There are only seven more days until Thanksgiving week. Not that I'm counting or anything.
Before that welcome break, though, there's a lot going on in Knox County, including a long-simmering debate about a contentious issue (that many say isn't an issue at all) and a complicated policy question (that the county and city have wrestled with for years).
This where you can make a difference. Welcome to The Key, your weekly guide to how to have your say in local policy.
Here's where we're helping you get involved this week.
Lee's move to put a constitutionally dubious litmus test on how county tax dollars are spent is rooted in national cultural wars. Local leader after local leader has said they want to focus on policy that has a concrete effect on quality of life here. Lee's resolution, they say, flies wide of that mark.
Lee's resolution, if approved, could have enormous unintended side effects, including giving the commission the power to determine what is and isn't "obscene," a legal standard defined by state and federal law and in court rulings all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Last year, Lee's resolution was criticized for trying to usurp the mayor's prerogative to write the budget.
Important date: The commission will discuss and vote on Lee's resolution at 5 p.m. today, Nov. 18.
What you can do: You can sign up to speak until 4 p.m. today on the commission's website, emailing commission@knoxcounty.org or calling the office at 865-215-2534.
Where to go: The commission meets in the main assembly room at the City-County Building, 400 Main St.
