Here we are at another beautiful summer start in Tennessee with a very familiar problem. We live in the county and we have many visitors wanting to see the Great Smoky Mountains. Who can blame them? It's stunning! Of course, except for the familiar problem I mentioned. We all want to share the beauty but we need to know how to do this safely for all parties. Living in the county, most of us work elsewhere, needing to commute by car or truck. Our county roads are curvy and with limited views due to our hardworking farmers and tall agriculture. This is not the problem. The problem I'm speaking of are the bicycles. Some of them are courteous and stay to the side, however narrow the side is. Some are not. Some ride down the middle and will not narrow their trail to one lane so automobiles can safely pass them. This causes traffic tie-ups and accidents. When our agriculture growth is at it's peak, it is impossible to see what's around one of our curves. You are startled by an abrupt slowdown or met with a bicycle head-on. We have a wonderful bicycle trail in Townsend but it is not used by most bicyclists. Also another in town at the Greenbelt. It is also not used by most bicyclists. Most bicyclists and those holding races choose to use the curvy, narrow, limited-view county roads. Why? Who is liable in an accident? Do we have laws to protect the bicyclist and the automobile driver?

        

Afternoon! 

I am looking for a few trustworthy (free) authors to begin to generate articles here on CommissionerWalker.com.  I would like to begin with a few from the 8th Commission District which would include those in Hubbard, Oakview, Townsend and Walland.

The idea is that there are many subjects that may or may not be addressed at the County Commission level but still they have a following and interest throughout the whole 8th Commission District.  If you are interested in participating please contact me at Mike@commissionerwalker.com or as always you can post a comment here.  I would asked that you leave contact information so I can get in touch with you to find out a little more about you and the area of interest you have.

Thanks!

Mike

        

Evening!

We are quickly approaching the June work session and budget hearing for the 2008-2009 budget public hearing.  Request and rumors of request are running abroad.  These may or may not be presented or discussed over the next month but I find it interesting how they come about.

About a month ago there was some discussion related to raising the Hotel/Motel Tax by 1% and a portion of that tax being designated for the purpose of purchasing or securing development rights.  This idea quickly brought about many comments and recommendations for and against the idea.  Now it seems we, the commission, maybe asked to raise this same tax by 1% for the purpose of purchasing property which adjoins the Visitors Center.  This is/was a idea I believe is good, however there is a portion of that 1% that will go into the General County Fund, I would like to see this portion of the new 1% earmarked for the future purchase of Development Rights.

Also about a month ago, there was a comment related to a new pod for the Justice Center for the purpose of contracting with the US Marshals Service to house inmates.  I am sure that if this is presented that there will be a review of what the actual cost of housing a Federal inmate is and this information will be presented along with the amount the US Marshals Service is going to pay.  Along these lines, for a number of years we, the County, have complained about the amount the State of Tennessee is paying Counties for housing State prisoners.

I would purpose that if we are going to do billing of prisoners that we also track the cost of housing state prisoners and send the State of Tennessee a bill as well.  After all, isn't there a precedent being set by the Federal Government?  Shouldn't the State be held to the same level?  What is the cost to the taxpayers of Blount County to house State Prisoners?  If the County has more space, are we then required to take more state prisoners?

There are many other questions in both of these areas, however the bottom line is as times grow harder on County residents with expenses going up and the income levels remaining the same.  How do we become more conservative in spending?

With the responsibilities of County Government being Schools, Roads and Law Enforcement, are there extras that should be converted to a pay as you go basis?

As always, feel free to comment.

        

In a previous post there were 4 items that were placed on the work session for discussion and possible forwarding to the full commission meeting.

