GARY EICHMANN FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER 7th DISTRICT

I'm tired of “business as usual” in our county government.  I'm running to serve as County Commissioner, 7th District.  But the problem is not just the County Commission.  There's plenty of room for improvement in many county offices. In Sevier County today, the average citizen has “no voice” in big decisions that affect their lives.  Everyday people are not heard and not respected.  Local people are unhappy with many parts of county government.  Have you yourself attended a County Commission meeting lately?  It's a closed atmosphere.  Citizens get no conversation and no response.  Decisions seem cut-and-dried, all made beforehand.  Who looks out for you? I'm especially interested in a strong relationship between the 7th District and the City of Sevierville.  Since Sevierville divides and borders our district, we need a closer relationship with the city.  I personally promise to attend meetings of the Mayor and Aldermen of Sevierville, and work with them sincerely to solve common problems, like the paving of Gists Creek Road and improving traffic flow. Most citizens are especially worried about current land management.  Requirements on zoning and land development, as enforced, have been inconsistent, unpredictable, and unequal.  We need to dream a better future.  For example, Knoxville needs more industrial land.  We could partner with Knoxville to create an industrial park, off I-40, and assure employment year-round, every year, at decent wages. I am a concerned resident of the 7th District.  I've lived here since 1983, over 22 years.  For the last ten years, I've worked as a local truck owner-operator.  In 1988, I earned an Associates Degree in Environmental Health at Walters State Community College in Morristown. Previously, I was Air Monitor and Supervisor for Asbestos Cleanup with Westinghouse.  I helped lead key parts of the asbestos clean-up of the old Sevier Primary School and old City Hall building.  Before that, I worked at the Pigeon Forge Wastewater Plant and worked for the Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB). Ordinary people need a strong voice in how their local government serves them.  I will really listen to their concerns and be their voice.  What we get today seems to be apathy and complacency.  For example, the County Planning Commission has talked and talked, for fifteen years, about the 66 Bypass Road.  They are still talking, and there are no set plans.  Where will it start?  Where will it end?  When will it happen? One person cannot change the whole county government system alone.  If elected, I will work as “the people's partner.”  I will speak for and work for the local people who feel so disconnected they don't even vote any more or care.