Anderson mayor defends pay, raps commissioners

Commissioners say Frank statement 'false, misleading'

MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank addresses allegations brought against her by county commissioners during a press conference Monday at the Anderson County Courthouse. Her chief of staff, Richard Burroughs, is in the background.

Photo by Michael Patrick, copyright © 2013

MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank addresses allegations brought against her by county commissioners during a press conference Monday at the Anderson County Courthouse. Her chief of staff, Richard Burroughs, is in the background.

Terry Frank responds to allegations made against her by county commissioners

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank addresses allegations brought against her by county commissioners during a press conference Monday at the Anderson County Courthouse. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

Photo by Michael Patrick, copyright © 2013 // Buy this photo

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank addresses allegations brought against her by county commissioners during a press conference Monday at the Anderson County Courthouse. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

CLINTON — Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank on Monday defended what she said was a longstanding mayor’s salary supplement and said the Anderson County Commission chairman has “smeared” her with false accusations and questioned her honesty.

Chairman Chuck Fritts says Frank gets a $4,800 annual travel allowance and also has access to a county car. She should have one or the other — not both, Fritts has said.

Frank’s remarks Monday in front of the courthouse were billed in advance as a “full press conference” and were “Truth, Law and the Facts.” She took no questions from the media after reading her lengthy statement.

Frank, elected to a special two-year term in August, has been embroiled on several occasions in contentious disputes with some county commissioners.

On Monday, she focused on Fritts and Myron Iwanksi, her predecessor as interim mayor, and the recent concerns Fritts has expressed about the annual supplement.

She took both commissioners to task and said Fritts’ remarks about her were “entirely politically motivated.”

Frank said three previous county mayors have received the same allowance as well as travel reimbursement for personal car use and also have had use of county cars. Those actions were never questioned, she said.

She slammed Fritts’ past travel reimbursements, saying he received payback from the county for meals in instances “where meals were provided at conferences he attended ”

She also said Fritts skimped on refueling a county vehicle, pumping only three gallons into it when he returned from Nashville, “rather than returning the car the way he received it.”

Iwanksi received reimbursement from the county for mileage on his personal car the day after commission approved restoration of the $4,800 mayor’s salary supplement, Frank said. That pay was briefly cut out after former Mayor Rex Lynch resigned in January 2011.

Frank in her statements repeatedly denied the supplement is “travel money.” Instead, she said, the funding is “part of a salary, not a travel code.”

Both Fritts and Iwanski on Monday labeled some of Frank’s remarks as false and misleading.

“Our mayor thrives on divisiveness and conflict when trying to work with the County Commission,” Fritts said in an email. He strongly denied any political motivations in his comments.

Iwanksi said he never used a county vehicle while mayor or received other vehicle compensation from the county after the supplement was reinstated. “We should not start raising issues in a way that divides the community and its elected officials,” Iwanski said.

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Comments » 72

beammeupscotty writes:

Franks should just go back to being a blogger. She is clearly not ready for prime time.

spades writes:

Oh, she is ready to move up to higher offices. She clearly has mastered the "Well, look at what this guy did! What I did wasn't nearly as bad! Look at him! Look at him!" game.

caseyjones4 (Inactive) writes:

If they're a politician, you can safely bet the farm that they're a damned crook.

SaintDeacon187 writes:

From Terry's website: Terry believes in lower taxes, less spending, and smaller government to protect taxpayers and ensure we don’t pay the price for the county’s poor planning...These "fiscal conservatives" give me the chuckles. Certainly she rejected the thought of using the taxpayer funded county car in the first place, right? Right? Paul Ryan where are you?

keepitreal4vols writes:

They have all been watching too much C-span

ClintonIndependent writes:

Look at the RAGE in her face. She took no questions from the press because she would stray from the script handed to her from her 'chief of staff', Who is that shadowy figure anyway? Go Fritts. You represent MY district well!

tnvarmit#526548 (Inactive) writes:

These are mainly the County Commissioners who said there had not been a county property tax increase in years when in fact the year before many appraisals went up as did the Taxes Due. In other words for many two major tax increases two years running for some a total of nearly 100% increase. That is not a story in the Knoxville News Liberal. That lie of one tax increase still gets repeated. Thankfully ths years bill due no later than March 1 didn't go up this year.

