2006 Raven Society Candidate Position Questionnaire – Dr. Bob Proffitt

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

M.D.

 

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

Armona Elementary  1 - 8

Maryville High School

Maryville College   BA

Univ. of Tenn Med School   M.D.

 

3. Why have you chosen to run for office?

1)         Interest in Government    Local, State  Natl

2)         Feeling that County Commission has given insufficient study to some issues

 

4.  What makes you qualified to hold this office?

Active and leadership positions in numerous civic and professional organizations

 

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

(1)       Education   Eval of facilities & staff, at all level

(2)       Control of Growth & need for adherence to environmental concerns

(3)       Transportation   maintenance of roads    traffic control, i.e.speed monitoring and noise, i.e. mufflers that are loud  

 

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

(1)       Must work with the county school board, school administration to assess the needs, staff, and faculty qualifications

 

(2)       Careful zoning looking @ population facts

 

(3)       Blount county has many good roads, some are sub-par.  Poor street signs.  There is need for better speed control.

 

7. Are you familiar with the Hunter Growth Strategy completed in 2005? 
c Yes or c No    Have studied the summary.

How would you incorporate the results into your own decision-making in your new or renewed position?

Immediate study of present zoning regulations, some of which are not being followed.  Then move to adopt more rigid control.

 

8. How would you assess the current pace of development in Blount County?

c Too slow

c About right

T Too fast   

 

9.  Do you support the passage of an Adequate Facilities Tax or other Development or Impact Fee?   c Yes or c No ?

Why or why not?

The passage of one of the above seems critical.  The question remains ‘till the whole county tax structure is evaluated.

 

10.  Are you familiar with the Knoxville Transportation Organization and its impact on road/highway planning in Blount County?   c Yes or T No     

Would you support a measure to increase communication between our county representatives to this body and our county legislative body?  Why or why not?

Communication between the two would seem to be a real plus!

 

11. Do you support the extension of the Pellissippi Parkway from Old Knoxville Highway (SR 33) to US 321?  c Yes or T No   

Please explain why you support or oppose the extension.

Thr Pellissippi Extension would disfigure prime farm land & is in effect a 4 lane road feeding to a 2 lane road in the park.

 

12. Would you support or oppose the Proposed Interstate 140 By-Pass (Southern Loop) around Maryville and within the County?  
 
c Yes or T No 

Why?

Have not seen details of traffic data that supports the  Southern Loop.”

 

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

_________________

 

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

1)         Get as many facts as possible

2)         Call on resource people in these areas to lend expertise.  Many of these have witnessed the right and wrong way.

15. What do you see as the best way to protect the rural, natural, and historic qualities of Blount County?

1)         Pay close attention to all factors that play a part in protecting our farm land and are involved in residential and commercial development.

2)         Education at all levels of what we have and the importance of it

16. What is your vision for Blount County in 5 years?

1)         Preservation of the natural beauty

2)         City schools & county schools on par

3)         Better access to primary health care

17. What is your vision for Blount County in 20 years?

A county that has “stepped up to the plate” and effected those measures that maintain our natural resources.

 

 

 

DG