Rikki Hall takes a look at some of the charter amendment proposals, including the proposal for a Knox County Inspector General.
(Note: it is my understanding that the Mayor's Office does not believe a charter amendment is required if County Commission votes for the IG office as currently proposed by the administration.)
It's my understanding that one of Bill Lockett's first tasks as County Law Director will likely be deciding whether a charter amendment is necessary to create an IG office. For the sake of true independence, that office ought to have the permanence of being defined in the charter, so even if it starts out as a creation of the Mayor, it should eventually go before the voters (which could happen as early as November, given either enough signatures on the petitions or approval by the newly seated Commission). TVA's OIG started out similarly, first just a creation of the TVA Board, it soon became a position appointed by the President with Congressional approval.
Sorting out the differences between the Knox Charter Petition version of an IG and the Mayor's version (and probably some Commission version, eventually) is going to be complicated, however this all shakes out. An independent IG is definitely a worthwhile goal, however. It would likely do more to improve county government than all the busybody reforms and vindictive games being played out right now.
Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2008/06/12 - 10:13am.
An independent IG is definitely a worthwhile goal, however. It would likely do more to improve county government than all the busybody reforms and vindictive games being played out right now.
On that we definitely agree, regardless of whose idea it is or how it gets established. It will be interesting to see how it takes shape.
It's my understanding that one of Bill Lockett's first tasks as County Law Director will likely be deciding whether a charter amendment is necessary to create an IG office. For the sake of true independence, that office ought to have the permanence of being defined in the charter, so even if it starts out as a creation of the Mayor, it should eventually go before the voters (which could happen as early as November, given either enough signatures on the petitions or approval by the newly seated Commission). TVA's OIG started out similarly, first just a creation of the TVA Board, it soon became a position appointed by the President with Congressional approval.
Sorting out the differences between the Knox Charter Petition version of an IG and the Mayor's version (and probably some Commission version, eventually) is going to be complicated, however this all shakes out. An independent IG is definitely a worthwhile goal, however. It would likely do more to improve county government than all the busybody reforms and vindictive games being played out right now.
An independent IG is definitely a worthwhile goal, however. It would likely do more to improve county government than all the busybody reforms and vindictive games being played out right now.
On that we definitely agree, regardless of whose idea it is or how it gets established. It will be interesting to see how it takes shape.
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