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politics: Voting Guide

Knox County Clerk: Arnett v. Padgett

Describe the condition of the Knox i don’t give across-the-board pay

county clerk’s ofice when you took over.
raises. We look at quarterly evaluations,
the office was lacking in leadership and then we let the managers tell us

and was run like a big business. for ex- who they think deserves a pay raise.

ample, when i took over in 2008 there i don’t play the game where i give
were 113 employees and the budget was raises to people who contributed to my

$905,000. our operating budget this re-election campaign and ignore those
year is $658,000 with 86 employees.
who don’t contribute. that’s not the

the office was terribly disjointed. way we do things.

there were ghost employees; several
employees on the list that just never why have you closed satellite ofices?

showed up for work. We indicted three We closed one of our offices that in
people on separate charges of stealing the five Points area because it was do-
Foster D. Arnett, Jr.
or selling illegal titles. We’ve just tight- ing less than 1 percent of our business.
ened all that up.
People just weren’t using it.

Foster D. Arnett, Jr., a Knox County We were at the knoxville Center

native, is seeking re-election as
it’s alleged you have a high turnover rate.
paying outrageous prices to be at the
Knox County Clerk. Before he was We’ve replaced about 80 employees in mall. We went in to an old Markman’s

elected in 2008, Arnett served as six years, some for job performance, some store that we refurbished, and put in
public information oficer for the retired. i intend to run this office with another drive-through; we have three

Knoxville Police Department for 15 honesty, openness and candor; if you now. it’s just improved the service and

years and has spent many years in the can do the job, great; if you can’t–then the speed exponentially.
communication industry.
maybe it’s time to find something else.
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why does it matter to the average to have reinstituted. the working man

Knoxvillian who is clerk of court?
has to work. there’s no other place that
When you go down there you’re sells drivers’ licenses or decals for cars.

already disgruntled about having to pay
the cost of that decal, then you add a what was your ofice like when you took

two-hour wait and that’s very seri-
over? when you left?

ous disgruntlement to the people who When i took over in 1996, i had one
have to do that. it’s not fair, it shouldn’t location downtown, at the City-County

happen, and it won’t happen after this building. that meant everyone in knox
election.
County had to find parking down there

and the lines were back to the court-

why do you want to return to this ofice?
house. so we opened sub-stations.
the citizens of this county are When i left, we had six locations:
Mike Padgett
having to wait in line for that little the one downtown and five satellites,
$60-plus sticker for 45 minutes to two and the wait time had been reduced to

hours. that’s not acceptable. the citi- 10 minutes.
Knoxville native Mike Padgett served

zens of this county can’t go and do the six terms as Knox County Clerk from
things that were accomplished during you have cited a high turnover rate for 1996 until 2007, when he was term-

my tenure.
the staff under the incumbent?
limited out of ofice. He previously
i’m going back into politics to serve it’s my understanding he has a 30- served two years on the Knox County

knox County with the things they need
plus percent annual turnover. My turn-
School Board.

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cityviewmag.com july august 2014