Well in 24 hours we should know what the Knox County Commission is going to do with the ying and yang between Mayor Tim Burchett’s county budget and the Knox County School Board’s wish list.
A couple of weeks ago State Senator Stacey Campfield and State Representative Steve Hall attended the Center City Republican Club meeting.
Senator Campfield explained how back in the winter as the legislature were beginning their session. Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre and members of the Knox County School Board came to Nashville and visited with the Knox County Legislative Delegation.
The legislators were given a list of priorities. The number one item on the list was keeping the Superintendent’s job as an appointed position among the nine member school board and not elected by the general public.
Senator Campfield explained that he suggested to the Superintendent and board members that if they would contact him that he would work with them to get lottery excess proceeds for Capital expenditures (that is what $28 million of the $35 million request this year is proposed to go) The legislature continued to meet and concluded their business and no one ever contacted Senator Campfield.
Opportunity lost.
Did you know that we currently send $40 million dollars of our property tax dollars from Knox County to the State of Tennessee to fund all the other districts in the State. If we could keep $35 million of that $40 million the County Commission would not have the School Board asking for more than the Mayor proposed.
Ah, the appointed, if not annointed, public official's main concern?
Job security.
And the legislative body's, which clearly made a mistake by hiring him, main concern?
The protection of their power. The continuation of an oligarchy.
How unAmerican. No taxation without representation.
And McIntyre represents no one I know.