Knox County Ethics Committee

The Knox County Ethics Committee was created by the Knox County Commission on January 22, 2007, to receive and investigate complaints of violations of the policy and to refer matters to the appropriate person or agency for further action under existing laws, if appropriate.

The Knox County Ethics Committee meets monthly, the fourth Wednesday of each month, in the City-County Building, and the meetings are open to the public.

The Knox County Ethics Committee (the “Ethics Committee”) consists of ten (10) members appointed to one-year terms (beginning September 1 of each year) by the Knox County Mayor and the Knox County Commission as follows:

1. Two (2) members of the Knox County Commission with one appointed by the Knox County Mayor and one appointed by the Knox County Commission.
   
   
2. Two (2) full-time employees of Knox County to include if selected employees of the Knox County School System with one appointed by the Knox County Mayor and one appointed by the Knox County Commission.
   
   
3. Four (4) citizens of Knox County who meet the residential requirements of being a Knox County voter, who are not employees of Knox County, and are not directly related (i.e., spouse, sibling, parent or child) to any elected official of Knox County.  Two such citizens shall be appointed by the Knox County Mayor and two such citizens shall be appointed by the Knox County Commission.
   
   
4. One (1) (county-wide) Constitutional County Officer of Knox County and one (1) Knox County Board of Education member appointed mutually by the Knox County Mayor and the Knox County Commission. Should no (county-wide) Constitutional County Officer and/or Knox County Board of Education member be willing to accept the appointment, an additional member of the Knox County Commission or a member of a board, committee, commission, authority, or corporation governed by this policy shall be appointed mutually by the Knox County Mayor and the Knox County Commission.
   The Knox County Board of Education member shall be nominated by the Knox County Board of Education and confirmed by the Knox County Commission and the Knox County Mayor.

The current committee members are:

Rev. Dr. Ron Stewart, Chairman
Mr. Frank Shanklin, Sr., Vice-Chairman
Ms. Kim Waller, Secretary
Ms. Julia Tucker
Mr. Rex Davis
Mr. Mike Duncan
Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond
Knox County Commissioner Paul Pinkston
Knox County School Board Member Thomas Deakins
Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Martha Phillips

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• Code of Ethics - Policy Adoption (Click Here)
  
  

The Sworn Complaint form, with instructions, is available on this website for downloading. The Sworn Complaint form MUST be used in order to file a complaint with the Knox County Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee Chairman will return to the complainant, without further action by the Chairman or committee, any complaint received that is not on the Sworn Complaint form. If anyone needs assistance with completing the form, they should contact the Knox County Law Director’s Office at 865-215-2327.The Knox County Law Director’s Office provides legal services and support for the Knox County Ethics Committee.