letter to the editor
Laying his own ‘foundation’ concerning pro-developer, pro-biz
My name was mentioned in (the Feb. 13 issue of) farragutpress within what appeared to be a commercial for Bob Markli under the guise of a story about Farragut’s founders.
I was elected and served as an alderman from 2009 to 2014. Our late mayor, Ralph McGill, supported my candidacy, as we were both in favor of continuing with our Town’s strict zoning and signage regulations and in putting residential homeowners first above the profit margins and demands of developers and business interests who ran the roost in Knox County government.
Mayor McGill was fond of saying that our Town’s charter called for the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to chart the course and to let the Town’s professional staff sail the ship. I well recall one issue involving the Caliber Car Wash and how the Town’s staff bent over backwards to try and work with the owners regarding violations of certain Town regulations.
All of us on the board, with the exception of Mr. Markli, supported our Town’s professional staff. While I got along OK personally with Mr. Markli, it was very apparent early in our term that he rarely met a developer or business request that he didn’t favor, and his favored approach was to shoot from the hip, then occasionally take aim.
He was one of the more divisive personalities that I’ve had the opportunity to experience in my professional and Town volunteer service career.
The phrase about “it takes all kinds” certainly fits, as Mr. Markli consistently represented the needs and desires of the developer and business community. Fortunately, Farragut residents have voted for a majority of pro-homeowner and maintenance of strict zoning and signage regulation candidates, allowing our community to stay true to its roots and its heritage.
Jeff Elliott
former alderman, Farragut