But a penny ante accusation by two county commissioners over what seems to be two uses of a county vehicle {Lord Help anyone driving the worn out hand me down clunkers} is major news?

I bet you anything had the DEMs won the county mayor election and this happened not one word would have ever been said OR PUBLISHED. Anderson County Commission has a long standing history of working against GOP office holders.

I just wish the County Commissioners had to either run party affiliated or Independent like every other office holder in the county. The sheriff for example runs by party although the sheriff makes no county laws or regulations. But what do we know about the county commission? That seems rather backwards to me.

Since were going to have partisan party politics in the county commission lets get it out in the open as too whom is whom.

BTW Mr. Fowler any more follow ups as to that pending County Commission investigation over the AVFD subscriptions after using county land to build station three on? Then afterward declaring a for fee service? The fee wasn’t the issue so much as the threats about landowners insures being informed and the announcement after the fact of station three being completed. How many persons donated to cover cost and were not told of the pending change? It cost AVFD a lot of otherwise good will and it was handled very wrong.

Sanfu writes:

in response to beammeupscotty:

Franks should just go back to being a blogger. She is clearly not ready for prime time.

misogynistic, eh?

Kasey writes:

Franks is for whatever she can get out of it personally. The people will not know the extent of her greed until some time after she is out of office.

knoxtaxpayer1 writes:

sometimes its not cheaper to keep her !,,,,,

ktownddy writes:

There really isn't much right about government in Anderson County. It really is a bunch of unpolished yahoos running a government. And it shows day after day...

StateofEastTN (Inactive) writes:

She's just trying to make a name for herself in typical tea party fashion. I guess sometimes they have to create their own drama since no one except their little flock of sheep pays attention to them anyway. I do feel for the poor folks in Oak Ridge though for having to be associated with Anderson County and such backwardness.

daviesfr#216784 writes:

in response to kerneltom#205682:

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

At this rate, she will have little time left to help Anderson County grow anything.

And "conference" (as in press conference) is defined as "an interchange of views." As typical of insecure, overly defensive politicians, her conference was a one-way street. People in her position do not like to answer questions from the press.

Steelforge1 writes:

Wah, wah, wah, sounds like a bunch of first graders out on the playground. He said , she said type of stuff. Get over it and get down to running the county the way it needs to be ran and get over this bickering. The county, the state and this entire nation is in turmoil and we all need to get off of our personal agendas and get busy getting things straightened out. Do your jobs!

Observer43 writes:

It's amazing how fast Tea Partiers crash and burn.

lm5449#205749 writes:

in response to SaintDeacon187:

From Terry's website: Terry believes in lower taxes, less spending, and smaller government to protect taxpayers and ensure we don’t pay the price for the county’s poor planning...These "fiscal conservatives" give me the chuckles. Certainly she rejected the thought of using the taxpayer funded county car in the first place, right? Right? Paul Ryan where are you?

Socialist would take the same perks but raise taxes to get more.

Ringo writes:

It was only a matter of time.

tennessee7 writes:

Go Terry! don't let these Warren Gooch supporters continue to cause problems...It was Myron that put the auto allowance in...Oak Ridgers..come on vote these guys and the "top complainer/troublemaker" in Oak Ridge...Robin Biloski..out of office. These complaints are nothing but a grandstand attempt to embarrass Ms. Frank. Would they have done the same thing had Gooch won? of course not. Look at what Rex Lynch got away with these commissioners.

Dragonmaster writes:

in response to beammeupscotty:

Franks should just go back to being a blogger. She is clearly not ready for prime time.

Truer words have never been spoken. I don't know how she managed to get enough people to vote for her to win the election... must have been the ones who don't know and have never met her.

Dragonmaster writes:

in response to Steelforge1:

Wah, wah, wah, sounds like a bunch of first graders out on the playground. He said , she said type of stuff. Get over it and get down to running the county the way it needs to be ran and get over this bickering. The county, the state and this entire nation is in turmoil and we all need to get off of our personal agendas and get busy getting things straightened out. Do your jobs!

