Ethics committee to meet Wednesday, November 8

By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com

The Knox County Ethics Committee will meet Wednesday morning at 8:30 to welcome two new members and vote on whether or not to consider a complaint filed by Michael R. Casstevens against Commissioner Kyle Ward.

Casstevens charges that Ward, the District 4 county commissioner, accepted property from a developer in exchange for a favorable vote by Garrett Holt on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Holt is now seeking the Republican nomination to replace Ward, who is not seeking re-election.

Ethics Chairman Michael Covington has forwarded the complaint to the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office for a possible investigation.

Knox County Law Director David Buuck told Covington and the committee that the Casstevens complaint should not be considered because it is incomplete and contains little proof of the charges.

New members of the board include the sheriff’s reappointed representative Rusty Goddard and newly commission-appointed members Krystal Gibson and Marcus A. Hilliard. Following the recognition of the new members the ethics committee will vote to reorganize its leadership.