Image Credit: Visit Knoxville & Canva.
Article by David Seal, Tennessee Conservative News –
Knox County, Tennessee Commissioner Angela Russell is proposing two ordinances designed to hold government accountable for spending and provide taxpayers a means to see what their money is being used for. Both are supported by Mayor Betsy Henderson.
Proposed Ordinance O-26-10-103 deals with distribution of Knox County’s Hotel/Motel Tax proceeds. In the FY 2026 Knox County Budget, nearly 5 million dollars was awarded to Visit Knoxville.
The image below is from the Visit Knoxville Plan Your Visit LGBTQ webpage.
Two years ago, the Tennessee Conservative News published a news report concerning a call-to-action by Knox for Liberty. We urge our readers to review the report linked below. Knox County public funding continues to flow into Visit Knoxville.
Proposed Ordinance O-26-10-102 addresses “Defined Services Contracts” which will govern public funds that are handed out to non-profit organizations like the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, the Blount Partnership, the Farragut West Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, and other non-profit groups.
The aim of the ordinance is to provide a window into the inner workings of certain nonprofit organizations that receive Knox County taxpayer funding. The following text from the proposed ordinance describes the data that will be available to the public if enacted and the conditions under which disclosure of documents will be triggered.
A complete list of non-profit organizations funded from the General Fund under the “Defined Services Contracts” is pictured below.
Knox County Mayor Betsy Henderson supports both ordinances for transparency and accountability proposed by Commissioner Angela Russell. Her Media Release is pictured below.
About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and past Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level. David is also a 2024 winner of The Tennessee Conservative Flame Award & has received an accolade from the Institute For Justice for successfully lobbing the TN legislature to protect property rights. David can be reached at david@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
