Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

Comment
on this story

Start Your Engines...

Former Public Building Authority chief Mike Edwards is close to tossing his hat in the ring for a Knoxville mayoral run in 2003. "I think I'm going to do it. I'm as close as somebody can be 2 1/2 years out," he says. "Coming from a life of executing public policy at the PBA, I can't help but have an interest in setting policy."

That puts him farther down the path toward running than any of the prospective candidates whose names get most mentioned. Those include former state Sen. Bud Gilbert, Chamber Partnership head Tom Ingram, former city law director Tom Varlan, lawyer Greg Isaacs and former County Commissioner Madeline Rogero. The name of Bill Haslam, son of James Haslam II, is also being floated in some circles.

Total Recall?

Despite some politicos' hopeful predictions that the frustration over City Council's filling of the late Danny Mayfield's seat (see [email protected]. In the meantime, don't be surprised to see some activity at the mayor's budget luncheon today.

Referendum-Da-Dum-Dum

Speaking of recalls, it's a lot harder to get up a referendum vote in the city of Knoxville than it used to be. In 1995, it only took 4,600 signatures—30 percent of those who voted in the last mayoral election—to trigger the 1996 term limits referendum. This year, billboard ban organizers, using that precedent, figured they could meet City Charter requirements with 5,500 signatures. But they had a rude awakening when they learned that a 1997 change in state law had raised the bar to require signatures from 15 percent of all registered voters. This meant they had to get some 15,600 signatures. The same requirements hold true for a recall vote.

If you are wondering how that change came about, you're not alone. Perhaps there's a clue in the minutes from the October 11, 1994 City Council meeting, when Carlene Malone's Council colleagues failed to second her motion to approve a term limits resolution requested by 4,600 voters, as per the Charter (this meant the issue of whether to have a referendum would be decided by special election). Malone argued that referendum is "the most basic right individuals have... If we get to the point of being more restrictive in the people speaking, then I fear for the future of this city..."

Mayor Victor Ashe evidently disagreed, saying:

"This is a section of the charter that at some point people may want to revisit, in the sense that 30 percent of those who voted in the most recent mayor's race...can...force a special election....And it may be an issue that needs to be revisited, particularly if this happens repeatedly. Because you frankly could have a special election every other month over something 4,600 people are willing to petition for..."

So, was Ashe one of those "people" who wanted to "revisit" the issue, leading to the legislative changes of 1997? Deputy to the mayor Frank Cagle pleads ignorance: "That was before my time." Stay tuned...