Knoxville City Council primary election voter's guide: Get to know the 2025 candidates

Yahoo

6 days ago

The Knoxville City Council primary election is Aug. 26, and the top two candidates in each district will advance to the general election on Nov. 4.
Early voting is open Aug. 6-21.
Here's what the candidates told us about their plans, their outlooks and what changes they'd like to see in Knoxville.
Karyn Adams, District 1
Age: 53
Profession: Principal and creative director for H·A ThirtyOne
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? I bring progressive, innovative ideas with a pragmatism that works to get them across the finish line. That means building consensus, developing positive working relationships with both sides of whatever the fence might be.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? I must represent, and will be proud to represent, District 1. I'm going to be a better councilperson the more I understand about each district. I have to be "in it" for the whole city and to help my colleagues understand what's important District in 1.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? Vision Zero reported there's been a reduction in fatalities. That's public safety. (Running and cycling) aren't just fun things to do; they're ways to get about our city. The safer those can be, the greater reduction we have in people needing to drive cars. In terms of (policing) ... I think there's friction in our communities. The way to make that better is to have more opportunities for positive engagement when it's not a crisis.
Housing? We've talked about building out corridors. I want to see that happen. From a housing perspective, and the different types of housing it would enable, that's what we've got to do.
Business development? We've got all these systems that encourage residential development, certain types of housing ... we don't have that for commercial. Communities that desperately need and want specific types of commercial (development), we don't have the incentives to do that.
Infrastructure? Sidewalks, roads and paving, things that seem like "why can't we do this better?" We have a proposal out by the mayor. I appreciate there are efforts to secure more dollars to make infrastructure changes in a faster, more impactful way.
Lindsey Jaremko, District 1
Age: 40
Profession: Compliance monitor for the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? I think of representation as less about personality than people who live in the district. It's public service. I would meet with people regularly instead of community sessions to pitch whatever the mayor wants. I haven't seen the transparency I would like to see.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? If there's a decision impactful on another district (and not) my district, I would consider how the community feels. I'm bringing my experience, perspective and education to this role; it's a matter of communicating it.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? We don't have a great social safety net. I worry it's going to get worse and KPD's budget will get larger. If city council had line-item budgeting, they could pull some money and put it toward social services.
Housing? Having an amount of (workforce) units in a market-rate complex and using tax breaks while increasing infrastructure needs creates distrust. We can look at what other cities do instead of "all housing, everywhere, all the time." A community land trust would be awesome.
Business development? I would love to see Vestal developed for small businesses. We need to protect small businesses. I worry about the sales tax and what that might do as far as businesses closing.
Infrastructure? I'd like to see sidewalks that connect communities. I know what it's like to be a renter and as you see improvements, you're worried it might push you out. There needs to be protections for people there, while moving working people to bus stops and getting from one part of the district to another. You're going to have to find out what you're willing to pay less for in other areas.
Becky Jones, District 1
Age: 45
Profession: Insurance agent
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? The meeting is derived from the mayor. She kind of controls that. If you're gonna be on city council, you're placed there by the voters and they want their voices heard. If they're not talking directly to the mayor, it's kind of hard to make that decision for the voters if it's just (the mayor) all the time.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? I'm very thankful we were able to get the (new election system) done. It's going to be a good thing, but you can also speak up for other candidates. It goes back to the relationships with city council ... you need to have those conversations. I see a lot of division.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? I'm a huge advocate for law enforcement. We need to make sure that our law enforcement and fire department has exactly what they need. We need to make sure we are able to recruit firefighters. Do we have enough men and women? Are their contracts good? What's the morale like?
Housing? I have yet to see a single apartment, house, condo, whatever it is, that's been affordable. City council is not going to be able to do anything. We do not have control over the people that are building.
Business development? One of the things the voters were asking for are more (shopping) options. Going out and making sure that we're having conversations with builders and revitalizing South Knoxville. Nothing happens if people don't speak up.
Infrastructure? The biggest thing is going to be the Gay Street Bridge. The voters and the people I have talked to think it is the most ridiculous thing to not have that bridge open.
Charles Van Morgan, District 1
Age: 60
Profession: former Tennessee Highway Patrol officer and owner of A Safe Taxi
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? I know how to look over things and detect when they're not being truthful and I'll point it out. Being on city council gives me a forum to speak out about issues.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? I think we all have the same goals. The system should rest on the best-qualified and hardest workers. We have a system now where the best don't always move forward. I would try to encourage people to do the best they can.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? They need law enforcement that's allowed to do their jobs. I can lower the crime rate in Knoxville. One of the things they need to do is investigate people in suits and ties who commit criminal acts that endanger the public far more than any straight criminal.
