Jim Berrier, candidate for
Knox Co. Trustee

Jim Berrier is the Democratic candidate for Knox County Trustee. He will face the winner of the three-way Republican primary between Ed Shouse, Barry Hawkins and incumbent Craig Leuthold in the August general election.

According to his bio, Jim Berrier was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. He graduated from Doyle High School 1992, and later from UT Knoxville with Bachelor's and Master's degrees. He works at a financial firm supervising 100 financial advisors who work with federal financial regulation daily.

We asked Mr. Berrier about the Trustee's post and what he would bring to the office. His answers after the break....

KnoxViews: What does the Knox Co. Trustee do?

Mr. Berrier: The trustee oversees the collection of taxes throughout the county as well as various programs that provide tax relief or freezes for qualifying citizens. The trustee is also called upon to invest any idle funds. It's easy to see the position as nothing but a "tax collector," but the trustee is a servant of Knox County -- elected not appointed, and must strive to act with fiduciary responsibility to the citizens of Knox County.

KnoxViews: What qualifies you as the best candidate to carry out those responsibilities?

Mr. Berrier: The County Trustee has lacked leadership for too long. Knox County deserves someone who will care about their tax dollars as much as they do. Every taxpayer works hard to earn a livelihood and it angers me to see that money being mishandled. I have been in the financial services industry for over a decade and earned an MBA at the University of Tennessee. Currently my role is to act as a regulatory supervisor for financial advisors around the country. My goal everyday is to make sure that people receive fair and honest treatment concerning their retirement and other assets. Just like I hold the financial advisors I work with accountable to their clients, I will hold the county government accountable to its citizens.

KnoxViews: What specific changes or reforms would you bring to the Trustee's office?

Mr. Berrier: For far too long, the Trustee's Office has operated under the shadow of doubt and corruption. I think the best way to inspire the public’s trust again is to bring everything out into the open; every record, every statement, every instance of corruption. I will audit every penny and make sure those results are open, accessible and easy to understand. I will apply the same rigor expected of me as a regulatory supervisor to the position of Knox County Trustee.

KnoxViews: At your Facebook page, you mention maintaining "good working relationships with other civil servants" and question whether some of those relationships have deteriorated. Can you elaborate on that? What will you do differently to repair them and maintain them going forward?

Mr. Berrier: I believe returning a sense of trust and accountability to this position could do a lot for the relationships associated with that office. To have faith and trust in the department you work for is extremely important for job performance, motivation, and efficiency. And I think bringing back some credibility is sometimes best done by getting a new face, an outsider's perspective to help re-energize things. Additionally, it can be easier to rebuild trust if you start anew with everyone, letting go of any negativity that may still surround them on a daily basis, as a result of past wrongdoings.

KnoxViews: What are your thoughts regarding a full-time delinquent tax collection operation in the Trustee's office versus outsourcing it?

Mr. Berrier: I think that is something that should be investigated further in the future once basic operations and accountability structures are put into place to address some of the aforementioned issues I brought up. I am not opposed to it; however, I think our current collection needs to be firmly under control before we add additional collections. Last, it depends on the accrued cost that may take on the office financially. I am aiming to save taxpayer dollars so that is at the top of my priority for that decision as well.

KnoxViews: What are your thoughts about the Trustee and other "fee offices" being appointed instead of elected (after this election, of course)?

Mr. Berrier: I think a public office where so much trust is placed should not be reserved for the "Good Old Boys" club. This is taxpayer money and whoever is in charge of its collection and its role as a repository needs to be held accountable directly to the public.