Here ya go! Link... Just select Blount and read away.

I personally don't like this system as much as the one they used for last year's filings. It is easy to understand why the state made the changes. Last year we had to call them up and ask for clarification when the list of holdings was so long that the state's data entry people simply used the words "see attached" instead of spending hours typing investment lists.

The 2007 statements are still available here Link...

"Two of these things belong together, one of these things does not belong..."

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DT A previous opinion by Tennessee Attorney General Robert E. Cooper Jr. indicated that Lewis could face possible ouster because of holding shares in GreenBank, which provides financial services to the county.

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WBIR Tennessee's attorney general disagrees. In his opinion, he said Lewis made his connections clear from the beginning and does not own stock in the bank.

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DT Shareholder clause
While this would seem to allow Lewis to hold a seat on the Purchasing Commission, Cooper’s opinion didn’t stop there:

“Tenn. Code Ann. § 5-14-114 of the County Purchasing Law of 1957 prohibits a shareholder of a bank that conducts business with the county from serving as a county commissioner, or as a member of the county budget committee or the county purchasing commission,” he wrote. “While the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals has concluded that this statute is unconstitutional to the extent it imposes criminal penalties, we think it may still constitutionally serve as the basis for an ouster action under Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-47-101, et seq.”

Point goes to Joel Davis!

Linda Hageman, the newest AAUW member, is hosting a gathering to provide support for Wendy Pitts Reeves as she works through the current challenge she is facing as a Blount County Commissioner.

It will be held at Green Meadows Country Club in Alcoa at 6 pm on this Friday. Wendy and her husband will be in attendance and she appreciates our support. If you can attend, please e mail Linda at hagm04@aol.com. to enable her to order refreshments.

The country club is on Louisville Road, go past the WalMart and it is on the right about a mile after WalMart.

Dear Attorney General,

Once again you are going to be ask to issue an opinion relating to conflicts of interest under TCA 12-4-102 and 5-14-114 with regards to certain Blount County Commissioners.

The 12-4-102 stuff is simply a smoke screen since none of the commissioners in question ever voted on the contract for services.

5-14-114 however has an interesting twist that none of the local media have bothered to cover.

The vote to return Blount County to the Financial Acts of 1957 took place on August 17, 2006 and applied a July 1, 2007 effective date. This act was passed by the outgoing Commission. August 17th is exactly two weeks AFTER the Commissioners in question were first elected to serve on the County Commission and before they took office. They were elected on August 3, 2006

This vote to place Blount County under the Act of 1957 was done AFTER the outgoing Commission knew who the new mayor and the new commissioners would be. This was not done by those who would make up the Commission while under the Acts of 1957.

Sir, is there not some kind of equal protection clause in the Tennessee Constitution which prohibits such actions?

“Because I was a stockholder in the bank, I transferred ownership of that stock to my wife,” he said. “... I e-mailed all the commissioners to that effect on Oct. 15, letting them know. Hopefully that will settle any issues that are out there.”

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Does this answer anything?

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In previous opinions
dealing with TENN. CODE ANN. § 12-4-101, this office has opined that when spouses commingle assets,a person has an indirect interest in any contract directly affecting his or her spouse’s employment. Ops.
Tenn. Atty. Gen.88-122 (July 13, 1988); 84-030 (January 27, 1984).

Does McDonald's have stricter rules for playing their version of Monopoly than we have in Blount County government?

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PLAY. The In-Store Game is open only to residents ..... Persons in any of the following categories are NOT eligible to participate or win prizes in the Game: (a) any person who on..... was or is a McDonald's restaurant franchise owner or employee or a director, officer, employee, agent, or independent contractor of Sponsor, Toys"R"Us, Inc., Foot Locker Retail, Inc., American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., Glu Mobile, Inc., RealNetworks, Inc., Hasbro, Inc., or any of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliated companies or service agencies; .......persons who are immediate family members (defined as spouse, IRS dependent, or biological or step- mother, father, sister, brother, daughter or son) of, or who reside in the same household as, any person in any of the preceding categors. The transfer of Game materials by an ineligible person to an eligible person is strictly prohibited. For ease of reference, Toys"R"Us, Inc., Foot Locker Retail, Inc., American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., Glu Mobile, Inc., and RealNetworks, Inc., are collectively referred to in these Official Rules as the "Prize Suppliers".

Before we begin you need to assemble the required components.

The state required form SS- 8005
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The very important rules and guidelines to filing such forms Link...

The Blount County Ethics Policy / Code of Ethics found here Link...

Now, let's match these to what was disclosed at the June Blount County Commission Meeting.

Hey BlountToday, your bias is showing!

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What is it with the County and women? First we have an elected official who apparently does not like women regardless of race or religion. Now we have a County Mayor who circumvents the county's own ethics policy by running to CTAS for a legal opinion just because one women stands up, does her job and asks those hard questions.

Here is just one little old fact that the BT article misses and since it is obvious that at least one of the Commissioners who wants to see Reeves shut up leaked this I feel compelled to point this out. If they really, really think that having an agreement with the County's PPO that creates a situation where these health care providers MAY see county employees is a real conflict of interest then they are willing to sacrifice the Commission Chair as well.

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There is much more to this and I know it will be explored but for now, this just shows that BT is willing to be the mayor's lapdog.

Now we need to ask what the status is of Mr. Commissioner Bankman because he was the subject of the AG Opinion and nothing to date has been publicly discussed regarding his situation.

[Ed. Note: "Mr. Commissioner Bankman" referenced above is Commissioner Mike Lewis, who is an officer and is (was?) a shareholder of Green Bank, which the county does business with.]

Blogger noted update. I have now attached the actual letter Commissioner Reeves gave the Commission when she resigned from the HR/Insurance Committee.

The Opinion is IN.

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