2002 Candidate Position Questionnaire

Steve Gray's Response

1. What is your occupation? (Please list both primary and all secondary.)

Pharmacist with Walmart

2. Please list all schools, colleges, and universities that you have attended and all degrees you have earned.

(1) Pre-pharmacy curriculum at Walters State Community College in Morristown, TN

(2) Mercer School of Pharmacy (Atlanta, GA) with Pharm. D.

3. Why have you chosen to run for office?

I was born in Blount County and came back after Pharmacy School to raise my own family. Blount County's future is very important to me, especially with my son in the school system here.

4. What do you see as the three most critical issues facing Blount County?

(1) How to best manage growth

(2) Schools

(3) Lack of building codes in the county

5. How do you propose to address each of these three issues?

(1) The county should be proactive in land use planning or zoning (whichever is more appropriate) while still protecting property owners' rights. Reuse of land is very important. Converting the old J.C. Penney Building into apartments and construction of the new library are examples that come to mind.

(2) Education is everything. Funding education while not overburdening the taxpayer should be a priority.

(3) The feasibility of inspections for residential building should be evaluated. Inspections are required for septic and electric only -- nothing for foundation, roof, etc. With all the construction in the county, this is much needed to protect the homebuyer.

6. What is your vision for Blount County/Maryville in 5 years?

Continued population growth, good schools for our children, increased recruitment of jobs.

7. What is your vision for Blount County/Maryville in 20 years?

Blount County will still be the place to live, through cooperative planning and responsible development.

8. Do you support the extension of the Pellissippi Parkway from Old Knoxville Highway (SR 33) to US 321?

c Yes or x No

If you checked "yes", is it because (check all that apply):

c You believe it is a "done deal" with T-DOT, and that the County government cannot affect the outcome either way.

c It will benefit commuters to Knoxville, both for shopping and employment.

c It will enhance Maryville/Alcoa businesses.

c It will open up new areas for development, both because of access and because the sewer lines will follow the interstate.

If none of these apply, please explain why you support or oppose the extension.

[no answer]

9. How do you intend to address the development pressures this extension will bring, including impacts on Blount County's secondary roads, schools, public services, air and water quality?

Zoning or landuse planning will be critical. The extension will cost taxpayers more money because updating/widening roads will be necessary.

10. Would you support or oppose the Proposed Interstate 140 By-Pass (Southern Loop) around Maryville and within the County? Why?

Personally, I currently oppose it. Interstates promote growth, though it could attract businesses and jobs also. Widening of other roads should be entertained first.

11. What do you plan to do to prevent or encourage the completion of the Southern Loop?

I will respect the wishes of citizens in District 6, though I suspect most would be against it. I will communicate their sentiment to appropriate officials on the state level.

12. Are you familiar with the County's Five Primary Planning Guidelines, which were formulated from a Land Use Study conducted in 1998? How would you incorporate the results into your own decision-making in your new or renewed position?

I am not familiar with the study.

13. What is your position on the annexation compromise (Public Charter 1101)?

Most citizens in the county do not want to be in the city. If the city chooses to annex, it should do so only if it is clearly needed and with citizen input.

14. What is your opinion of the Cities and the County working together in land use planning? (As the Knoxville Metropolitan Planning Authority operates.)

I am unfamiliar with the Knoxville MPA. I believe it will be important that the cities and county be a team in land use planning, while county leaders still protect the interest of those living in the county. I will be optimistic until proven otherwise.

15. What do you see as the best way to protect the rural nature of Blount County?

By land use planning or zoning (whichever has more citizen appeal), we can have smarter growth. We should evaluate which rural areas to preserve and where we want to concentrate our growth.

16. What do you see as the best way to protect the unique environmental features of Blount County (Little River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, etc.)?

In addition to my answer in question #15, we need more responsibility to pollution on local and state levels. It will be difficult to accomplish anything on the state level at this time because most of the focus is on Tennessee's fiscal problems.