Housing? A lot of people want homes and will work and we can spend more money on housing subsidies and give tax breaks to builders. The way to solve the homeless problem is "build, build build." We need to build single-family homes.
Business development? We can help by leveling the playing field with businesses, making it an environment that honors work and that has more jobs by tax breaks, and anything we can do to help local businesses in cutting red tape. Tax breaks (come from getting) rid of frivolous spending. We can lower taxes and get more revenue.
Infrastructure? There's a lot of building going on, but the roads, sewage and power grid is not there to back up the building. If I'm on the city council, I'll look over the budget and introduce amendments to put money in the infrastructure.
Nathan Honeycutt, District 2
Age: 46
Profession: Architect
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? I have always been about consensus-building. Even in a mayor-strong system, we need consensus not just among the city council members but with the public. The process is gathering those opinions, weighing pros and cons, and creating a plan everyone can get behind. Part of that is going to neighborhood meetings, holding town halls and gathering input.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? (It) gives us an opportunity to focus on our districts in a way that's unique. We have to weigh everything against our particular district, but generally speaking, if it's good for the city, it's good for our district.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? I support a fully staffed, well-funded police department. I'm a big proponent of mental health and was glad to see the co-responder program. I think we need to expand and grow that program.
Housing? There can be design guidelines that aren't restrictive but set a standard. Community input alleviates people's concerns. There's also some things we can do to streamline permitting. We can develop a library of pre-approved plans for single, multifamily and mixed housing types.
Business development? There's different incentives related that we can leverage to make sure that everyone benefits (from business development) long-term. I know what it means to run a business in East Tennessee and what benefits people.
Infrastructure? There's a lot of infrastructure that will need attention. The stormwater system alone is a huge driver for current and future development. A lot of times, the city puts upgrading of current utilities onto development costs, inhibiting development. The more the city can fund the utility infrastructure and take those costs off smaller developments, it'll help the city long-term.
Melody Watts, District 2
Age: 34
Profession: Event strategist
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? I would say we need to go back to what is lawfully supposed to be happening on city council. It's not just one person, but the council working together.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? Make sure that you're hearing your district members. I am representing District 2, but I have to be able to work with other council members who hopefully are also listening to their district members. As a representative, you're supposed to have communication with everybody. You're also supposed to be open with community members, council members. Not just figure out your own agenda and make that happen.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? I've noticed the increase in what people would put (under) a blanket label of "homelessness." It's heartbreaking because there's a lot of complex issues. Making sure that the law enforcement is well-trained not to go and arrest these people, but we have resources that can help these people.
Housing? Maybe we are getting (a population influx) but the people come just for a season, get what they want and then leave. There's a bigger need to see what we can do to make sure people are taking root.
Business development? (City council) needs to make sure it's not so difficult to open a small business. I've heard some businesses haven't been able to open because there wasn't a bike rack or something, and everything had to be put on hold. Maybe looking at codes and having an open discussion with the codes person.
Infrastructure? We need a chance to let the infrastructure catch up. Plans have been made pushing really fast.
Nick Ciparro, District 3
Age: 45
Profession: Chief technology officer at Celtig
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? You just vote against it. You say, "No I'm not going to vote for that." If the council votes no, the mayor has to put their reputation on the line. If you can gain political currency with your finger on the pulse of the people, you can do whatever you want.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? You have to be communicative. We have a representation issue. You gotta work with other districts, but you gotta look out (for your own district).
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? Our police officers are being misused. My district is not too bad, there's a little bit of homeless stuff going on. There's a lot of compassion. That's where that cross-platforming with other districts goes, discussing with them and learning more about their situations. You fix where the big ouch is.
Housing? The whole city needs truly affordable housing. We have out-of-town entities that are buying up land and putting apartments up. They don't care (about affordability). It's all in codes and enforcement. You can say, "No, I will not let you have your building permit." We should be looking at local firms.
Business development? We have a lot of people coming in. Just a friendlier interaction with businesses. Actually having people at the front desk to answer for codes or services. A lot people can't get things done. The city is not doing anything.
Infrastructure? We've been giving zoning rights to apartment complexes ... they're packing stuff in the wrong locations and not incentivizing people building these things to expand infrastructure. We're seeing backwards, upside-down development.
