clerk that this was simply a plan to have a “little” good news after the bad news of terminating experienced public servants for the benefit of placing individuals connected to the new County Clerk for the benefit of political patronage?

We simply ask the questions. The answers may or may not surprise us or you.