Government transparency matters. One way taxpayers can better understand how their local government operates is by examining staffing levels and salaries over time. Below is a comparison of the Knox County Mayor’s Office budgeted positions and salaries from 2018, 2022, and April 29, 2026.

2018 Budget

The Knox County Mayor’s Office had 11 budgeted positions.

Position	Salary
County Mayor	$176,365.02
Chief of Staff	$165,758.84
Communications Director	$100,315.54
Education Liaison	$70,068.56
Community Outreach Director	$69,360.72
Deputy Communications Director	$65,781.56
Diversity Development Manager	$63,485.24
Chief Executive Assistant	$53,939.86
Executive Administrative Assistant	$52,341.38
Community Outreach Manager	$49,955.10
Administrative Assistant	$40,837.42

2022 Budget

The office expanded to 13 budgeted positions, although some positions were vacant while others had multiple employees assigned.

Position	Salary
County Mayor	$198,668.60
Chief of Staff/CO	$183,368.64
Communications Director	$131,540.20
Deputy Communications Director	$98,703.52
Constituent Services Director	$89,865.14
Community Engagement Director	$88,873.08
Community Based Initiatives Director	$78,873.08
Diversity Development Manager (Vacant)	$77,319.00
Policy & Strategic Projects	$64,000.04
Chief Executive Assistant*	$59,799.22
Community Engagement Education Coordinator	$58,803.68
Digital Content Specialist	$53,719.12
Constituent Services Coordinator	$51,219.22
Administrative Assistant	$37,555.96

One budgeted Chief Executive Assistant position had two employees filling the role.

Also included were a part-time position (vacant) and four Project Grad interns with combined salaries totaling less than $40,000.

April 29, 2026 Payroll

As of April 29, 2026, the Mayor’s Office listed 11 positions, with one intern position budgeted but unfilled.

Position	Salary
County Mayor	$225,603.04
Chief of Staff/CO	$204,361.82
Senior Director of Communications	$148,634.20
Community Engagement Director	$95,186.52
Community Engagement Education Coordinator	$94,620.76
Constituent Services Director	$87,021.74
Communications Director	$77,596.74
Office Manager	$66,385.28
Chief Executive Assistant	$53,108.12
Administrative Assistant	$38,653.16
Intern (Vacant)	$40,000.00

Observations

Several trends emerge from these three snapshots.

• The County Mayor’s salary increased from $176,365.02 in 2018 to $198,668.60 in 2022, and reached $225,603.04 by April 2026.
• The Chief of Staff salary rose from $165,758.84 in 2018 to $204,361.82 by 2026.
• Communications responsibilities expanded significantly. In 2018, the office included a Communications Director and Deputy Communications Director. By 2026, the office included both a Senior Director of Communications earning $148,634.20 and a Communications Director earning $77,596.74.
• Several positions evolved over time, with Community Outreach roles transitioning into Community Engagement positions and Constituent Services becoming a more prominent function.
• The office grew from 11 budgeted positions in 2018 to 13 in 2022, before returning to 11 positions in 2026, although job titles and salary levels changed considerably during that period.

Final Thoughts

These figures provide a factual look at how the Knox County Mayor’s Office has evolved over an eight-year period. Staffing structures, position titles, and compensation have all changed as different priorities shaped the office.

As always, transparency allows taxpayers to evaluate how public resources are allocated and to ask informed questions about the growth, restructuring, and compensation within their local government.

On May 21, 2026,, we detailed the Register of Deeds here.
On June 22, 2026, we detailed the Trustee Office here.

in mid-August 2026, I will open record requests all offices to capture the 6% salary increase, setting the scales for the office changes of September 1, 2026.