by David Madison
Welcome to the incumbent love-in. City Councilmen Jack Sharp, Ed Shouse, and Larry Cox appear to be breezing through the campaign season as carefree as Councilman Nick Pavlis, who is running unopposed.
Voter turn-out during the Sept. 28 primary was abysmally low—only 18 percent of those registered bothered to cast a ballot in the mayor's race—and the numbers could dip far lower in the Nov. 2 general election. Shouse challenger Don Ault and Sharp opponent Daniel Carter are vying for two at large seats that seem as secure as Victor Ashe's conqueror's claim on the mayor's office. The closest thing to a real race may be the Fifth District contest between Cox and dark horse candidate L.B. Steele.
A former police officer and councilman who served from 1982-85, Steele says he unknowingly began his current campaign by opposing the construction of a cell phone tower near his home in Inskip. At the time, Cox reportedly told Steele he couldn't do anything to stop the tower project. But that was before another project in Sequoyah Hills turned cell tower construction into a conveniently hot political topic.
For Steele, the issue became "the final touch" that pushed him into the race, where he continues to champion his top priority: law enforcement. The former KPD officer claims he helped boost salaries for officers, and tried to secure raises for all city employees.
The Police Benevolent Association and the Fraternal Order of Police have shown their thanks by endorsing Steele, whose son is currently a KPD patrol officer. L.B. Steele III also happens to be a defendant in a civil lawsuit filed by the family of Andre Stenson. Stenson, a convicted felon, was in the custody of Steele III and three other officers when he died in 1998 under suspicious circumstances.
Outcry over Stenson's death led to the creation of a Police Advisory and Review Committee (or PARC). Looking back, Steele brashly criticizes the City Council for "worrying about criminals and not the innocent people." He says that after Stenson's death, the council began "raising Kane over these felons that had passed away" and didn't stick up for the KPD.
In fact, Cox was among the majority of council members who refused to support Ashe's unilateral action that created PARC.
Cox seems eager to note the recognition he's received from the Fraternal Order of Police and the Knoxville Crime Prevention Unit. But unlike Steele, Cox has earned recognition for working on issues far beyond law enforcement.
Appealing to voters outside the Fifth District in his citywide race, Cox touts his support for greenway construction and developing Volunteer Landing. The plums he's picked for District Five include the First Creek Flood Control Project and improvements to Adair Park in Fountain City.
On votes not specifically linked with the Fifth District, Cox has generally gone along with the pro-Ashe council. "We're all basically on board," says Cox, uttering what could be the campaign slogan for the three, virtually unchallenged incumbents.
Councilwoman Carlene Malone wants to see more upstart candidates succeed, but she doesn't support Steele. She thinks Cox is "one of the hardest working" council members and remembers being unimpressed by Steele's previous term in office.
The West Hills Neighborhood Association is apparently so unimpressed by this year's crop of challengers, it didn't even bother to invite them to a meeting featuring all four incumbents. Gathered in a third grade classroom at West Hills Elementary School, Cox, Sharp, Shouse and Pavlis swatted soft ball questions about their support of "orderly development" and neighborhoods.
Steele has planted a few yard signs along neighborhood streets, providing some of the only clues that a race is on.
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