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The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
In an effort deemed to be “a nonsensical idea” by University of Tennessee-Knoxville Professor of Journalism and Media, Matt Harmon, several Knox County commissioners are making a stand by voting against federal funding for their county.
It remains to be seen whether the actions of these public officials might inspire mayors and commissioners in other counties, as well as Tennessee’s state lawmakers, to start saying no to federal funds.
On Nov. 12th, 2024, concerns were raised regarding the Knox County Commission’s Nov. 18th agenda which included the approval of federal grants to aid homeless individuals and support low-income households with energy efficiency improvements.
Knox County Commissioner Andy Fox, spoke up and said that he did not think the county should be accepting any grant money from the federal government.
According to The Compass Knox, he referred to the U.S. federal government’s ever-increasing debt total which currently sits at $36.15 trillion.
“I am not going to in good conscience vote to have the county go tell the federal government to borrow money to give to us, and then we place it on the backs of future generations to pay off,” Fox said at the time.
“How do we address the homelessness situation without the HUD funding that goes into the Office of Housing Sustainability?” Knox County Commissioner Damon Rawls asked.
Fox’s response was that nonprofits and the private sector were likely in a better position to provide help than the federal government.
At the Commission’s Nov. 18th meeting, Fox presented a brief slide show explaining his position, saying that the federal government barely brings in enough revenue to cover things like social security, healthcare and the military.
He went on to note that ultimately, the funds that Knox County would receive through the proposed federal grants would be borrowed funds, only racking up the national debt even more.
“I don’t want to make that any worse, so that’s why I’m voting no,” Fox said.
That evening, Fox voted against the items on the Commission agenda which perpetuated the acceptance of federal grant money by Knox County.
While most of the Commission still voted to accept the federal funds, Commissioners Angela Russell and Rhonda Lee either abstained or voted alongside Fox on those items.
Fox’s quest did not end at that November meeting though.
During a December agenda review meeting, Fox brought up three different resolutions regarding $27.3 million in federal funding for county programs.
He did this, not to simply discuss the uses of those funds, but to reiterate that the county should not be accepting funds that the federal government has to borrow in order to give.
“You’re either going to be part of the problem or not a part of the problem,” Fox addressed his colleagues. “If you’re taking money they are borrowing to give to you, you are part of the problem.”
Commissioner Shane Jackson noted that county commissioners don’t get to vote on the federal budget or have a say in its debt, but their responsibility is to vote on services for Knox County residents.
“Our position here is to represent our citizens and represent our constituents and to improve our community,” said Jackson. “We improve our community both through local funding and federal grants.”
In response, Fox said he would prefer charitable organizations and churches to meet some of those needs, but that local tax dollars could also be used in place of federal dollars.
“If we feel these are worthwhile endeavors, maybe we should have a tax increase on the Knox County level,” he stated.
According to Senior Director of Grants and Community Development Jenny Holden, the most recent audit at the time showed that Knox County received around $109.25 million in federal funding throughout 2023.
Chief Financial Officer Chris Caldwell noted that in order for local tax dollars to replace federal funding, Knox County would need to raise the property tax rate by approximately 56 cents.
The current rate is $1.55 per $100 of assessed value, meaning the rate would need to increase by 36.1%.
The Commission’s next voting meeting took place on Dec. 16th, 2024.
By an 8-3 vote, the Commission approved the allocation of $1 million in federal housing funds for an affordable housing project in Hardin Valley.
Commissioners Andy Fox, Rhonda Lee and Angela Russell voted against this funding.
Russell spoke out against the Hardin Valley project saying that funding affordable housing communities on expensive land only benefits developers.
“This doesn’t benefit the people it was originally intended to benefit,” she said.
It is not unheard of for local governments and communities to reject federal funds.
In fact, during the federal government’s disbursement of Covid-19 relief funds, Bingham Township, a rural community in Pennsylvania, turned down approximately $69,000 in federal relief funds.
According to the National League of Cities, 171 communities out of 7,975 with fewer than 50,000 residents rejected the Covid-19 relief funds they were offered by the federal government.
Perhaps, as House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville-District 25) and Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge-District 5) suggested back in 2023 during consideration of forgoing federal education funds, Tennessee and its local governments can actually manage just fine without federal funds.
“A premise that needs to be challenged is if all federal funding is always good for the recipient,” Knox County Conservative Consultant, Erik Wiatr, told The Tennessee Conservative. “If it is producing dependency, intergenerational poverty, more bureaucracy, actually creating crime in a community by being a magnet for criminals, illegal immigration, more government subsidized housing, or imposing values that do not reflect a community then is any of that funding desirable?”
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
