News
March 4, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved its 2026-27 strategic plan during its meeting Thursday, Feb. 26, despite concerns about ambiguity raised by resident Kim Parks.
“I want to begin by saying that strategic planning is important. Vision matters. Priorities matter. Words matter,” Parks said. “… And that’s exactly why I am here because the language used in the 2026 Strategic Planning Priorities document deserves closer examination.
“The document opens with a beautiful vision … but when we move from vision to implementation, the language becomes broader and in some cases, more ambiguous.
“For example, the plan states the Town will ‘identify properties that could be strategically rezoned to commercial.’ That single sentence carries enormous weight,” she said. “Which properties? Under what criteria? At whose request? With what public input before identification occurs?”
The resolution for the strategic plan stemmed from a Board workshop retreat in January.
“The Town of Farragut initiated its first strategic plan in 2010 and hired Raftelis Consulting to facilitate updating the plan in 2017 and 2023,” Town administrator David Smoak said. “The Farragut strategic plan helps identify the vision, mission and values of the organization and guides decision-making by prioritizing critical success factors the Town needs to pursue over the next few years.
“Each department in the Town will set its priorities for the year based on these critical success factors, which will also help guide the Town’s budget priorities heading into FY2027 and beyond,” he said.
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March 4, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
TV icons Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl made their mark in Hollywood.
Now, they are focused on leaving a legacy.
That legacy brought them to Kroger Marketplace in Farragut on Monday, Feb. 23, for the launch of Duffy’s Dough, a ready-to-bake sourdough bread line sold at Kroger, with 100 percent of profits donated to hunger relief organizations nationwide.
Earlier that day, the couple partnered with Knox County Community Action Committee in Knoxville, delivering meals and supporting hunger relief efforts in Knoxville and Nashville.
The bread traces back to a 70-year-old Alaskan starter given to Duffy’s mother when the family lived in Alaska.
“Many people may remember Patrick from ‘Dallas’ or ‘Step by Step,’ and Linda Purl was Fonzie’s girlfriend on ‘Happy Days.’ She was also on ‘Matlock’ and ‘The Office,’” said Lauren Bell, head of communications and public affairs for The Kroger Co.
After 50 years in entertainment, Duffy said the couple began thinking about what came next.
“A friend told us he was in the legacy portion of his life and career,” Duffy said. “He didn’t want to do things that didn’t have a lasting impact. That made perfect sense to us.”
Around that time, Duffy had been bringing homemade sourdough rolls — made from the longtime family starter — to dinner parties.
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March 4, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
While potential candidates still have time to back out of local elections, the races already are heating up as people pick up petitions to run for Farragut offices, as well as Knox County and state offices, in the Tuesday, May 6 election.
So far, current Alderman Alex Cain has picked up and returned his petition to also run for mayor, and former Vice Mayor Louise Povlin picked up the petition on Monday, Feb. 23, to run for mayor, according to Knox County election administrator Chris Davis.
“[Cain] has enough signatures to qualify to run for mayor on the ballot,” Davis said. “We’ve not heard hide nor hair from Sean Murphy since he picked up [the petition to run for mayor].”
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen seats up for election are mayor, Ward 1 alderman, currently held by Scott Meyer, and Ward 2 alderman, currently held by Joe LaCroix.
Davis noted Murphy also picked up the paperwork to run for the South Ward alderman seat.
In the alderman race, “Joseph 'Joey' Ruffalo has enough signatures to be on the ballot in Ward I — North Kingston Pike,” the election administrator said. “South of Kingston Pike, gosh a lot of people have picked up [petitions].”
In the South Ward alderman race, current Alderman Joe LaCroix has returned his petition to run for that seat. Other contenders are Matthew Parsons, Murphy, Randal Roberts and Greg Wiberley.
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March 4, 2026 by Staff Reports
Time is drawing near to vote for Town of Farragut, Knox County and state officials in local elections.
Knox County Election Commission administrator Chris Davis said the first day to register to vote before the election is Monday, April 26, while the first day of the early voting period is Wednesday, April 15.
The last day of early voting is Thursday, April 30. The final day to request an absentee ballot is Saturday, April 25.
“We’re relocating one of the precincts out of Farragut High School,” Davis said. “There are two precincts currently that vote at Farragut High School.
“We’re splitting them up, and we’re going to move one of those precincts to vote over at the Korean Church of Knoxville, 108 Farlow Drive, right in front of Costco [across the street],” he said.
However, for other precincts, “it will be business as usual,” Davis said.
March 4, 2026 by Tammy Cheek
The Town of Farragut is looking at six-year Capital Investment Program projects coming up from 2027 through 2032, which include parks, roads and stormwater improvements.
An update on the Town’s CIP budget highlighted Farragut Board of Mayor and Alderman’s next budget workshop, which took place before the Board’s regular workshop Thursday, Feb. 26.
“The way we budget for this is the actual monies in the budget for [Fiscal Year] ’27 are what plan for,” Town administrator David Smoak said. “It’s what we put in the budget.
“All future years out are what we plan, and we estimate very conservatively on how much we think we’re going to get in revenues and expenditures,” he said. “But those can change from year to year, and they will change from year to year.
“The main thing of our long-term strategy is to keep our CIP in the black,” Smoak said.
Among the general government projects, the Board can expect projects costing $450,000.
In Parks and Recreation, Smoak said for FY 2027, “We are estimating about $1.9 million in projects to be completed or started and completed for a total six-year CIP of around $7 million.”
Among the parks projects, the Board is looking at $65,000 to replace fencing in Anchor Park in 2027, and $106,000 to renovate Mayor Bob Leonard Park’s baseball diamonds in 2027, as well as $80,000 in 2028 and 2029; and $32,000 in 2030 and $200,000 in 2031.
Additionally, the Town will start Phase 5 of the dog park at McFee Park. Cost of construction is $400,000, but there is a state grant of $200,000 for the project.
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March 4, 2026 by
• A West Knoxville woman reported Feb. 18 that a check she mailed for property taxes at the Farragut Post Office, 11409 Municipal Center Drive, was stolen and altered. The complainant told deputies she placed a check made payable to the Knox County Trustee in a mailbox at the post office. She later received notice that her property taxes had not been paid. After contacting her bank, she learned the check had been stolen and forged, with the payee changed but the amount remaining the same. The check was deposited into a bank account, and the complainant believes it may have been deposited using a mobile device. The case is being investigated as theft, fraud and forgery.
• A Farragut woman reported Feb. 22 that her backyard fence was damaged at a home on North Fox Den Drive between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The complainant told deputies she recently went through a divorce and believes her ex-husband may be responsible. She reported no video footage of the incident. The damage was estimated at $300. The case was listed as vandalism, and the victim declined to cooperate further.
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