Knoxville — With the hours ticking down until he becomes Knox County's next mayor, Glenn Jacobs says he's anxious to get started with several priorities already in mind.
Jacobs, the businessman, professional wrestler and political newbie who grabbed everyone's attention by winning the seat this month, intends to focus quickly on bringing jobs and promoting jobs in the county, boosting education opportunities especially in the career-technical education field and seeing how he can help to curtail the area's opioid problem.
He'll be sworn in Friday morning at the City County Building.
He's created two new positions in the county, one of which has sparked criticism and surprise. Jacobs wants to hire departing Republican state lawmaker Roger Kane of Knoxville as his "education liaison."
The point, Jacobs said, is to heighten relations between the Mayor's Office and Knox County Schools as well as higher education and private education.
He knows there's been some blow-back over Kane himself and the fact that he's actually adding a job when he's pledged to bird-dog government spending.
You can't please everyone, he said Wednesday.
"Some people weren't happy, but I'll tell you there are a lot of people that expressed to me personally that they thought (Kane) was a great pick," he said.
Kane has run a local insurance agency. He has a teaching certificate from Texas.
Jacobs cited Kane's experience teaching adults with Kaplan University, mostly a distance-learning, for-profit institution, and his time on a legislative education committee. Kane, who has been offered the liaison position, elected this year not to run again for his 89th District seat and unsuccessfully sought the Knox County clerk's position in the May GOP primary.
The new mayor thinks Kane, who also has supported school voucher legislation in the General Assembly, has just what he's looking for to be a liaison. And, Jacobs said, he'll be watching how it works out.
"The litmus test is performing to the expectations that I want," he said.
Kane has not responded to a request for comment. The position would pay $70,000 as recommended by a consultant.
Knox County school board member Jennifer Owen said this week she fears the job means the mayor will be more distant, and not closer, to the school system. Jacobs said that won't happen, because the Knox County system makes up so much of the county's budget -- more than $480 million.
Members of the education-oriented Facebook group known as SPEAK also have been critical of the Kane pick.
School board Chairwoman Patti Bounds said in a statement Wednesday to 10News that she welcomes Jacobs' arrival and endorses Kane as a choice.
"I am glad the incoming mayor Glenn Jacobs is putting such a high priority on education. I hope this position will promote even greater communication and cooperation between the mayor, the superintendent, the school board, county commission and our state delegation, state board, and commissioner of education. I believe Roger Kane has the qualifications required to develop and serve in this position," her statement reads.
Jacobs said he's interviewing candidates right now for the second new position he's creating -- diversity development manager, the point of which is to help businesses who want to engage with the county.
That position will pay $63,000.
Jacobs said he's cognizant of running a campaign that emphasized spending less of taxpayers' money rather than more. So he anticipates making up the difference in creating the new positions through cuts and shifts.
He said departing Mayor Tim Burchett has been a big help as he's prepared for the transition.
He added that he's met with Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, and they'll be "making an announcement very soon that’s a huge positive for our community based on that meeting."
The mayor-to-be would not be more specific.