Loudon County Government, As I See It: A View From A Taxpayer

Image Credit: Brent Moore / CC

by Susan E. Gingrich [Special to The Tennessee Conservative] –

I’m working on my next commentary about what happened Monday night. This commentary about Loudon County government was written in 2019, and government is much worse now. The 7 million new courthouse annex was another Shaver scheme to bilk the taxpayers. His desired location next to the Loudon City Police building was quashed when Pat Hunter informed them that there was a gas line buried underneath that location. Government that often emulates the Three Stooges is what we have here!     

A grueling and combative budget process just ended, culminating in passage of a budget not in the best interest of taxpayers. As usual, the public was partially informed, details withheld from them prior to the vote, and their concerns, with the exception of increasing taxes, minimized or flatly ignored.

Did the Commission Budget Committee actually pass the budget in committee, or was a non-vote intentional, and a gentleman’s agreement made to spend more than the amount in the posted budget document?

I consider honesty and integrity prerequisites for any gentleman or lady. Including plans for a seven million dollar new courthouse annex building, without real public input, which is a big, expensive deal. It is a lot of money, just like spending the three and a half million from the fund balance, our county’s rainy day fund.  

When I ran for county office, something I will never do again, I was told that I didn’t know how things work here. How could I, when there is a lack of transparency,  demonstrated by the less than informative county web site, governmental committees meeting with no files notes, and information not posted to the public in advance, only provided to officeholders during commission and school board meetings.

Votes are cast based on supplemental information, not seen by or available to taxpayers before the vote. To even see it, written record requests must be made by the public, and it is often received well after decisions impacting taxpayers are made. Too much taxation, without fair and appropriate representation or consideration, is how I see it.  

After four years, I have a good idea of how Loudon County government and politics works. I believe there are good county employees and elected officials, who truly do or want to act in the best interest of the public, especially taxpayers.

Unfortunately, there are also elected officials operating in the “What’s in it for Me”, not the “What’s in it for Taxpayers” model.  They employ the politics of personal destruction against each other, and members of the public, including their own constituents. Power, control and manipulation are their game. Gossip, innuendos, lies, and distortions of the truth, plus  fake news are all in their quivers of arrows. To my surprise, I also found out that men are the biggest purveyors of county political gossip.  

Our country is a miracle, made possible with the blessings of God Almighty. I believe in miracles, and that with God all things are possible, including open Loudon County government listening to and accountable to taxpayers!

Susan E Gingrich MHS., a Commonwealth of PA retiree and founder of Patriots Reborn Network refers to herself as a recovering bureaucrat and proud former public servant.  She is a freelance writer and Christian, conservative activist currently living in Loudon, TN with her husband James Shurskis and Cassie, their senior Birman cat.  “If you don’t have a sense of humor and open mind, better to skip my commentary!”.