What is usually a sleepy, down-ballot contest has turned into a full-on showdown for control of Knox County's trustee office, with four candidates crowding the May 5 primary ballot. Incumbent Justin Biggs will face Republicans Nick McBride and Barry Hawkins and Democrat Stephen Hood as voters decide who should oversee tax collection and county investments.
The Trustee’s office is the county's money handler, responsible for collecting residential, commercial, and personal property taxes, keeping track of and disbursing county funds, and investing money the county does not need right away. According to the Knox County Trustee's office, the office manages more than $1 billion in state, federal, and local funds and runs programs such as tax relief for seniors and disabled residents.
Who’s On The Ballot
The field features incumbent Justin Biggs (R), Nick McBride (R), Barry Hawkins (R), and Stephen Hood (D). As reported by WATE, McBride, who currently serves as the county register of deeds, jumped into the race to challenge Biggs for the job.
What Candidates Say They’ll Do
In a multipart candidate Q&A, the contenders lined up their priorities around technology upgrades, tighter spending, and more scrutiny of the books. According to KnoxTNToday:
- McBride said he would return expensive leased trucks, trim payroll, and explore using artificial intelligence to process payments.
- Biggs pointed to record tax sales and investment returns during his tenure and proposed adding QR-code payment options for taxpayers.
- Hawkins said he would welcome audits of the office and tighten hiring practices.
- Hood said he would review recent probes of the office and carry out auditors' recommendations.
The broad theme is the same, but their pitches differ on how aggressive to be with cost-cutting and how quickly to overhaul technology inside the office.
Oversight And The State Review
The campaign has played out in the shadow of questions about how the trustee's office spends money. State auditors reviewed travel and vehicle expenses, and local reporting highlighted reimbursement practices and a controversial lease of six pickup trucks. Those developments were documented by the Knoxville News Sentinel and examined in an analysis at Tennessee Lookout, prompting staffing changes and renewed questions about internal controls.
The result is that this trustee race is not just about who can run the office smoothly; it is also a referendum on how much scrutiny voters want over mileage logs and truck leases.
Why Local Voters Should Care
For all the drama over pickups and audits, the core stakes are straightforward. Whoever holds the trustee's office helps determine how reliably tax dollars flow to schools, roads, and other county services through tax collection, cash management, and investment decisions. Those responsibilities, laid out on the trustee's site, include collecting taxes fairly, making timely disbursements, and safeguarding investments.
In other words, the office is not glamorous, but it directly affects whether the local government can pay its bills on time and squeeze the most out of every taxpayer dollar. That is why accountability has become a central talking point as the race unfolds.
Voting Details
The Republican and Democratic primaries are scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, with early voting set for mid-April. Local notices list early voting from April 15 to April 30. For more information, voters can check the Town of Farragut notice and resources at Vote411 for sample ballots and polling locations.
For a deeper look at each candidate before heading to the polls, voters can consult the Knox News voters' guide and revisit the candidates' Q&A at KnoxTNToday. Election watchers will be tracking whether messages about accountability and cost control sway enough voters to shake up the trustee's office.
