Interesting.

The key to this chess maneuver would seem to lie in the last paragraph:

Bennett, who is also assistant county mayor and county finance director, said if Gallegos chose to run and won the seat, the county commission would choose Gallegos’ replacement on the General Sessions bench. "That would be the procedure," Bennett said.

It's a two-fer!

All the more reason to step up the campaign for Meares.

This stuff never stops, folks!!

1. Bennett runs for mayor.

2. Lewis takes Bennett's place as County Finance Director/"Assistant County Mayor".(How DO you get a title like that, by the way, that you get to use in MSM articles and on county letterhead and never run for office? Did YOU vote him in as your Assistant County Mayor?)

3. The county commission is locked in, because a certain factor there does whatever daddy tells them to.

4. The judgeships are locked in and under total control, because a certain factor on the commission does whatever daddy tells them to.

5. The sheriff's locked in because he is swimming in dollars, has the power to offer favors (would you like a trailer hitch and window tinting with that?) and has who knows what dirt (real or manufactured) on everyone else. We won't mention the intimidation factor, of course. (Oh, I forgot. We're supposed to feel SAFER with Jimbo, right?)

6. South Blount Utility District's locked in, because the county mayor appoints that board and assists them without ANY input from the commission (not that that would matter much, considering #3 above.)Thus, they get into the sewer business and suddenly we can build anywhere we want! Yippee!

7.a.b.c. The Board of Zoning Appeals, Public Building Authority, and Planning Commissions are locked in, because daddy's already stocked them with enough of his children to ensure there are no potential hiccups there.

8. Those developers who do NOT always want what's best for business OR for Blount co. (there are many who do) have a sugardaddy in office who's every move since being elected, EVERY MOVE, has been about removing any HINT of a barrier to full-blast building on every patch of green space, flat space, or for that matter, steep space, left in Blount County.

Life is good! Can't you just see it now? The Party Boys kicking back on the back porch as the sun goes down, listening to the sweet sound of bulldozers in the distance, tossing down a cold one while ticking off the segments of our society that are under their control, and listening for the little bell on their computer that tells them that, yep, another dollar was just placed in their account.

Folks, I'm telling you, you'd better stay awake, wide awake, or the Blount Co. that you know will disappear --is already disappearing--right out from under your feet.

Any hint of justice, fairness, checks and balances, or integrity in your government will disappear- is disappearing- as well.

The Party Boys Rule.

You wondered what our impressive, commanding, I'm-a-marine-U.S. attorney-6th-generation-Cades-Cove-descendent county mayor's VISION was for Blount County? Well, now you see it. That's his "vision", pitiful as it is. Has been all along.

It's not about the People.

It's about the Party.

Period.

Is that what you want for Blount County?

This article, which I quoted in the title, explains a lot of the technicalities relative to the "Assistant Mayor" position (Link...).

Local, if you got any explanation out that mountain of Bovine Scatology (BS for you layman's), I give much credit. For me, I was left longing on the following:

said Ron Woody of County Technical Assistance Service.

As this article was written this time last year, I may be lost on what Ron Woody's position was in Blount County at the time. A casual glance of the article might lead the reader to believe Mr. Woody was some how affiliated with Blount. If he is not, then again, why do we need to look outside the county for an explanation of our government rules for those in our government? From a search the only thing I can find about Mr. Woody is that he is an government consultant. (link...)

"What we're talking about is Jerry saying, 'In case you can't get a hold of me, Dave Bennett can talk on my behalf,'" he said. "There's definitely nothing illegal about giving somebody a title."

There certainly is something illegal about extending your power to someone who does not have the legal right to execute it.

At the time it was explained that he could no longer serve as assistant county mayor because the finance director would be hired by the Financial Management Committee, not by the county mayor.

So what has changed since then?

But Woody said Friday that even though Bennett is hired by the Financial Management Committee, he still is an employee of Blount County government, not of the Financial Management Committee.

So who does he answer to?

Woody concluded that Bennett could serve as assistant county mayor although filling in for the county mayor in certain situations would present a conflict.

Not might, maybe, kinda, or sometimes - WOULD!

"He is so knowledgeable, so gifted and so dedicated, and he has had to endure a lot of cheap personal shots from people who are jealous of him," Cunningham said of Bennett. "I will defend his character, his reputation and his integrity with every breath I have. Jealousy and envy are the two most wasted emotions in the world.

Quoted from a man who still stands by his "Tommy". Large expendentitures, fake degrees, nepotism that leads to $50,000 judgments against the county - I must be jealous of Tom Hatcher too.

Bennett will not be paid extra for serving as assistant county mayor, Cunningham said.

Except for a car - or does that go along with one of the other titles.

Cunningham said Friday he has designated his three emergency interim successors, but he would not tell who they are "for security reasons."

Does anyone out there know if not disclosing those names is legal?

Not weighing in on the new topic of titles, etc. (don't know much about it), but just to clarify FA's question about CTAS, counties across the state rely on them to help interpret state laws and other technical matters. There's nothing unusual or sinister about that, and they are a good resource for better government.

From their website:

CTAS was created by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1973 at the urging of county officials and their organization, the Tennessee County Services Association (TCSA). County officials who wanted an agency to provide prompt, accurate technical assistance on a daily basis to Tennessee's 95 counties.

The authorizing legislation (T.C.A. § 49-9-402) which established CTAS as a part of The University of Tennessee's Institute for Public Service (IPS) directs CTAS to ..."provide studies and research in county government, publications, educational conferences and attendance thereto, and to furnish technical, consultative and field services to counties of the state in problems relating to fiscal administration, accounting, tax assessment and collection, law enforcement, and public works, and in any and all matters relating to county government".

Here's their website:

(link...)

There's another version for municipal governments called MTAS:

(link...)

Nothing against Mr. Woody. In fact if any place needs interpretation of what it can and can't do - it's Blount County.

My point of citing him was this; Woody concluded that Bennett could serve as assistant county mayor although filling in for the county mayor in certain situations would present a conflict.

I think it's sad Mr. Woody had to spend any time explaining that.