Kane Running For Mayor In Knox County, Tennessee?
Kane spoke with the local NBC affiliate in Knoxville, Tennessee and said he's seriously considering a run as a Republican for the Knox County mayoral seat in 2018. Kane says he will make his decision later this year after the presidential election. He commented:
"Yes, I've talked about it with some folks but there's nothing too solid yet. Mayor Burchett's term is coming up and I think he's been really good for Knox County. I think the most important thing is I care very deeply about this community, like a lot of people do. And that's the only reason I would consider getting into any sort of government because I do care very deeply. And I think it's incumbent upon people who care about the communities to try to make a difference."
Kane is apparently running on keeping county taxes low. He said:
"What I've seen in Knox County the past several years is that taxes have remained low because it's a great place to live. People move here and that helps expands the tax base. My political philosophy is the 'smaller the better. Government should stay out of the way and let free enterprise do what it does best."
It would be an interesting career change for Kane as the county mayor earns around $170,000 annually and oversees almost 1,000 employees with a more than $750 million budget.