The Knox County Merit Council for the Sheriffs Office employees met from 9 am to 4:30 pm yesterday in day one of the Martha Dooley Grievance Hearing.
It began with Dooley herself being presented by her legal counsel John Valliant and then cross examined by Sheriff Tom Spangler’s outside legal counsel Gary Prince. Nearing lunchtime, hearing officer Chancellor Sharon Bell asked about how much longer would it take Prince to cross examine, his response, “two days” when Bell pushed him, he then said “two hours”. Following a one hour lunch break. Dooley was concluded, Sheriff Tim Hutchison and Sheriff Jimmy “J.J” Jones were presented and cross examined.
The day concluded with Sheriff Tom “Spanky” Spangler’s testimony and cross examination .
At issue is loss of a take home car and fuel card. Dooley has had three department transfers and the loss of a take home car, during Spangler’s term as Sheriff.
Dooley, a former News Director at WATE, has been Communications Director since 1997/1998. When hired in 1997, Sheriff Hutchison as part of Dooley’s compensation package gave her a take home car and fuel card. Since Spangler became Sheriff in 2018, Dooley has been moved, first to Support Services, (redacting open record videos). moved to the public window of records and moved to the west precinct. Three departmental transfers and loss of a take home car, while Spangler has been Sheriff.
During testimony yesterday, Sheriff Spangler stated he hired Kimberly Glenn. his part time campaign manger two weeks into his term as Sheriff as Communications Director. Sheriff Spangler did not recall Glenn’s education or expertise to be Communications Director other than she handled media during the campaign and she sold “lots of real estate”.
Kimberly Glenn will be first up on day two, it is already appearing that it could go into a third day, pending a miraculous escalation of the hearing.
It truly seems that it’s a waiting game for the clock to run for those being paid by the hour.
As to the amount of money spent so far through this process, it seems to me, Spangler could have provided Dooley with a Tesla and still saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars.
It was revealed yesterday this decision was Chief Bernie Lyons. Testimony by the Sheriff is that, Lyons did it (taking the car and gas card, he then told Spangler, then Spangler approved it. Seems assbackwards but it is government.
