Knox County Trustee Justin Biggs will have to take questions from other elected officials

Yahoo

12-05-2025

It seems like everyone in Knox County government is talking about the state watchdog's investigation into Knox County Trustee Justin Biggs. Except Justin Biggs. The county's banker has been quiet since Knox News asked him in mid-April about the investigation and he fired staffer Jason Dobbins.
It's not surprising someone in Biggs' position might be hesitant to talk to reporters. But Biggs, along with county finance director Chris Caldwell and Knox County Schools finance director Ron McPherson, are required to present a financial report every quarter at Knox County Finance Committee meetings.
The committee will meet May 12, and Biggs is likely to be questioned by commissioners about more than just his report as the county's banker. It's the first time he'll be in front of other elected officials since Knox News broke the story April 14.
Ethics are top of mind: The county officials who have the opportunity to question Biggs May 12 are the same ones who, two weeks ago, lamented about the delicate situation the county is in as state investigators make their way through government offices. "We're going to have to look at our policies and procedures with more scrutiny, and I'm starting that work," rules committee chair Kim Frazier said. "Our ethics policy needs a lot of work and we owe it to our constituents."
People are staying away from Biggs: Though they aren't speaking out, local Republican heavyweights were absent from Biggs' reelection campaign kickoff April 23. Campaign kickoff events are a chance for candidates to show off their roster of supporters. Current and former elected officials and big campaign donors make it a point to be seen supporting their party's candidates, especially incumbents.
Want to study up? You can find all of our reporting about Biggs and the investigation on our website. Use knoxnews.com as a jumping off point.
How to attend: The finance committee will meet at 1 p.m. May 12 in the main assembly room of the City-County Building, 400 Main St.
Knoxville cut ties with Turn Up Knox, the nonprofit it recruited in 2022 to connect those at-risk for gun violence with the resources they need to break the cycle, in February after a dispute between executive director Denzel Grant and city officials.
The sudden disruption left the future of violence intervention in Knoxville in flux. On April 29, Mayor Indya Kincannon's administration proposed a solution: pay the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform to create a team of local leaders who are already doing violence intervention to replace Turn Up Knox. National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform used to work with Turn Up Knox, but in an advisory role rather than a management role.
What city officials said: Knoxville's office of community safety and empowerment doesn't have the capacity to support Turn up Knox and its work. The $826,800 contract would take the pressure off that office and allow experts from National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform, based in California, to come in and fill the gap. The group will recruit community experts and will only be here for up to a year.
What community advocates said: On the other hand, council members Gwen McKenzie, Amelia Parker, Charles Thomas and Seema Singh (Singh's partner is on the board of Turn Up Knox) sided with local violence interruption groups that are already doing the work NICJR is being brought in to do. Turn Up Knox, Renounce Denounce and Safe Haven argue the city's move to bring in an outside group "reinvents the wheel" and will alienate those whose buy-in is needed for the effort to work.
What happened April 29: In a rare twist, city council members went against the mayor's proposal - kind of. They postponed their vote on the NICJR contract until May 13, after a meeting with stakeholders and community members takes place. That meeting was announced May 8 and will take place May 12.
Want to study up? You can find the contract at knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_council. Click the "agenda" option and find May 13. It's item 11.k.
How to attend:
The community meeting is 6-7 p.m. May 12 at Logan Temple AME Zion Church, 2744 Selma Ave.
The city council will vote on the contract during its 6 p.m. May 13 meeting in the main assembly room at the City-County Building, 400 Main St.
Both Knoxville and Knox County are moving through their budget approval processes for fiscal year 2026. Taxes will stay the same in the city and county based on the plans.
City budget brief: Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon's proposed budget includes higher pay for firefighters and breaking ground on long-awaited projects including cosmetic upgrades to the Burlington neighborhood. The proposed budget totals $477.3 million, an increase over last year's $461.6 million budget.
County budget brief: Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs' proposed budget includes plans for extra pay and equipment upgrades for the sheriff's office and fully funds Knox County Schools' asks. The proposed county budget is around $1.1 billion, roughly 3% higher than this year's budget, according to a press release from the county. Nearly two thirds of the spending is for KCS.
Looking forward: The city council and county commission must approve their respective executives' budgets by June 30.
You can weigh in: Both bodies will have public hearings, where you can sign up to speak about the budget:
Knoxville budget public hearing: 4 p.m. May 13 in the main assembly room of the City-County Building, 400 Main St.
Knox County budget public hearings: 3 p.m. May 12 and May 19 in the main assembly room of the City-County Building, 400 Main St.
Want to study up?
Knoxville's budget is at knoxvilletn.gov. Click the government tab and then the budget option.
Knox County's budget is at knoxcounty.org. Click the finance option under the government tab. The proposed budget is at the top of the page.
Here are some local news highlights from last week:
Joanna Hayes answers your Old City questions
Keenan Thomas breaks down UT System's $37 million loss
Tyler Whetstone breaks the news a prosecutor was fired over posts praising Nazis, advocating killing migrants
I broke the news that Gay Street Bridge repairs are under way
I broke the news that Knoxville's planned pedestrian bridge is at risk as Trump targets word choices in applications
Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: [e-mail] and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County Trustee Justin Biggs to appear before county commissioner