Knox County Mayor Ragsdale and Law Director Owings

UPDATE: SteveMule asked a question in the comments. Brian’s Blog contacted John Emison for a response. Here is Mr. Emison’s response. John Emison is President/Chairman of Citizens for Home Rule.

One reader asked the following question about this story: “What is the big deal for someone living in Old North Knoxville?”

The “big deal” is that everyone in Old North Knoxville was taxed by the City in order to subsidize a developer on Chapman Highway to the tune of $2 Million…….. Cash, BTW.

John A. Emison

There is a little Good News in today’s News-Sentinel. Read it here. The City of Knoxville annexation in South Knox County of the Lowes shopping center is being contested by Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and Law Director John Owings on behalf of the citizens of Knox County.

This attempted annexation is outside the Urban Growth boundary. The annexation was approved by a voter referendum of one vote on November 7, 2006.

The questions were raised by Citizens for Home Rule

1) Was/Is this whole procedure legal?

2) If the Knox County Election Commission followed the law/procedure to place this on the ballot. (One Election Commissioner acknowledges this was never brought to an Election Commission Meeting).

This issue was first reported by Brian’s Blog here.