Many years ago, my friend Phil Hamby left an impression on me about what local journalism could be.

Philip W. Hamby (1944–2013) was a Knoxville businessman, home builder, and the driving force behind the revived Knoxville Journal. Around 1995, through Premiere Publishing, Phil helped purchase and relaunch Knoxville’s oldest newspaper name. For nearly a decade, he served as publisher and editor, operating it as a local weekly focused on community issues that mattered.

One project that stood out was Phil’s detailed, year-long series examining the salaries of Knox County Schools employees. It was straightforward, records-based reporting that gave citizens information about how public dollars were spent.

That project inspired me.

Last month, I launched a monthly series: Knox County Fee Offices Salaries.

The May 2026 feature highlighted the Register of Deeds office, HERE.

There is one difference between my approach and Phil’s: although I possess employee records, I will not publish individual employee names. My goal is transparency while focusing on positions rather than people.

Why Am I Doing This?

Last year, a local news outlet published a headline centered entirely on the percentage increase in my own compensation.

What was not included was context — that my position had changed from an hourly/seasonal, nine-month position to a full-time role.

I even asked the editor by email to publish my actual salary amount for context and fairness. That request was declined.

I have also been told that comments were made publicly about targeting the Trustee’s Office, while similar staffing arrangements in another office did not receive the same level of scrutiny.

My goal is not selective reporting.

That is why I began filing open records requests and decided to create this series.

Each month, one county office will be selected at random and featured. The purpose is simple: consistent, factual reporting that allows citizens to see where tax dollars are allocated.

June 2026 Featured Office: Trustee

Leadership

• Trustee — $169,849
• Deputy Trustee — $123,947
• Executive Assistant — $60,465
• Director of Operations — $94,672
• Director of Collections — $68,951
• Chief Financial Officer — $105,413

Financial & Administrative Operations

• Financial Assistant — $60,236
• Financial Assistant / TIF — $92,092
• Financial Assistant / PILOTS — $80,753
• Customer Service Representative / Financial Assistant — $58,576
• Billing — $88,390
• Legal Assistant — $72,399
• Administrative Assistant — $51,236
• Administrative Assistant — $46,800
• Tax Sale Assistant — $57,919

Collections & Field Operations

• Collector / Field Auditor — $56,639
• Collector / Field Auditor — $61,929
• Collector / Field Auditor — $49,008
• Satellite Operations Manager — $72,399

Customer Service

• Customer Service Representative — $60,181
• Customer Service Representative — $54,282
• Customer Service Representative — $78,191
• Customer Service Representative — $45,508
• Customer Service Representative — $61,700
• Customer Service Representative — $49,293
• Customer Service Representative — $50,122

State Programs

• State Programs CSR / Legislative Liaison — $55,761
• State Programs CSR — $54,359
• State Programs CSR — $54,359
• State Programs CSR — $60,724
• State Programs CSR — $57,987
• State Programs CSR — $49,401
• OTA / State Programs Assistant — $58,344
• Online Pay CSR — $45,085

Seasonal Positions

• Tax Seasonal CSR — $51,770
• Tax Seasonal CSR — $49,297
• Tax Seasonal Phone — $39,780

Vacant Positions

• State Programs / CSR — Vacant — $43,000
• Field Auditor Personal Property — Vacant — $53,500
• Community Outreach — Vacant — $40,000
• Intern — Vacant — Budgeted at $6,000 (currently $4,742)

The Numbers

• Budgeted Positions: 40
• Filled Positions: 36
• Vacant Positions: 4
• Difference Between Budgeted Payroll and Current Salaries: $153,430.34

For full transparency, my position appears above as State Programs Customer Service Representative / Legislative Liaison with an annual salary of $55,761 as of April 26, 2026.

Last year, headlines focused on a reported 72% increase in my compensation. Missing from those reports was an important fact: the position changed from an hourly, seasonal, nine-month role to a full-time position.

Numbers matter. Context matters.

So rather than selective percentages or incomplete headlines, I’ll leave readers with the actual annual salary and let them ask the question themselves:

If $55,761 represents a 72% increase after moving from a seasonal/hourly position to full-time employment — what was the previous compensation actually paying?

That’s the purpose of this series: publish the records, provide the context, and allow citizens to reach their own conclusions — even when I am part of the story.

With that same standard in mind, I challenge Joel and Allie at Knox News to apply the same approach: publish complete context, not selective percentages or isolated headlines.

When my compensation was reported, I believe important facts were omitted — specifically that my position changed from an hourly, seasonal nine-month role to a full-time position. That missing context created an incomplete picture for readers.

As someone who has operated a blog and independent media platform for years, I understand scrutiny comes with public commentary. But transparency should be consistent regardless of whether the subject is an elected official, a government employee, a blogger, or a media outlet.

The records are available. The numbers are available. Readers can decide for themselves.