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Nepotism! How deep does it go! Page 1 |
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Review of Nepotism, Cronyism & Conflict of Interest in Sevier County: Please consider the following additional information - MORE THAN SEVEN MONTHS AFTER THE FILING OF A REQUEST TO THE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO ESTABLISH A NEPOTISM POLICY IN THIS COUNTY AND NO RESPONSE; AFTER SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WERE FILED BEFORE THE ETHICS COMMITTEE WHICH WERE CONSIDERED ‘FRIVOLOUS’ AND THROWN ASIDE; AFTER MORE SERIOUS DEVELOPMENTS BEFORE THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS IN WHICH OPEN ADMISSIONS WERE MADE IN VIOLATION TO THE OPEN MEETINGS LAWS OF THIS STATE, MUCH MEDIA REPORTING INCLUDING A ‘DENIAL’ BY THE MAYOR THERE HAD BEEN VIOLATIONS…….AND MUCH MORE, THE PUBLICATION OF THIS INFORMATION, ONCE COMPLETED, MAY BE A SLIGHT OFFERING AS TO WHY THERE ARE SO MANY PROBLEMS IN THIS COUNTY, SO MUCH CRONYISM, NEPOTISM AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AS THE ‘BINDING’ OF OFFICIALS, THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ARE TO SUCH A MEASURE OR LEVEL THAT SOME DRASTIC ACTION BE DEMANDED IN ORDER TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION. First requested by a Commissioner and then supported by the Editor of the Seymour Herald that such might be published, complete with the exception of a few School System employees who measure more than three hundred, (the order of which is not provided either by location of employment, address, length of service or exact position which cannot easily be matched with officials of the County, though family name recognition is easily detected), when completed will not effectively bear on the resulting work product. Note: Due to silence and no response from the County Mayor & County Clerk, as representatives of the full Board of Commissioners when asked to cooperate for the purposes of having each commissioner & official furnish personal information as best source for accuracy, errors may appear as well as erroneous and inaccurate information, though unintentional - being based upon best accumulative information available and represents the best work product possible. ***************** TWENTY-FIVE MEMBERS MAKE UP THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, CHAIRMAN COUNTY MAYOR, FORMER COMMISSIONERS - FORMER & CURRENT ELECTED & APPOINTED PUBLIC OFFICIALS _____________________________ Commissioners & Former Commissioners Employed by County: WARREN HURST – employed by Planning Office (part time as shown on State Ethics Commission filing); RONNIE ALLEN – Highway Department FRED ATCHLEY – Sheriff’s Department/Fire Officer; JIM KEENER – School Department, Transportation/Weather mediator; PHIL KING - Sheriff’s Department/Humane Officer JUDY GODFREY – School Department Media, late husband RAY GODFREY, former commissioner employed at Fleet Garage; employed summer months Joe Keener, Clerk’s office; TONY PROFFITT – Employed as School Resource Officer, Sheriff’s Dept.; CARROLL RAUHUFF - Highway Department Employee long time, retired current year; Employee Family Affiliation – Board of Commissioners, Former & Current TONY PROFFITT – son, Jacob, employed Highway Department; wife teacher with School System; BEN CLABO – children, Curtis Clabo, Adult Education Supervisor; Doyle Clabo, Storm Water Manager; Elaine T. Myers, employed Wearwood School; Richard Clabo, Grandson, employed Highway Department, possibly second Grandson employed with county; KENT WOODS – wife, Carrie Assistant. Principal School System; Mother in law M. Radel, Secretary long time Sevier County Building Authority; TOMMY HILLARD – wife, Assistant Principal Northview, School System; BUSTER NORTON – wife employed with School System; MAX WATSON – sister Reba Spence employee food service School System; cousins, one employed with DA’s office, two as teachers School System; cousin, Steve Watson employee of Sheriff’s Department; cousin Scott Hensley, Employed with School System; Reba Spence, sister, employed with School System; Rexine Shults, sister, employed with School System. GENE BYRD – sister in law cousin to Mayor’s wife; to Sue Smith employee of Mayor’s office; to Greg McCarter, Judicial Officer and brother in law of Mayor & Chairman of Commission; to Gary Cole, Commissioner; to Samuel (Wes) Newman employee Highway Department and son of former Circuit Court Clerk, Pleas Newman who was also Uncle to all named; JIMMY TEMPLE– wife Marie former teacher; son, James Temple serves as Planning Commission member; WARREN HURST – son in law of former Superintendent Sam Ellis Highway Department; Reece Ellis & Kenneth Ellis, brothers