Lots o' luck getting the Republicans to stop being childish.

The_Sen writes:

Watch the video.

moonpie-ellie writes:

The way she handled this speaks volumes. Instead of settling it like a grown-up she holds a whiney press conference, points fingers at others and won't allow questions.

wingnut writes:

in response to moonpie-ellie:

The way she handled this speaks volumes. Instead of settling it like a grown-up she holds a whiney press conference, points fingers at others and won't allow questions.

In other words she acts like the current President.

Sanfu writes:

in response to tennessee7:

Go Terry! don't let these Warren Gooch supporters continue to cause problems...It was Myron that put the auto allowance in...Oak Ridgers..come on vote these guys and the "top complainer/troublemaker" in Oak Ridge...Robin Biloski..out of office. These complaints are nothing but a grandstand attempt to embarrass Ms. Frank. Would they have done the same thing had Gooch won? of course not. Look at what Rex Lynch got away with these commissioners.

Chuck Fritts and Myron Iwanksi will likely not be reelected after making these false alligations.

moonpie-ellie writes:

in response to wingnut:

In other words she acts like the current President.

She's FAR from the President, but apparently thinks she's as important as he is. Seriously, she's a friggin' mayor of a tiny town and she's holding a press conference to air dirty laundry? Give me a break. If i lived in Anderson County, this would only make me want to vote against her.

Mark-C (Inactive) writes:

So much for a “full press conference.”

Do any of you fellow TPers have an explanation why she said she'd have a press conference and didn't?

Mark-C (Inactive) writes:

in response to KNS_ARE_RACIST_:

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

_________________________________________

Why do you say that?

Please keep writing. We'd really like to know your rationale.

originalintent writes:

in response to Observer43:

It's amazing how fast Tea Partiers crash and burn.

It would be a bit premature to make that observation...unless it is purely based on personal bias.

beckydoane2#1397649 writes:

in response to ClintonIndependent:

Look at the RAGE in her face. She took no questions from the press because she would stray from the script handed to her from her 'chief of staff', Who is that shadowy figure anyway? Go Fritts. You represent MY district well!

So true!

Sanfu writes:

in response to The_Sen:

Watch the video.

I did watch the video and it clear that Frank DID NOT use the county car or accept reimbursement for milage even though she is eligible.

"Oak Ridge Today" makes this clear in their online addition. KNS is doing their best to obscure the truth.

beckydoane2#1397649 writes:

I only hope the next two years go by quicly and hope the voters will be someone in office that have the people's best interest in heart. When she bucked the Andersonville Fire Department for going to subscrptions, that pretty much summed it up for me!
Especially knowing that all other volunteer fire departments have had this in place for years. Some people want something for nothing and she supports that!

Ichabod writes:

Good lord, if that is what the job does to you - YOU CAN HAVE IT !! She's aged 30 years in 3 months. Take it home, Granny

leon writes:

Radical far left Democrats have more fun and offer more entertaining comments than any others I have ever seen. I honestly do not see why there is a need for any other group.

Mark-C (Inactive) writes:

Am I correct in interpreting Ms. Franks statements that she did not accept travel reimbursement because the money she accepted for travel reimbursement was part of her salary?

Maybe if she allowed members of the press to ask questions I would not be as unsure.

beckydoane2#1397649 writes:

in response to leon:

Radical far left Democrats have more fun and offer more entertaining comments than any others I have ever seen. I honestly do not see why there is a need for any other group.

Entertaining maybe, but truthful, yes!

tnvarmit#526548 (Inactive) writes:

in response to Sanfu:

I did watch the video and it clear that Frank DID NOT use the county car or accept reimbursement for milage even though she is eligible.

"Oak Ridge Today" makes this clear in their online addition. KNS is doing their best to obscure the truth.

KNS as of the past few years has become the Biased News Department for the state and national Liberal Democratic Party. The so called in house Editorials reflect it as does when stories are aimed at local leaders but only attacking the GOP office holders. Not one unkind word yet about the Mayor of Knoxville. Why even Lamar Alexander is loved by KNS when he carries the Democratic Party agenda.