Ivan Harmon, District 3
Age: 77
Profession: Former Knox County Sheriff's Office employee
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? You need to communicate with the mayor, their staff. You might not see things (their) way, but you need to be willing to communicate and negotiate. Each issue, you have to deal with the different departments in the city.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? Once you're elected, you represent everybody. You vote on all issues. You've got to be open and willing to visit a situation that's not in your district.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? You can't get out into the street without having to pull into traffic. You talk to the service department. A lot of times it's cutting a tree or a bush. We've got police officers and I think (the mayor) has just put horses on patrol. I'm not really a big horse fan, they're hard to handle. It's a burden. We spend tons of money ... maybe put more (officers on) bicycles.
Housing? We need to evaluate the vacant lots. We have to list them in the tax sales. If it's available, we got to build a house on them. There's a lot of blighted properties.
Business development? We need to work with developers and owners better, advertise accessibly to them. There are all kinds of shops that want to come in but don't know how to. We have to have a department in the city that would be willing to sit down and train people.
Infrastructure? Traffic calming in the neighborhoods is a big issue. I'm for speed humps, to a point. We can put these machines up that show you the speed. ... We have to make it more easier for communities to get those.
Doug Lloyd, District 3
Age: 76
Profession: Business owner
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? It's going to be difficult. We're going to have to put together a coalition of people who can work together. You gotta learn to listen to your people. Hopefully we can find a way to work together. I don't feel like the mayor holding all the power is the best way for the city government to work.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? I am there to be the voice of the constituents in 3rd District. I've talked to hundreds of people by now. They want their roads fixed, they want their garbage picked up, they want fire and police protection and they want to be left alone. They don't want their tax money collected in the 3rd District spent somewhere else.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? We're pretty good on first responders and the fire department. People are concerned about police protection in some areas. We enjoy a pretty good area there in 3rd District. Our biggest problems are usually little things by comparison to the downtown area or east.
Housing? If the city was really serious about housing, they would get their codes enforcement streamlined. A lot of money is wasted while plans are being reviewed over and over again. As far as Knoxville needing additional housing units ... in the open market, the market will set the price. We only have a limited number of vacant lots left in the city. I'm not happy with what I'm seeing where they're rezoning neighborhoods.
Business development? People who come into Knoxville become disenchanted and they'll build their business somewhere else. Knoxville doesn't have a reputation of being business-friendly. We're going to have to change some attitudes. If we advocate for friendly government, it will percolate down through each of the divisions.
Infrastructure? We need to take a long look at what goes on at KUB. We need to be sure that they're spending money in a sensible manner. We need to be sure they're good stewards of citizens' money as well.
Frank Ramey, District 3
Age: 38
Profession: President bulkmunitions.com, an online ammunition retailer
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? Instead of pushing against somebody, it's working with them. I can be pretty pragmatic, and I'm open to being convinced. I don't have line-item power. It's understanding, "What's the mayor trying to accomplish? Do I agree with it?"
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? Knoxville as a whole works together. No one district alone can survive on its own. We have to pull together to understand, "How can we make Knoxville better?"
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? One thing I could work toward is to bring back neighborhood liaisons. Having a liaison connects people in neighborhood associations to KPD. It will make them feel heard, big credit to KPD. They're really invested.
Housing? We've got a high number of renters in our district. Their concerns are, "Our rents keep going up." One issue is it's difficult to build in Knoxville. The permitting process is really slow, pretty painful and expensive. I think it's something we can tighten up. Why can't that be shorter? There's other models in our region we can pull from.
Business development? Raising up organizations we have already would help. The Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, I think the city as a whole can help make sure people know it exists. There are fantastic resources in our city that I think if people were aware of, they would be more willing to start a business.
Infrastructure? The arterial roads ... I think a lot of it's just doing traffic studies, raising our hand with TDOT to say "Hey, we need help with this." Everyone wants to live where they can drive safely, walk safely.
Matthew DeBardelaben, District 4
Age: 52
Profession: Real estate broker with Avison Young
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? Collaborative. It's a lot of information-gathering through conversations with people in the 4th District. And hopefully having those conversations with the mayor and her staff so when the city council meeting comes, I'm well-informed.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? My district is diverse. Understanding the diversity and the needs of each (neighborhood) is the place to start. And second, being informed on strategies to address those challenges and opportunities. I'm going to advocate for a very collaborative council.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? As it concerns crime and violence, I feel like it's so important that the training take place for officers to learn how to do de-escalation and to continue to fund and add training to our other strategies with mental health professionals. We need officers who know their neighborhoods. As far as public safety for traffic, we need to think about how to calm traffic on roads while reducing congestion.
