I ain’t a lawyer, I have been a member of the Knox County Merit System Council back in 1999 and have been watching the numerous grievance hearings that are getting filed since September 1, 2018 during the term of Knox County Sheriff Spanky Spangler.
Commission work session 11/8/2021
Knox County Commission at tonight’s Work Session before next weeks Commission meeting heard from Knox County Law Director David Buuck and his asking that the following ordinances be repealing Knox County Charter Sections 42-51 through 42-66 and by adding a new Section 42-51 to adopt the provisions of Tenn. Code. Ann. § 8-8-401 et seq., known as the “County Sheriff’s Civil Service Law of 1974” in order to bring Knox County into compliance with state law. (Ord. No. O-90-9-111, adopted 9-10-90; Ord. No. O-91-8-114, adopted 11-25-91; Ord. No. O-94-10-101, adopted 12-1-94; Ord. No. O-95-4-101, adopted 4-24-95; Ord. No. O-19-1-101, adopted 2-25-19; Ord. No. O-20-7-102, adopted 9-28-20; Ord. No. O-21-7-105, adopted 8-23-21; and Ord. No. O-21-7-106, adopted 8-23-21
You can read the proposed Ordinance change for Monday’s meeting here.
All these Ordinances to repeal were adopted from 1990 through 2021. Buuck said the Ordinances are not legal, it is like the defacto government opinion that came from Jordan et. all -vs- Knox County in 2006-2007. Why did Buuck since being the Deputy Law Director for 8 years and the Law Director for the last year and a few months just discover this? He says it is because of a lawsuit in Chancery Court with the grievance of Martha Dooley and his belief in what the Chancellor may opine. It really shows that Buuck and the outside Attorney for the Sheriff Spanky Spangler are double teamed in this grievance.
Knox Sheriff Spanky Spangler’s outside legal counsel at tonight’s Commission Work Session
Buuck falsely (in my humble opinion) said tonight that the Merit Council has ruled that Dooley be given a drive home car and gas card, from my personal observations, all that the Merit Council has done have agreed to conduct a grievance hearing, they have not ruled in favor of Dooley or Sheriff Spanky Spangler.
Knox County Commissioner Kyle Ward asked this evening about who can Commissioners get legal advice from now that the Law Director has proposed this legislative act, in other words the Law Director is a biased entity having proposed this legislative action, the discussion then proceeded with getting outside independent legal counsel. Buuck said the information he has provided is accurate. Wait, so is Buuck saying that previous Law Directors Dale Workman, Richard Beeler, Mike Moyers, Bill Lockett, Joe Jarrett and Bud Armstrong gave information that was knowingly false?
Commissioner Randy Smith in tonights discussion mentioned that the Commission just got this information on Thursday 11/4/2021 only 4 days before tonights work session and are expected to vote in 7 more days.
I could see Buuck’s comments about the acts of Armstrong’s inaction over the 8 years he was law director being on a political mailer or television commercial opposing Armstrong’s 2022 judicial campaign.
I will continue to follow this and let you know what I know, when I know it.
