letter to the editor
Recalling the founding of Farragut: Povlin
During the third week of January, the Town of Farragut celebrates Founder’s Week. It is a time to celebrate the founding of Farragut and remind us of our founding values that remain relevant today.
In the late 1970s, the focus of development in Knox County had turned to the Farragut area. The residents of this area became alarmed by Knox County’s inferior development standards and inadequate planning.
Specifically, among the residents’ concerns were insufficient road construction and stormwater management standards, haphazard development, cluttered right-of-ways and no plans to improve the infrastrucure as this area grew. Also, they were concerned about reserving land for future parks and preserving the rich history of this community.
After a few years of fruitless efforts fighting for reasonable conditions to be imposed on new development, the members of the Farragut Community Group decided the only way for this community to have more control over the future of the Farragut area was to incorporate.
They recognized that growth and development would come, but they knew this community would do a better job of planning, zoning and developing than either Knox County or the City of Knoxville.
They began their efforts to incorporate in early October 1979. Their work was done swiftly and, due to adverse forces within Knox County, under the radar. By the end of October, they were able to file the documentation with the Knox County Election Commission that was necessary to hold a referendum.
The incorporation referendum was held on January 15, 1980. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of incorporation by a 3 to 1 margin. The paperwork for incorporation was filed with the State of Tennessee on Jan. 16, 1980, and the Town of Farragut was born.
On April 1, 1980, the first Town elections took place. On April 7, 1980, the first Board of Mayor and Aldermen was sworn in.
The board immediately began working with this community to plan for our future and to approve ordinances and policies aligned with our founding values. To this day, we remain true to our founding values, we continue to develop based on a vision established in those early years and we continue to thrive without a municipal property tax.
If you would like to learn more about the story of the founding of the Town of Farragut, you can read the book “Full Speed Ahead” by Heather Mays Beck.
Vice Mayor Louise Povlin,
Farragut