Hey KNS is there another major breaking news dog being carried inside the courthouse story here or not?

WiseOldManofRogersville writes:

in response to beammeupscotty:

Franks should just go back to being a blogger. She is clearly not ready for prime time.

Wasn't she on "The L Word" a few years back?

Axemanagain writes:

Republicans fighting over support from their base, squirrels fighting over nuts.

ClintonIndependent writes:

The hypocrisy of the Tea Party.' We are going to cut taxpayer waste…unless I get to waste it.' Tea party people are self serving and divisive.She has brought this county to a grinding halt. No new industry will locate here with her 'running the county'. She ran a dirty campaign and will run a dirty term.

Sanfu writes:

in response to Axemanagain:

Republicans fighting over support from their base, squirrels fighting over nuts.

And Tennessee Democrats are fighting over the fact that no one will vote for them.

agent1 writes:

in response to Sanfu:

Chuck Fritts and Myron Iwanksi will likely not be reelected after making these false alligations.

Wanna bet?

Axemanagain writes:

in response to Sanfu:

And Tennessee Democrats are fighting over the fact that no one will vote for them.

Not putting up much of a fight, not much worth fighting for.

agent1 writes:

in response to KNS_ARE_RACIST_:

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Of course, then there's people like you who have nothing to resort to but lies. The sales tax in Oak Ridge is exactly the same as it is in the rest of the county. And as to the property tax, Oak Ridge gets a first class school system, a police department, a library, trash pickup, and a real fire department for their money. What does the rest of the county get for paying nothing? The answer is simple, nothing.

Mark-C (Inactive) writes:

in response to KNS_ARE_RACIST_:

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

___________________________________

I disagree with you. New businesses are in town, and the current city manager is doing a good job. It's not a half-bad community to live in. Oak Ridge has a symphony, choir, playhouse, good school system, and most people who work here are gone after 5:00 PM and on weekends making it easy to get around.

The original houses all have red-oak hardwood floors throughout, fireplaces, and are easily modified and upgraded. Most houses have views of or are adjacent the numerous green belts. City parks are plentiful and located a walk away.

Could you explain your rationale for making the statement you did?

ClintonIndependent writes:

in response to agent1:

Wanna bet?

Plus one!

Steelforge1 writes:

in response to Dragonmaster:

Lots o' luck getting the Republicans to stop being childish.

Both are childish if you ask me. LOL

ronburgundy (Inactive) writes:

I absolutely could not believe that this woman was voted into office. I had the misfortune of dealing with her father on several occasions and am now a firm believer in the apple not falling far from the tree. But I guess this is what voters wanted. And for you misinformed souls, she's the "county" mayor. The Clinton city mayor, Scott Burton, has something that Franks can't possibly comprehend. Common sense.

icebearsvictory writes:

Sad

Horace writes:

in response to beckydoane2#1397649:

I only hope the next two years go by quicly and hope the voters will be someone in office that have the people's best interest in heart. When she bucked the Andersonville Fire Department for going to subscrptions, that pretty much summed it up for me!
Especially knowing that all other volunteer fire departments have had this in place for years. Some people want something for nothing and she supports that!

You said: "knowing that all other volunteer fire departments have had this in place for years." Name them and the "years" they've been in place.

At the same time perhaps you can help libs Ellie Mae and Jensen name the "little town" that Frank is mayor of.

Horace writes:

in response to agent1:

Of course, then there's people like you who have nothing to resort to but lies. The sales tax in Oak Ridge is exactly the same as it is in the rest of the county. And as to the property tax, Oak Ridge gets a first class school system, a police department, a library, trash pickup, and a real fire department for their money. What does the rest of the county get for paying nothing? The answer is simple, nothing.

Oak Ridge has been, and still is, an island unto itself. Economically it’s had to depend upon the federal government to keep it afloat. The city cannot even keep a mall occupied with its small town Wal-Mart mentality. Oak Ridge is still nothing more than a government town and produces politicians ike those sitting on the county commission; one of which attempted to act like a county mayor and failed.

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