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The County
Officials Association of Tennessee
(COAT) elected County Clerk Bill
Knowles Outstanding County Official
of the Year for 2006. He was cited
for keeping his office on the
cutting-edge of technology
throughout his record breaking 32
years as Clerk.
After assuming
office in 1974 he tackled the
problem of long tag lines by
implementing a program making it
possible to order vehicle
registration renewals by mail. This
initiative played a role in the
Tennessee Legislature making
tags-by-mail mandatory in each of
the 95 Tennessee counties.
In 2001 he
pioneered another change to
accommodate motorists by offering an
Internet renewal option- another
first for a Tennessee county.
With a
dedicated staff and splendid
assistance from the County’s IT
department other innovations have
been implemented streamlining
functions of the Clerk’s office.
Preparation of County Commission
minutes advanced from a steno pad to
become the first in the State
totally computerized. A recorded
title and registration info line
available 24/7 was created. Marriage
records have been computerized
enabling faster research. The Mayor
and County Commission approved his
vision to open Hamilton County’s
first tag and title branch location.
In 2002 his
office unveiled a business tax
“Wizard" to help taxpayers complete
their Gross Receipts Tax online.
Business owners enjoy the option of
e-filing from home or office. The
City of Chattanooga and other
interested governments have been
offered the use of this innovation.
His philosophy
to keep a healthy attitude toward
change has added an extra dimension
of service to taxpayers. |
