Today, Mr. Van Shaver decided to attack my candidacy for the 7th District seat on the Loudon County Commission. While I honor Mr. Cullen’s past service to our community, I know that Mr. Cullen has privately acknowledged on more than one occasion that Mr. Shaver is his personal attack “K-9”. Why Mr. Shaver believes it’s his job to continually meddle in the affairs of Tellico Village is beyond me.
First, I strongly believe that the voters of the 7th District should decide who best represents their interests on the county commission, not Mr. Shaver's interests. This is one of my primary motivations for running.
Second, Mr. Shaver boasts about the Commission's stellar budget management, yet he can't refute that Loudon County's overall budget has ballooned by 30% in just the last four years, not to mention the “no plan, no study, no third-party oversight” new school at a cost of at least $110 million.
Third, Mr. Shaver denies deficits in five of the last eight years, but the Tennessee Comptroller's office—the state's authoritative source on county finances—proves otherwise. See the attachment from the comptroller’s own website.
The proposed 2025-2026 county budget only exacerbates this trend, with anticipated revenues of $106,852,947 against expenditures of $113,415,835 (see the full details here).
Finally, Mr. Shaver claims 5% annual budget cuts are impossible. Really? Take the new Loudon County Clerk's office in Lenoir City: bought for $1,085,000, renovated for $225,000, and now costing $300,000 yearly to staff (five employees at ~$60,000 each in salary and benefits), plus lost tax revenue, utilities, insurance, and debt service. All to avoid a 10-minute drive for license renewals—when half are done online anyway? Or was it just for the convenience of the town's two dealerships? Waste like this is exactly where we can trim without cutting essentials.
I believe that the attack by Mr. Shaver to impune my integrity is only another indication of his utter disdain and disrespect for the citizens of Tellico Village. This is why I always say that it’s time to return civility to Loudon County and “Rotate the Crops”. I consider it a badge of honor to be attacked by the county’s most prolific attacker. Perhaps I am over the target. I look forward to earning your support.
###