Housing? There's a lack of building stock, and construction is expensive. The city process can often be cumbersome. (The city needs to) help guide these builders through the process of design and permitting and inspections. I'm excited about the infill and middle housing and allowing duplexes, quadplexes, triplexes.
Business development? Businesses fail to launch because (permitting) gets complicated. Thinking through the ordinances and zoning that we have and (asking), is it productive to our small businesses is one (solution).
Infrastructure? Public transportation right now, the KAT system, it's not very happy travel. They do it because they have to get to work. I've been in other cities where I enjoy riding on the bus. Part of that is reliability, making sure it's regular.
Jeff Talman, District 4
Age: 52
Profession: Mortgage loan officer
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? Respectfully argumentative. I come from a perspective of an advocate. I argue and then we come to an agreement and move forward. As a systemic thing, I think there's a reason why voter turnout is low. We've got boring civics.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? I'd be an advocate for them because they are different. Most of what council does is land use. I feel a great sense of duty to protect (residents) so they can feel like they can go to sleep and not worry about the backyard being divided. One of the things I understand granularly is the context to which zoning decisions are being made, and then being able to advocate to the rest of the council.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? We need to have a discussion about the social contract and the rights and responsibilities we have to each other. I think we have to default to trusting law enforcement. My concern is, who gets victimized? It tends to be the poorest folks in the community. If I were king, I would convert Knoxville College into an institution of higher learning that's focused on law enforcement.
Housing? The body is limited in what it can do. So much of the affordable housing doesn't harness the power of incentive for people to own. We create these fast tracks of government housing that nobody owns.
Business development? Everything is too hard to navigate. Stuff that should take days takes months. We talk about engaging people with modest means; if you're a contractor and you're good and licensed, but not strong on administrative stuff, we've effectively disqualified you from participating in our community.
Infrastructure? We're in a metropolitan area. When we talk about putting paint on the street so people can bicycle, what that really means is we're anti-vehicle. We're going to strangle the cars. I think it's crazy. I'm in favor of addressing safety for making real consequences for people who drive unsafely.
Charles Frazier, District 6
Age: 70
Profession: Sales executive at WJBE radio
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? Anything I do for my district, I have to have four other people voting for it with me. I have to have a good relationship with the mayor and the other council people. There's things I want to put on the table that haven't been put on the table before.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? Every Sunday, I'm going to travel across the district and have community meetings. I don't think that anyone can advocate for a group of people if they don't know what their needs are. I'm going to let them tell me what their concerns are. My district is so diverse.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? We're gonna have to turn to community policing. I want the police officers to get to know people in our community.
Housing? Am I for all the assistance that can be given that makes sense for affordable housing? No doubt. I want to help and cut out money (to use) for affordable housing. I want to be as effective as we can.
Business development? We have to have a safer community. That's a job I have to do. I have to make sure that we share in the prosperity. We share in the prosperity in the city. We've been talking about Burlington for years. I like that we're building a new fire hall. It's going to have an increase in employees, a better service there. When you fix an area up, it will bring more people. The business people want it to be safer.
Infrastructure? A lot needs to be done in terms of improvement of paving the roads in Knoxville. The proposed tax ... it'll be interesting to see if the people of Knoxville vote for that. (The city council) can make it a priority to do it faster and be more effective.
Denzel Grant, District 6
Age: 34
Profession: Executive director, Turn Up Knox
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? I think inclusive leadership is important. I think getting to a space where we can have more dialogue, I would like to see city council have a bit more influence in the decision-making. Maybe revising the charter and seeing what language we need to (update). Not to take away power (from the mayor), but creating more opportunities of dialogue so council members can have more knowledge and influence.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? It's important for you to have relationships with your counterparts, other council people. You have communities that are the same neighborhood but different districts. Some of these neighborhoods are going to have the same concerns. There's a need for more conversation amongst council members.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? Alternative response, violence interruption will be the key piece. I think the city should continue to invest in violence interruption from a community-based standpoint. We have a lot of organizations doing the work in our community and they deserve some type of investment. I was fortunate enough to have that foundation and support ... we have other organizations that deserve the same opportunity. I think there's power in partnership.
Housing? Density is a topic, the permitting process, those things. You have different pockets of the neighborhood who don't want to see that happening and some who do. Both are OK. That's why I'm so big on bringing people to the table. Development and growth and change is OK. It shouldn't create division. We can look into our zoning, removing some of the barriers that drive up cost.
