Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ Weekly Update.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ Weekly Update.

TRANSCRIPT:

”It’s Friday! Time for another weekly update.

May is a month of recognition and celebration for some very special groups of people. Tuesday was National Teachers Appreciation Day, so a big shout out to all of our teachers. Teacher appreciation isn’t just a week, it is something we feel every day. This has been one of the most challenging school years in our history, to honor the hard work and dedication of our teachers, my staff will be delivering a tree seedling to each school throughout next week.

I hope that each school will plant their seedling in a visible location so that it can serve as a reminder to all that we are firmly grounded in the foundation of educating each student to help them reach their full potential; that just like the tree, we will weather different seasons and challenges but it is our strong roots that unite us and will ensure that we thrive as we grow, contributing to the world around us and creating an impact for generations to come. Two of my team members, Rhonda and Jane, have secured tree seedlings to distribute on Monday to each school.

May 6 to12 is National Nurses Week. Both of my daughters, Devan and Arista, are nurses. Their careers illustrate the need for Career and Technical Education. Both of them went to Walter State Community College in Morristown where they earned their RN certification.

They then went into the workforce, before going back to school and earning their BSNs and eventually masters degrees. Devan is a nurse practitioner specializing in critical care. Arista is an area administrator for a home health service. As you can tell, I’m very proud of them. Nurses play a crucial role in the health care system. If you know one, please make sure they know how much we all appreciate them.

The month of May is National Foster Care Month. Across the county, more than 423,000 children live with foster families. These families, along with mentors, volunteers, and welfare professionals work to ensure a bright future for these children as they await permanent homes. I’ve seen the importance of foster families in my own life.

My chief executive assistant Brad Hair and his wife Kathryn fostered three little girls before adopting them last year. These young ladies were very fortunate to find such a loving home. So thank you to everyone working in the foster care system for making a difference in the lives of the young people you serve.

I presented my budget this week. What’s there to say? No tax increase, lots of important project and a focus on jobs, education and recreation. Check out the county and my own social media platforms for all the details. Oh, and did I say No tax increase?!

School security has been in the news the past few weeks and I’d like everyone to know where I stand on this issue so I released this statement yesterday:

In this year’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, at the request of the community and Knox County Schools, my office is allocating more than 3 million dollars to fund 50 new positions to address students behavioral and mental health issues. To be clear, these positions are meant to supplement and support the schools, not to replace security, as I believe a law enforcement presence inside schools is an absolute necessity. I am grateful Sheriff Tom Spangler and I share an unyielding commitment to student safety. We want to reassure families that we will work with the school system and the City of Knoxville to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for all Knox County students.

Before I go, I’d like to recognize this month’s Knox County’s employees of the month. Lisa Taylor from the Regional Forensic Center, and Alberta Monday and Karen Warren from Libraries. Thanks to you and to all Knox County employees, for your outstanding work.

Until next Friday, I hope everyone has a great week.”