The Key is a weekly column on how to have your say in politics

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Zoning can be one of the most emotional issues in local politics, and a meeting this week will lay the groundwork for the next debate.

Developer Scott Davis wants to build a new subdivision in East Knox County near Majors Road and Coppock Road. The land is zoned for agriculture, but Davis is requesting permission to build five housing units per acre, totaling 148 homes.

The problem, residents say, is that there isn’t enough infrastructure to support that many new neighbors. It’s a common fear for longtime residents as Knox County grows. About 79,000 new residents are expected to move here by 2040.

If the Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission gives Davis the OK, the Knox County Commission could give its final approval later this month. Their decisions came under scrutiny by Mayor Glenn Jacobs, who issued a warning that commissioners aren’t sticking to the plan they approved to guide growth over the next 20 years.

What planning staff are recommending: County planning staffers used guidelines and want planning board members to approve Davis’ request, but at four units per acre (up to 118 homes) instead of five. They’re suggesting the planning commission require Davis to improve access from Majors Road.

What neighbors are saying: Twelve people submitted comments about the proposed development. The general consensus is that there area is prone to flooding, and Emory Road is already so congested. Neighbors expressed opposition because they say schools are overcrowded and there are few jobs and grocery stores in the community.

Context from the past: Jacobs spearheaded Advance Knox, a planning project that took years and millions of dollars to complete. Farragut, Knox County and Knoxville all approved it.

Looking to the future: If Advance Knox is a roadmap, a group of policies called the Unified Development Ordinance is the guide. The the ordinance includes zoning codes, street standards and subdivision regulations. Without it, Advance Knox has no teeth. Jacobs threatened to halt work on the UDO weeks before the commission approved a $500,000 contract with a firm to create the set of rules.

Want to study up? You can read about Davis’ proposal at knoxplanning.org. Click the May 6 option on the right side of the screen, click “more info” and find the agenda. This item is number 35.

How to attend: The planning commission will meet twice, at 1:30 p.m. May 6 to review the agenda and at 1:30 p.m. May 8 to vote. Both meetings are in the Main Assembly Room of the City-County Building, 400 Main St.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ budget

Jacobs will outline his proposed budget May 5, kicking off the process where members of the public can review it before county commissioners vote on it. The commission has to pass the budget before June 30, and the fiscal year starts July 1.

Jacobs throughout his Knox County government career has promised he won’t raise taxes. But the county’s debt is rising and the two Republican candidates to replace him have differing views on how to handle it.

Knox County Commissioner at-large Larsen Jay has been sounding the alarm about the debt for over a year, saying taxes will have to go up “one day,” even if it’s not while he’s in office. His primary opponent, Knox County School Board chair Betsy Henderson, feels differently. She told Knox News in a text the budget is more than enough to provide great features and that if elected, she’ll oppose any tax raises.

We don’t know what Jacobs will propose, but Jacobs in his 2023 and 2024 budgets passed raises for sheriff’s office employees and teachers, respectively.

Want to study up? You can get familiar with previous budget proposals at knoxcounty.org/finance. Click the current reports tab and choose “adopted budget reports.”

Stay tuned: We’ll have a story outlining Jacobs’ proposal!

Trump orders are hitting home

Federal funding cuts are hitting home.

NPR

President Donald Trump on May 1 signed an executive order that aims to cut funding to news outlets NPR and PBS, the White House said, marking Trump’s latest attempt to use federal tax dollars as leverage against institutions he does not view favorably.

The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes funding to PBS and NPR stations, to “cease direct funding” to them, according to the text released by the White House. It labeled the news outlets as partisan and biased.

NPR’s 246 member institutions, including Knoxville’s WUOT, on average receive 8% to 10% of their funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, according to NPR.

“WUOT received $177,000 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting this year, which represents approximately 9% of its total annual budget of $2 million,” Kerry Gardner, a spokesperson for WUOT, told Knox News in an email. “We are working to determine the full impact of the cuts. WUOT is committed to serving East Tennessee and that mission will continue.”

AmeriCorps

Late last month, CAC AmeriCorps was forced to fire 52 full-time workers after the federal government eliminated funding to AmeriCorps VISTA. The Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, canceled about $400 million in grants to the federal agency, which makes up 41% of the CAC AmeriCorps national budget.

Over half of the 52 workers fired were from Tennessee, and the rest were from out of state. Forty were involved in the environmental corps focused on conservation, and 12 worked for the Western Heights affordable housing development and poverty alleviation.

“Last Friday, the 25th, the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee, which is CAC, received a notice from the AmeriCorps agency discontinuing funding for our AmeriCorps VISTA program. It was noted essentially that the reason for discontinuation was because the grant ‘no longer aligned with the priorities of the agency,'” Jason Scott, the local AmeriCorps director, told Knox News.

“A little bit later in the day, we received a similar notice that basically said the same thing for our state/national program. That’s effectively resulted in us having to cease our operation immediately, discontinue the terms of service for 52 members, and we are currently in the process of exiting them from the program.”

The workers did community needs assessments, raised funds, wrote grants and secured donations. The fired workers will receive financial support until June to pay for housing and bills.

Do you know about federal funding cuts? If you’re impacted by any of the changes made by the Trump administration, I want to hear about it. Shoot me an email!

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.