Growth, safety take center stage at GOP forum
Members also had an opportunity to ask questions of David Amburn, a candidate for Knox County sheriff.
Garrett Holt and Kimberly Glenn are running in the Republican Primary on May 5. Holt is seeking the at-large Seat 11 while Glenn is running for at-large Seat 10.
Holt, who grew up in Knox County, graduated from West High School and the University of Tennessee. He works in real estate and now is pursuing medical school while running for office.
“It’s not about the next four years or the next eight; it’s about what Knox County looks like in 10 or 20 years,” he said. “My motto for this campaign is how we get proactive instead of reactive about maintaining what makes Knox County a special place to live.
“We’re one of the fastest-growing communities, not just in Tennessee — we’re No. 2 in the state — but in the United States,” Holt added. “People are attracted to this community.
“With that, we have a lot of growth demands being put on the county,” he said. “That increases demands on our roads, infrastructure, educational system, EMS and safety services.
“As I look toward serving in this role, what we’ve done historically isn’t necessarily the formula that works for Knox County moving forward,” Holt said.
Glenn has served as communications director for the Knox County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Tom Spangler for more than seven years.
“Public safety is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “I care about all of Knox County. I will work hard; I will show up for you.”
When asked whether she would recuse herself from
a vote involving budget matters concerning the sheriff’s office, Glenn said she would if necessary.
“If I feel like it’s something I need to recuse myself from, I will,” she said.
When asked about their stance on raising taxes, neither candidate gave a direct answer.
“I can’t answer yes or no because I don’t know,” Glenn said.
“That’s a question I get asked all across the county — ‘Are you for or against a tax increase?’” she said. “What I can tell you is for the first year, if elected, we’re going to have time to do due diligence.
“You know our roads are in poor condition; you know our infrastructure is strained; you know we have an astronomical amount of growth,” Glenn said.
“For the first year, we will be working on this commission’s budget and the mayor’s budget,” she said. “We’ll be working off someone else’s budget for a year, and that gives us time to do our due diligence.
“I am eager to work with commissioners, the mayor, other elected officials and the public to hear what you need,” she said.
Amburn said one of the greatest challenges facing the sheriff’s office is continuing to recover from post-COVID-19 staffing shortages.
“However, it wasn’t just COVID,” he said. “After COVID, it was a perfect storm. You had defunded police, bail reform, COVID and a new
generation entering law enforcement — not just at the sheriff’s office.
“We have a lot of challenges, especially with our pay scale,” Amburn added.
He also cited maintaining the detention facility while continuing to ensure public safety as another major challenge.
