As I’m sure you already know, the county primary election is coming soon. You may also know that I am seeking the office of Loudon County Mayor.  I respectfully ask for your vote and your support.

The office of County Mayor is an important position in county government, responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of county affairs. While having no vote on the Commission, the position of County Mayor still carries a lot of influence on a wide variety of county issues from board appointments to staffing to making sure commissioners have the most accurate information available for their decision making.

I like to look at County Government as a business in which the Mayor serves as CEO and the Commission as board of directors. The taxpayers of Loudon County are the stockholders, or better yet, the “owners” of the company. The position of Mayor should not be some high and lofty position that is unapproachable by the citizens. Quite the opposite. The Mayor is actually just a public servant with forty thousand bosses.

Seeking the office of County Mayor should not be about pay scale, perks, prestige or benefits, but about serving the citizens of Loudon County to the very best of one’s ability. If given the opportunity to serve the citizens of Loudon County as Mayor, I promise I will work harder than anyone ever has for the people of Loudon County .

Loudon County, just like every other government entity across the country, is facing many serious challenges. With declining revenues and increasing expenses, the job of balancing the needs of the citizens with the tax burdens already in place is a daunting task, one for which I believe I am uniquely qualified.

There are several other candidates running for the mayor’s office, but none have the relevant background and experience I have to offer.  I have been a self-employed businessman for almost my entire adult life. I served on the Loudon County Commission for four years from 2002 to 2006, and I am currently a member of the Loudon County Board of Education. For the past 20 years, I have managed the county’s largest youth sports program on behalf of the Eaton Ruritan Club. This combination of business, public and governmental service has given me a depth of experience no other candidate can claim.

One of the most pressing and immediate issues facing Loudon County is the need to improve our school facilities.  As a member of the School Board, I and other members have worked to identify the most pressing needs of the school system. After much due diligence, we have submitted a building plan to County Commission that we feel addresses our most immediate needs. This includes a new K-12 school for Greenback and a new middle school in Loudon and cafeteria improvements at Philadelphia. This plan has been developed to meet the needs of the school system but would not require any additional taxes to implement. While I have vigorously supported the school building program, I have equally supported cutting millions in waste from a very bloated operating budget.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a natural politician, and frankly I am proud of that. If I were, I would go along more with the politically correct “in crowd,” and I would have spent more time telling people what they wanted to hear rather than what they needed to hear.

I am a fiscal conservative who believes in limited government, low taxes, and strong communities. I feel we pay taxes for services, not to have local government dictate to us how we should conduct our lives. As a commissioner and a school board member, I have never voted for or supported any tax increases and even led the opposition against the wheel tax and the sales tax increase. “Government that governs least governs best” is a great motto for elected officials to embrace.

The 2010 County primary will be May 4th.

Early voting begins April 14th and runs thru April 29th.

The last day to register to vote in the May primary will be April 5th.

Below is a little information and background about myself and my family. I hope you find this information helpful in deciding whom to vote for in the upcoming County Mayor election.

My name is Van Allan Shaver. I was born in 1959 to the late Calvin and Jean McCown Shaver.  I was raised and have lived on Ford Road nearly my entire life. My roots are important to me, and I like telling people that I have moved just 150 feet in 50 years. I was brought up in a Christian home and became a Christian at a young age.  I was member of New Providence Baptist Church for 33 years and am now a member of First Baptist Church of Lenoir City.  I've been married for 31 years to Sarah Holland and have two sons, Austin and Evan.

My oldest son is Van Austin Shaver. Austin is married to Brittany and they have one son, Caleb.  Austin is a county commissioner representing the 2nd District and is employed as an attorney by Kennerly, Montgomery and Finley, P.C.  Brittany is a stay-at-home mom and takes very good care of Caleb and Austin.

My younger son, Evan Allan Shaver recently graduated from Pellissippi State Community College.  He is employed at Guitar Center and does video editing for Fellowship Church.  He plays in the praise and worship band at Two Rivers Church and plays in the band, This Photograph.

I am blessed to have, I believe, the greatest wife, children and grandchild any man could ask for!

I am a 1977 graduate of Lenoir City High School and a graduate of the State Area Vocational School of Knoxville.  I worked for our three-generation family business, McCown & Son Produce Co. in Knoxville, for 20 years until my father’s retirement and the sale of the business.  For the past 12 years, I have been self-employed as a home maintenance contractor and am currently working the family farm. I have also been the Eaton Ruritan Community Park volunteer manager for 20 years.

I have a political record, a personal, record, and a spiritual record --all of which are far from perfect but all of which are open for public scrutiny. If the voters of Loudon County give me the opportunity to be their County Mayor, I promise I will work for you.

For additional information please visit: www.votevanshaver.com.

Van Shaver
568 Ford Road
Lenoir City, Tn. 37772
865-986-6984
sarahlccom@aol.com