Commish Shouse to seek Trustee seat

Ed Shouse

This is going to be a good one. Knox County Commissioner Ed Shouse just announced his intentions to see the county Trustee seat.

“The main role of Trustee is collecting and investing the county’s tax dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars a year, so having someone with a business and financial background, like myself, makes sense,” said Shouse, an at-large commissioner, and former Knoxville City Council member.

Shouse, who serves on the county’s audit committee, pension board and investment committee, spent 20 years in the banking industry followed by 17 years in the shortline railroad industry.

He is expected to face interim Trustee Craig Leuthold in the May republican Primary. The general election is set for August.

Shouse expressed interest in the position in July when he initially applied for the job along with 25 other applicants to replace John Duncan III, who resigned and pleaded guilty to official misconduct.

Although a frontrunner for the spot, he eventually pulled out saying he didn’t want the community to feel that he got the job because he was on the commission.

The Knox County Commission then selected Leuthold, a former commissioner, who spent years working in the trustee's office and the property assessor's office.

The Trustee is the county’s top tax collection. The position pays about $113,000 annually and is responsible for 30 to 45 employees depending on tax season.