KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — Knox County commissioners are weighing a proposal that would change how raises for commissioners and school board members are determined, following concerns that the commission effectively approved raises for itself earlier this year.
The discussion took place during a county commission workshop Monday, where members reviewed an ordinance introduced by Third District Commissioner Brandon Huckaby.
The proposal would tie commissioner pay increases to the annual cost-of-living adjustment established by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office. The same formula is already used for several other elected officials across Knox County.
If approved, the county’s finance director would automatically include the cost-of-living increase in the budget, and commissioners would no longer be able to alter or reject those increases during the annual budget process. The ordinance would also apply to members of the Knox County Board of Education.
Concerns About Optics and Public Trust
Much of Monday’s discussion focused less on compensation itself and more on the public perception of elected officials voting on their own pay.
County Finance Director Chris Caldwell said removing commissioners from the process could help avoid criticism and potential conflicts of interest.
“If you are voting for a raise for yourself, you are opening yourself up to ridicule. Without question,” Caldwell told commissioners.
Supporters of the ordinance argued that having raises determined by a state formula would provide transparency and allow commissioners to tell constituents the increases are based on an established calculation rather than a vote by elected officials.
Debate Over Whether a Problem Exists
Not all commissioners agreed that changes are necessary.
Commission Chair Terry Hill argued there is “no problem to fix,” citing county finance data showing commissioner raises have lagged behind what the state’s formula would have provided over the past 15 years.
Hill and other commissioners pointed to broader concerns involving county employee compensation.
Commissioner Shane Jackson noted that county employees have received a combined 41% increase in pay over the last 15 years, while elected officials whose salaries are tied to the state’s calculations have received increases totaling about 50% during the same period.
Hill suggested the county should consider linking raises for county employees to the same state adjustment used for elected officials.
“If we’re really committed to fairness, if we’re committed to doing the right thing, I would like this commission to think about tying the raises we give our county employees every year to whatever the state raise is,” Hill said.
Background on the Proposal
The ordinance stems from actions taken over the summer when commissioners approved increased raises for county employees. To help fund the higher raises, the commission voted to reduce funding in the Knox County Schools budget by approximately $4 million.
Because commissioners are also county employees, the salary adjustment applied to them as well, prompting renewed scrutiny over how elected officials receive raises and whether they should have a role in determining their own compensation.
No vote was taken Monday. The discussion occurred during a workshop session, and the proposal could return for formal consideration at a future commission meeting.
