Since Monday’s 12 interviews for Knox County Trustee by the Knox County Commission silence has fallen. There is some thought that Former County Commissioner and Trustee Supervisor Craig Leuthold and Current Commissioner Ed Shouse are the leading candidates. Both have indicated a desire to run for the position in 2014. Although Leuthold was non committal in his answer to Commission on Monday. If they appoint Leuthold, you can take it to the bank that he will run in 2014.
Should Leuthold be selected the County Commission will select a Former Trustee Supervisor under previous Trustee Mike Lowe. Leuthold was a participant in Black Wednesday 2007 when he and his colleagues violated the States Open Meeting Laws and appointed his own father to a seat in the same district that Craig served.
Leuthold’s father former Commissioner Frank Leuthold is the campaign treasurer for current County Commissioner Richard Briggs in his bid to unseat State Senator Stacey Campfield. This poses a conflict for Briggs who must cast a vote for the Interim Trustee.
Now Ed Shouse. Shouse would be an excellent Trustee. My preference is that he run for the office in 2014 and be elected by the voters. Should County Commission appoint Shouse it creates a vacancy on the County Commission. The Knox County Commission would then have to go through the appointment process for an at large County Commissioner to serve until 2014.
There are rumors that movements are under way by at least one Commissioner to appoint a close associate to the position that Shouse currently occupies.
Either Former Trustee Fred Sisk or Bill Curtis the Former Chief of Staff to Trustee John Duncan would be excellent care taker. Their assurances that he would NOT be a candidate in 2014 ensures that politics would not be in play during the interim period.
Come on Commission, do the right thing. Is it in you?
All Briggs has to do is disclose the relationship. He can still vote for Leuthold. If Briggs didn’t have confidence in Leuthold’s integrity and financial acumen why would he have Frank Leuthold as his treasurer?
Mark, you really want to use the argument that because daddy is good, the son is good? After all, why is Knox County Commission having to select an Interim Trustee. daddy and son. uh, yeah. Bad example on your part. With friends and supporters like you supporting Briggs, Campfield is assured of another term.