in law employed Highway Department; Danny Ellis, nephew employed Highway Department; Daughter employed in School system; sister(s) employed School System; sister in law, Louise Hurst, employed cafeteria School System; Della Hurst, sister in law cafeteria employee, School System; sister in law Patsy Ellis Farmer employee of School System; Larry Allen, cousin of wife employed at School System; FRED ATCHLEY – wife Barbara Chief Deputy Clerk & Master; sister in law, Judy employed Health and Human Services; JAMES (JIMBO) CONNER – sister in law, E. Weals employed by School System; Father in law, Vic Weals, Chairman of City of Sevierville Public Building Authority; grandfather former Sheriff 1936; father former Commissioner and Quarterly Court Chairman 1982; mother former Clerk & Master 1983; CARROLL RAUHUFF – former long-time employee of Highway Department retired past quarter; two brothers employed at Highway Department, Charlie Rauhuff and Larry Rauhuff; RONNIE WHALEY – wife, Deloris clerical employee of School System; brother Ralph Whaley employed at Highway Department; JUDY GODFREY – son employed with School System, late husband. RAY GODFREY, employed with Fleet Services Garage; REX DELOZIER– Former Commissioner, son in law Lonnie Galyon employed with School System; LANNING WYNN, II* – son of Former Commissioner, shown to be a General County Employee, Information Office; wife/wife of former, employed with School System, retired; ALFRED NEWMAN – Former Commissioner, shown to be a General County Employee, position served is Jury Commissioner; GARY COLE – wife employed with School System at GP; through relatives connected to Commissioner Gene Byrd (thru cousins) cousin to wife of Mayor & Commission Chairman,; to Tax Attorney and retained County Attorney Jerry McCarter; to Samuel (Wes) Newman, employee of Highway Dept. DWA Hong, Wes’ wife - employed in food service with the School Department; to Sue Smith, employee of Mayor’s office; to Judicial Officer Craig McCarter, brother to wife of Commission Chairman & Mayor Waters; EARL CLINTON, Former Commissioner – brother James Clinton employed with School System; PHIL KING – Son of Former Commissioner, RILEY KING; son employed with Sheriff’s Department and brother, Danny King employed as Solid Waste Plant; JIM KEENER – wife Marg medical assistant School System; cousin to County Clerk, Joe Keener; BILL OAKES – wife, Peggy employed with School System; RILEY KING, Former Commissioner - father of current Commissioner Phil King; Grandson employed with Sheriff’s Department and son, Danny King, Employee of Solid Waste Plant. MATT BALLARD* - Former Assistant Mayor, next employed as Manager of Sevier County Utility District, nephew of former Manager of SCUD; Step-son of retired Circuit Court Clerk, step-brother of Stephen Layman Director of Juvenile Justice Center recently suggested as ‘sit-in’ member of Public Building Authority Sevier County, temporary replacement for the late Bill Maples; PAUL CANNON. Former Commissioner - son, Brad Cannon Director of Archives Department ( subject to clarification?) ; DAVID OGLE, Former Commissioner – County Board of Commissioners’ Representative on Sevier County Public Building Authority, second only to the Mayor, Larry Waters; JERRY WEAR. Former Commissioner – current teacher with School System; wife Linda also teaches with School System; 2008 Retirement from School System; FRANK PARTON – brother Gene Parton, employee with Sevier County; son, Randy Parton, County Employee; KENNETH WHALEY – (former) wife employee of School System; Employee Family Affiliation, Current & Former – Public Officials JETTIE CLABO, TRUSTEE – sisters (2?) employed Trustee’s Office; sister in law to Circuit Clerk, Rita Ellison; brother Fletcher Breeden employed with Highway Department; sister Joyce Brackins Commissioner at Pigeon Forge; SHERRY ROBERTSON-HUSKEY, REGISTER – Mother, Veryl Henderson Former Register; daughter Mandy employed Register’s Office; son Derek employed Archives Records office, Register is Member of Archives Committee; CONNIE HOLT, GENERAL SESSIONS CLERK – husband, Mark employed Sheriff’s Dept.; father in law William R. Holt, Retired Circuit Judge. LARRY WATERS, MAYOR & COMMISSION CHAIRMAN – Uncle Jack Waters employed Solid Waste Department; brother in law Greg McCarter Judicial Officer (brother and partner to wife Terri, owners of Crescent Printing (Contractors doing printing for County); step-father, Dale Bradshaw, Head of Maintenance Courthouse and associated offices; connected through wife to Sue Smith employee of Mayor’s Office as insurance clerk; cousin (through wife) to Commissioner Gary Cole and cousin through wife to in-law of Gene Byrd Commissioner; cousin through wife to Jerry McCarter, (retained) County