Property Assessor Phil Ballard‘s Chief Deputy and the March 1, 2016 Republican Primary loser Jim Weaver has given three employees significant raises and in one situation a significant promotion. The rationale in awarding the salary was taking the funds from the funds budgeted for former Director of Assessments. The person that held that position was Dean Lewis and he retired in February 2015, where have those funds nearly 15 months?

The detail of all three will be listed individually below.

Rodney Lane, a former Knox County Clerk employee (who was terminated when Foster Arnett was elected Clerk in 2008) Fast forward to 2016, Lane was an active campaigner for Weaver and was seen placing many of the political road side signs for Weaver during the months of January 2016 and through the March 1 Primary. Lane was the recipent of more tax payer dollars than other two, his salary moved  from $43,483.96 to $53,807.72 and jumped from Appraiser 2 to Appraiser 4, leap frogging a probable Appraiser 3. In addition, Lane moved 5 pay grades from an 8 to 13 and from a 40 step to a 24 step. The change was signed by his Supervisor Linda Turner and Weaver. The form is dated April 14 but was dated effective March 21, 2016. Twenty days after the March 1 election.

Perry Sanders, an Assessor employee with family connections to County Government. Sanders brother Daniel Sanders is a Senior Deputy Law Director under Richard “Bud” Armstrong. Sanders has been at the law department over 7 years, having served under a previous law director. Sanders moves from a salary of $41,877.00 to $48,304.43 Sanders remains on a pay grade of 8 but moves 20 steps from a 35 step to a 55 step. His position remains the same as an Appraiser 2. His change was signed by his Supervisor and approved by Weaver on April 14, 2016 with an effective date of March 21, 2016.

Jordan Taylor, a longtime Property Assessor employee in the position App Analyst 1 has moved from a pay grade 7 step 26 to a pay grade 7 step 55. The position remains the same, the salary moved from $36,434.32 to $45, 151.08 The same Supervisor for Sanders signed the form and was approved by Weaver.

Mark Jones, a Human Resources Director under Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett signed the final approval. For the seven years Ballard has served as Property Assessor he would pick and choose when to call “post hole toby’s” boy aka Richard Julian in Knox County’s HR.

Coincidence? 

Of course the effective date of the salary increases of March 21 was during the time when Weaver was still considering challenging the election results. It was not reported until March 24, 2016 that Weaver would not challenge the 73 vote win of John R. Whitehead.

By the way, while Weaver signed the papers on April 14, 2016 it took 12 days until April 26, 2016 to get from the second floor to the sixth floor of the City County Building. However, in one day the finance department approved it on April 27, 2016.