The Scruffy Little City political action committee, formed to elect conservatives to the Knoxville City Council in this year’s nonpartisan elections, has reported closing out the PAC at the state level but continues as a local PAC that is polling and campaigning in council districts promoting the group’s candidates.
The PAC is operated by political conservative consultant
Erik Wiatr, who has been identified as operating Wind Consulting, which is being paid by the PAC and assisting candidates who oppose incumbents in five district races on Aug. 31. The latest financial disclosure filed with the Knox County Election Commission has businessman
Knoxville News Sentinel
On Thursday, following the publication over the past three weeks of several exclusive Knox News reports about racism in the Knoxville Police Department, Vice Mayor Gwen McKenzie said she does not have confidence Police Chief Eve Thomas can reform the department s ranks.
Knox News asked community leaders and activists their reactions to McKenzie s comments. Among the questions we asked:
Whether they had confidence in Thomas (and if they didn t whether she should be removed).
If they think there is a racism problem in the department (and if so, what Thomas has to do to fix it, and if not why they think there is isn t).
Correction: A quote by Robert Petrone about growth in Chattanooga compared to Knoxville was misattributed to Elizabeth Murphy. Additionally, Murphy is not a lobbyist.
The city of Knoxville’s potential to lag behind in population growth compared to Chattanooga and Knoxville s property tax rate are behind some candidates challenging incumbents in this year’s Knoxville City Council races.
Their supporters are citing the same reasons for making changes in Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, where incumbents are seeking a second term in the nonpartisan election.
The primary is on Aug. 31 and the general election is on Nov. 2. In the primary, voters will vote only in the districts where they live, but in the general election, voters can vote in all the district races.
The organizer of a petition to force a referendum on capping the city of Knoxville’s power to raise property taxes is asking supporters to contribute to a political action committee that is tied to conservative causes in Knox County and Middle Tennessee.
Erik Wiatr, a local real estate agent, has asked potential petitioners to make their contributions to Knox Liberty Organization. A review of its financial disclosures over the past two years shows that it contributed $2,000 a year ago to Roving Patriots PAC in Gallatin. Roving Patriots PAC earlier this year sent a series of inflammatory flyers targeting two Knoxville City Council members seeking another term this year.