Hubert Smith was a guest on the Hallerin Hill show and the topic of my blog and specfically the blog post concerning County Commissioner and former Juvenile Court Clerk Supervisor Sharon Cawood became part of the story.
It is true that within 24 hours of the blog post, Sharon Cawood was removed as the Supervisor of the Juvenile Court Clerk’s operation and transferred to the General Sessions Court Clerk operation. This move puts her within the direct supervision of Cathy Quist. It also places her in the same building with her husband, former Commissioner Mark Cawood. Mark is currently employed as a bailiff. Nepotism is alive and well.
Within 48 hours of her move to General Sessions Court Clerk operation. Hubert Smith was notified that his position had been eliminated by the County. The County Commission in voting on the Clerk’s budget eliminated Hubert’s position is what his lay-off notice states.
It took Quist’s office about 4 weeks to figure out that Hubert’s position wasn’t funded. The budget year starts on July 1 and Hubert was notified on July 20. So, now the Clerk’s office is off budget 4 weeks. So much for competent, professional, effective service.
Nearly everyone believes and rightly so that Hubert was laid off because Ms. Quist believes that he was my source or the source for the Cawood post.
Let me state this as clear and concise as I can. Hubert Smith was NOT the source or a source for the blog post.
I find it interesting that if Ms. Quist had reason to believe that Hubert was the source or a source. Why did she NOT contact me? I would have informed her that he was NOT the source or a source.
When Quist was considering whether to run for General Sessions Court Judge and she had became aware of something I said in a conversation, not posted on the blog but said in a conversation with one other person. She quickly called me. Why not the same this time?
If you read a comment from an anonymous poster to the original post and if you read the line in last week’s Shopper. It is obvious that Hubert was laid off because of the post and if that is the case they laid him off without cause. In addition, it means they have falsified his lay-off because the reason stated is that the County eliminated the funds for his position.
Both Commission Chair Scott Moore and Commission Vice Chair Tank Strickland said at the Commission meeting that they did NOT eliminate the funds for his position. Granted this lay-off could be a clerical error and if so Hubert deserves a public apology and re-instatement to his position.
There are many different people that have contacted me Republicans, Democrats, Elected Officials, Everyday Citizens, Members of the Media in Knox County, Employees of the Circuit Court Clerk’s operation. They all support Hubert.
