There was this story by Victor Ashe published in the October 28, 2014 Shopper News about the Knox County Election Commission being without it’s Chairman Chris Heagerty during the November 4, 2014 election. According to the KnoxVotes website here Haegerty is an Attorney with Hodges, Doughty and Carson.  A review of their Attorney page today (here) does not list Heagerty as an Attorney at the firm.

Heagerty is a long time close personal friend of Knox County Mayor Timothy Floyd Burchett. Heagerty was first appointed to the position of Knox County Election Commission when Burchett was a member of the Knox County legislative delegation. Heagerty an unknown at the time was appointed and longtime Republican activist and Election Commission Member Al Bell was replaced in a manner that can only be describes as a blind side.

With Heagerty being an election official aka public official, the closest friend of the Knox County Mayor should the public have a right to know if his absences is a short term or a long term vacancy? Any current issues that may arise or even this months certification of the November 4, 2014 election could be deadlocked in a 2-2 tie with the 2 Republican Commissioners and the 2 Democrat Commissioners in a deadlock. If the election is not certified, could Briggs be seated as a State Senator or Eddie Smith as the 13th District State Representative or the Amendment results or the city pension results certified or the wine in grocery stores?