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Contact Martin at 755-5681 or
[email protected]   

Candidate’s Statement:

I am seeking the County Commission seat for South Knox County. I pledge to you that I will serve humbly, be positive, treat people with respect, stay involved, study the issues, be prepared at meetings, follow the golden rule, keep my word, and always do my best.

In South Knox County, I believe that we must focus on these issues.

1. Public Trust. Government should be open and fair. We should respect the will of the people and enforce term limits. I am pledging to comply with the term limits voted by the people of Knox County regardless of the court ruling.

2. Cleaning up hazardous waste. South Knoxville has too many hazardous waste problems. There are several sites that are currently being cleaned up; however, many haven’t been addressed. I will act to ensure that the clean-up is done in a timely and safe fashion and will be in the best interest of those citizens affected. We must ensure full clean-up.

3. Smarter development. I will do everything in my power to support local businesses. The local business web is the backbone of the community. If one business does well, then its success will benefit other local businesses in the area. But if one business closes, then it adversely affects all in the community. Local businesses bear the brunt of taxes when a new industry is enticed to Knoxville with numerous tax breaks. Through fair tax incentives and improved infrastructure, I will encourage an even playing field for all entrepreneurs. South Knox County is naturally beautiful. I will support all efforts to preserve its open space through a community input process that gives the decision to the landowners and not the politicians. There are communities who have implented a development plan based on excellent design which gives the landowners transferable development rights. This is a great link to a community that is implementing sustainable development in Fulton County. I visited Serenbe recently. They are doing cluster/hamlet style development while preserving open space. http://www.serenbecommunity.com This is the overall land use plan for the area that Serenbe is a part of which puts control of zoning by the land owners. http://www.chatthillcountry.org/

4. Meeting the concerns of all Knox County citizens. Citizens who live south of the river are valuable members of Knoxville’s greater community. I pledge to honor all South Knox residents by working with them and listening to them. I will not draw a boundary at the city limits. A vibrant South Knoxville will benefit all of Knox County, and a vibrant county will benefit South Knoxville.

5. Transportation. With gas prices skyrocketing and our air quality among the worst in the nation, I believe that we need to implement alternative forms of transportation that are safe and efficient. We need to join our disconnected sidewalks, add more greenways and bike trails, define public access areas for canoeing, off-road vehicles, and horseback riding. We need to provide benches and shelters for our public and school bus stops. Chapman Highway, Governor John Sevier Highway, and Alcoa Highway need major safety improvements. We should speak with a unified voice to the state to insure our highways are improved.

6. Preserving the unique character of South Knoxville. One of the best ways to preserve South Knoxville’s character is to allow the people of South Knoxville to determine their community’s future.