Attorney and Delinquent Tax Attorney; cousin through Wife of Mayor Waters, Terri to Samuel (Wes) Newman employed by Highway Department and his wife employed by the School Department, son of former Circuit Court Clerk -The late Pless Newman - who was “Uncle” to all named above as nieces and Nephews, wife of Newman, Veatrice Newman Judicial Officer, Mother & Mother-In law of Samuel (Wes) Newman and wife employed Highway Department & School System; CAROLYN McMAHAN, CLERK & MASTER – father Fred Pierce Former Assessor of Property (70 s) & Former Sheriff (60’s); cousin to Mayor’s Administrative Assistant 33 years recently retired Shirley Matthews, Mayor’s Office; J. B. Matthews husband of Shirley, cousin, employed Election Commission; brother in law Jack McMahan Chairman Planning Commission and former SCHS Principal with School System; Lois McMahan, sister in law, employed Health & Human Services and their daughters, possibly two nieces employed as teachers in School System; PLESS NEWMAN, Former Circuit/Session Court Clerk & Assistant, as well as Judicial Officer; Uncle and long-time political activist as mentioned with reference to employment of wife, son & daughter in law’s in county positions; those persons identified as nephews and nieces employed particularly by the Highway Department, School Department and as Judicial Officers; JONAS SMELCER, HIGHWAY DIRECTOR – wife, Teresa Adams (Smelcer) employed with Highway Department; step-son Donald Adams employed Highway Department; father of official recently retired from Highway Department; Teresa Adams’ mother) employed; brother Larry Smelcer and husband of Geraldine Smelcer employee Planning Office. former employee of Property Assessor’s Office, employed of Highway Dept.; Fletcher Breeden Brother of Clabo, Trustee, employed Highway Department; Ralph Whaley brother of Commissioner Ronnie Whaley employed; Fred McClure brother of School Board Member John McClure hired highway department; Kenneth Ellis and Reece Ellis, brothers in law of Commissioner Warren Hurst currently ‘part-time’ with Planning Office (Ellises & Hurst sons and son in law of former Road Superintendent Sam Ellis and, Danny Ellis, grandson, employed in Highway Department); Richard Clabo, grandson of Ben Clabo, Commissioner and Chairman of Budget & Finance Committee employed Highway Department; cousin Joseph Smelcer, son of cousin Glen (Shorty) Smelcer, late former retired employee Highway Department; Charlie Rauhuff & Larry Rauhuff, brothers of Commissioner Carroll Rauhuff recently retired Highway Dept.; Jacob Proffitt employed Highway Department, son of Commissioner Tony Proffitt. he and wife employed by the County as Teacher and School Resource Officer; RONALD SEALS, SHERIFF – cousins, Robert Stoffel & Richard Stoffel, employed Sheriff’s Department; Commissioner Tony Proffitt employed as School Resource Officer; Commissioner Phil King employed as Humane Officer with Sheriff’s Department, and son of Phil King, employee of Sheriff’s Department; Fred Atchley, Commissioner, employed as Fire Officer with Sheriff’s Department and holds second position with Sheriff’s Department; Steve Watson employee of Sheriff’s Department, cousin of Max Watson, Commissioner; JACK PARTON, DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS – daughters Lisa and Katie & wife employed at schools; son in law employed school system, daughter’s mother in law employed at Central Office; Commissioner Jim Keener Transportation Supervisor and wife Marg medical attendant System System employees; Kevin McClure Mechanical Supervisor, son of School Board Chairman and Chairman of Ethics Committee, who is current V-Mayor. his cousin Keith Whaley is Mayor Pigeon Forge, he is the nephew of Fred McClure Chairman McClure’s brother employed Highway Department, (aunt of McClure) Earlene McClure Teaster being the City Manager of Pigeon Forge;employees wives and former wife of Current and Former Commissioners Jim Keener, Gary Cole, Jerry Wear, Bill Oakes, Tommy Hillard, Kent Woods, Kenneth Whaley, Tony Proffitt, Ronnie Whaley. In addition, former and current commissioners are employed by the School System – Jim Keener, Jerry Wear, Tony Proffitt; wife of School Board Member Stanley Moore is employed by School System; wife of Commissioner Jimmy Temple former employee of School System; JOHNNY KING, PROPERTY ASSESSOR – wife Karen Financial Officer for School System; late brother Ben King employee of Highway Department; sister in law Carolyn King employee of School System; two nieces, teachers of School System; Barbara Tinker and Belinda Tinker, nieces, employed School System; ONE PAGE OF NEPUTISM IN SEVIER COUNTY IS NOT ENOUGH CLICK HERE FOR MORE
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