• Status on the Children's Home - The County Mayor reported that he felt that a resolution was near, it was stated that it had been 90 days since the commission had postponed action on this item.  I stated that a resolution should be accomplishable within 30 more days, otherwise the commission should take the necessary actions to clear this item from its plate.
• Status on road access to the Sheriff's Firing range and training area - Sheriff Berrong stated that a verbal agreement had been reached and written confirmation was being waited upon.  This resolution should remove nearly all traffic going to and from the Training facility.
• The Blount County Ethics Policy - The ethics policy will be amended to describe those actions which are reviewable under the newly passed ethics legislation which deals with acceptance of gifts and possible conflicts of interest.
• Budget - Impact on tax rate, employee insurance, and debt service - It was reported that there would be "NO" tax rate increase for the upcoming year.  There will be no change in employee insurance and the annual increase that is experienced will be cover for the 2008-2009 budget year by the savings that is realized through changing to the new program through Cariten.  It was also noted that "if no new bonds were to be issued, the current outstanding debt could be retired in 15 years at the current tax rate that is designated for debt service."  It was also stated that the next new school could be built without increasing the contribution to debt service but it would stretch the complete payoff of all debt out to 25-30 years.

Other items that were discussed at the work session was the possibility of disbanding the ethics committee since there is no requirement under state law, this could mean that these type of complaints would then be heard by the full commission.  The commission will also receive its first overview of the upcoming budget containing both expenses and income.

Feel free to drop a comment.

        

Blount County is approaching the time for the May work session of the full commission.  The new system now a couple of months and everything seems to be flowing fairly well.  There hasn't been too many complaints from either commissioners or constituents, so one would assume that everything is going well as far as the work sessions go.

In May there will be a request that the following items be addressed by the appropriate parties:
There will be others who have items as well, there always seem to be request for new items to be on the agenda especially as budget deadlines draw near. 

Feel free to drop a comment.

        

Good Evening!

I would like to thank everyone for the many emails that have been received of the least 6+ years during my serving on the County Commission.  I would also like to say that we are all aware of the economic state that our Nation, State and County are currently experiencing and this bring to mind the following.

I would like to hear from you!

What is the top 5 areas that are in need when it comes to budgets, money and taxes in our county?

What are the top 5 areas that should be decreased or ended?

Just list them 1-5 needs and 1-5 decreases.

Let's hear it!

mike@commissionerwalker.com

        

I have had an opportunity to find out some new information related to the area of Ethics, Ethics Policy and how they should be handled in Blount County.

Under the Ethics legislation in the State of Tennessee there are only 2 areas that can be addressed in a counties Ethics Policy and those are:

A complaint in one of these areas should be for an alleged action that has occurred in the past.  According to the County Technical Advisory Services legal ...

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Good Evening!

On the work session agenda next week is a item I have had placed there related to commission appointments, the ethics policy and requirements.

Since the commission now has in place a ethics policy which covers all boards and committees that the County commission appoints to, it brings to light a new question.  Should a disclosure be filed as a requirement before attending or taking part in a meeting of the committee or board?

Another way to look at it maybe, if someone fails or refuses a ethics disclosure, should it be grounds for removal or refusal to appoint this individual?

What do you think?

mike@commissionerwalker.com

        

I have received some comments related to the recent article in The Daily Times related to the resurfacing of the question of a Wheel Tax.  The reason for this post is there is some confusion as to how and where this idea arose from.  In the contacts I received it was asked "Why is the commission going against the wishes of the county by voting on the wheel tax?" The simple truth is the commission, at the current time, is not considering a wheel tax.  The reason I say at this time is because the budget committee, where the discussion took place in a budget work session, has not forwarded their reccommendations related to the budget and funding for 2008-2009.

I will go on the record now and state:

The only way I will vote on the matter of a wheel tax is to place it back on a ballot for the voters of Blount County.  I will further state that the only way I will do this is if the motion and question to be placed on the ballot includes that the tax will not be increase or the designated fund changed except by another referrendum.

I believe this is the only way those who pay the tax will believe that is will not increase or be spent in ways other than originally intended.

mike@commissionerwalker.com

        

Capitol Update:

"The House State & Local Government Committee recommended passage of SB3086/HB2750.  This bill would create a pilot program to allow a governing body, specifically Knox County only, to set up an electronic communication system for its members that could be monitored by the public.  Since the communications through the internet chat room style interface would be available for the public to read and review, the bill would make such communications exempt from the provisions of the sunshine law."

Would this be a good thing or a bad thing?  If it is a good thing, should Blount County seek to be included in the pilot program?

What do you think?

mike@commissionerwalker.com