Knox Co. Mayor, 5th District Knox Commission rep disagree about debt, timetable to question budget
First of a two-part series — KNOXVILLE —While Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said he and Angela Russell are Republicans, it didn’t tone down his criticisms of this Knox County Commission 5th District rep serving her first four-year term.
Jacobs made a point to strongly challenge Russell’s views on limiting Knox County Schools spending increases based upon debt concerns and prolonging the fiscal year 2026 county budget process with questions and amendments.
Both Knox leaders spoke to farragutpress — with Jacobs’ office contacting the paper last week eager to amplify his issues with Russell — while their comments also are taken from an often spirited and confrontational Commission meeting Monday, May 19.
Russell answered Jacobs’ criticisms both at the meeting and in a telephone interview with this paper Friday afternoon, May 23.
About KCS spending and the FY 2026 budget, Jacobs’ criticism came after one of Russell’s failed amendments — failing by a vote of her peers in attempt to add amendments to the budget.
One of those was, “I will also be making a motion to reduce the school funding to the minimum required by Tennessee State Law. We have had a 38 percent increase from the 2021 proposed budget while enrollment has not increased,” Russell said, “yet so many of the other departments have kept their funding low — but they’re servicing more population. ... So we’re expecting the (Knox County Sheriff’s Office) to serve more people, but their budget has only gone up 30 percent during that time.
“I do care about education, I do care about children, but I think saddling them with debt isn’t the right answer,” she added. “... And that the savings go toward school debt.”
However, “even if we were to cut funding to the schools, that doesn’t mean that we can tell (Knox County) Schools what to do as far as paying debt service on that,” Jacobs said during the meeting.
The mayor then said, “adjusted for inflation, the debt is actually lower than it has been over the last 10 years. ... If debt was a problem we wouldn’t have a double-A bond rating.”
Jacobs also challenged the view of Russell and 9th District Commissioner Andy Fox “that there’s not been enough time to look at the budget,” pointing out budget preparation work begins in December.
He also said Chief Financial officer Chris Caldwell has been readily available to answer Commissioners’ questions.
Moreover, “If we start amending the budget it causes all kinds of issues,” he added. “We won’t get the budget approved in time (by June 30).”
While Fox backed Russell’s view about budget information time, other Commissioners agreed with Jacobs — including chair Gina Oster (3rd District), labeling such extended time requests as “disingenuous” during the meeting.
However, Russell told Jacobs and her fellow Commissioners that extra questions, and therefore extra time, also are necessary due to constituents coming to her with questions and concerns later in the budgetary process.
Moreover, the 5th District rep said that upon meeting with Jacobs April 30 “was the first time I was given official numbers for the budget.”
However, “I was only given about six pages,” adding the “summary budget” for Commissioners and the public came out around May 5, then the full version “after May 5.”
