Lawrence Segrest and Martin Ammons, presidents of the Knox County Conservative Republicans Districts 5 & 9 groups, have issued the following statement:
Knox County Conservative Republicans of Districts 5 and 9 endorsed and worked tirelessly to elect County Commissioners Angela Russell and Andy Fox. We are very proud that they are living out their campaign promises to taxpayers for transparent budget engagement. Their dedication to fiscal responsibility is evident through their public questioning and proposed solutions to prioritize debt reduction, infrastructure, and public safety. It is so refreshing to see elected officials maintain conservative values after they are elected! Regardless of agreement on specific issues, we should all support public participation and responsible stewardship of taxpayer funds. Although it is disappointing to see some Republican elected officials attacking their actions, it motivates Knox County Conservatives to work even harder in the next election.
This statement was issued as a sign of support for Commissioners Fox and Russell following the hotly debated budget at the County Commission meeting on May 19, and subsequent criticisms of Russell and Fox by fellow Republicans.
I would like to thank Commissioners Russell and Fox for standing up and not rubber stamping a budget with line items that do not promote conservative values. In November 2024, we asked our federal government to DOGE what our federal government is paying out, and lo and behold, they found much fraud and waste. Knox County Government and Knox County Schools need a forensic audit. I’m tired of seeing our tax dollars wasted on frivolous items, unnecessary items, while there is debt to be paid. As a citizen, I forgo many frivolous items in order to pay down our debt and am becoming closer and closer to being debt free. Unnecessary spending needs to stop. NGOs and non-profits need to stand on their own two feet and stop expecting the government to fund them.