Business development? If you want businesses to come in, it's challenging in a high-crime area. We're gonna have to consider making the initial investment ourselves in terms of infrastructure, making sure streets are clean and sidewalks look good. There's a lot of opportunity for businesses. Equity isn't charity; we need real investment in District 6. I think that's how we can uplift District 6.
Infrastructure? We want to have a healthy ecosystem, inspiring people to want to ride their bike, making sure traffic is safe is important. If people can walk to work, they're not driving their car and that minimizes pollution.
Stan Johnson, District 6
Age: 54
Profession: SEEED Knox director
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? I'm a servant for the people. What we need to do is make sure the people have access to not only the mayor, but the process of how things actually work. It's hard for somebody that doesn't think it would work for them, to go to city council.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? I've started reaching out to other city council runners and asking them what's important in their neighborhood. I don't want to see everyone getting something that the 6th District doesn't get, but I don't want us to be the only ones getting stuff. I'm an advocate of working together and getting experts involved.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? We haven't seen a drop in violent crimes. If we get these young people jobs, they won't be out there committing crimes. I would like for (local violence interruption groups) to have the ability to do the work.
Housing? Home ownership is a big deal. Home ownership means something. How do you build generational wealth? Those are the things we want to build in our community.
Business development? We want the development. But we don't want displacement. We can use the people in our community to build. I want to start talking about, "How do we train for the future jobs?"
Infrastructure? We need to be concentrating on how we make sure that (residents in the 6th District) are benefitting from (the city's plans). We're talking about streetscapes, we're talking about walkability. That is a broad statement. Once you get into a specific area, you have to remember the history and remember the people.
George "Cat Dad" Raudenbush, District 6
Age: 61
Profession: Program administrator at Feral Cat Rescue and Youth Sanctuary
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? I in no way, shape or form want to be in a position where council and the mayor are making all of the decisions. The issue is, power is inherent in the people. The council person is only a representative. They have to do what the people want.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? By taking care of our district and all the needs in our district, it will become very strong, very productive. The other districts will look at us and say 'We want what they have." And guess what? Everybody in our district, because we're all in one city, we're gonna work together with other districts.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? Our first responders are number one. We've got to make sure they're adequately prepared. I've noticed the KPD physical office closes their doors at 4 p.m. We need to look at that and see if we need more accessibility. I know they have the "teleserve" by phone readily accessible, but we need to look at how we make improvements there.
Housing? Reassessing and reevaluating what we have right now. It takes everybody working together; we can get it done very quickly and very easily. There's a lot of waste that's going on. Homelessness, we can eliminate it in three months. We have a large section of our homelessness (population) who have mental illness. We have programs for those people. Why aren't they getting the help they need?
Business development? We have to strengthen our small businesses. We have to refocus, readjust and help those people become prosperous. If we want to be a citizen of a city that's of the people, we need to do that. We create an awareness with the people. The big part is getting with each small business and teaching them how to bring in more business.
Infrastructure? We need accountability. Why has the Gay Street Bridge been closed with no plans of reopening? Our infrastructure is very, very important. We have to improve our communication within the city, county and state so we can get repairs done. If we don't take care of our infrastructure, that results in harming our city.
Lawrence "Man" Williams, District 6
Age: 50
Profession: Pastor and community leader
How do you describe your leadership in a system where the mayor holds most of the decision-making power? I believe in respecting everyone. One thing I am not is a "yes man." I'm going to do right for the people. We've got to be able to sit down at the table where we can see from everybody's point of view. The mayor has a lot of power, but people in the inner city get left out a lot.
With the new representation system, how will you advocate for the concerns of people in your district who might have different needs from other parts of the city? We believe that if we have someone from where we're from standing for us, it inspires us and gives us hope. We can have community meetings and get them to start coming to the meetings.
What needs does Knoxville have and how can the city council close those gaps in:
Public safety? We can give folks that are out there something to do, because they're looking for opportunities. They're looking to be a part of something, to make an impact. KPD been doing a great job. It ain't always about locking them up. How can we do this where the community can have trust with KPD?
Housing? We can't keep allowing developers to come in here and allowing them to make a profit. The people is suffering. Some people can't even afford to pay rent. We as council members got to be able to come together and have a heart for people.
Business development? We got to be careful because we want to put money in certain parts of the area, but not every part. If we can as council members help small business get started, help with policies that help them get on their feet, that way you are giving people hope again.
Infrastructure? Let's put pressure on the city to do more throughout Magnolia, not just by downtown, and the Burlington area, but all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville City Council primary candidates 2025: Knox News Voter Guide
Solve the daily Crossword