It might be more appropriate to say I have two opponents in the primary. While Ms. Yarbrough's name is the one on the ballot, I suspect her husband, Dr. Professor Gary Ubben, has as much interest in this election as she does. Ms. Yarbrough's husband currently serves on the Loudon County School Board and you talk about a "tax and spend" elected official, he's the definition of it. And most recently, he's been on an obsessive mission of buying more land for the school board for an additional, future school. Never mind, the board already owns an 80 acre plot of ground on Hwy. 321 that they paid over two million dollars for and can't use or get rid of, the professor thinks they need more. I'm sure he feels having his wife on county commission would help him in his quest.

While Dr. Professor has his own agenda, Ms. Yarbrough doesn't come with a clean slate. She served on commission form 2010-2014. During that time, she cast many votes and took many positions that clearly reveal he positions on taxes and government.

Right after being elected to commission in 2010, she proposed the idea of implementing a wheel tax and raising the local sales tax. Never mind that just two years earlier, a wheel tax and a sales tax increase were defeated by Loudon voters by an 80% to 20% margin but Ms. Yarbrough still thought these might be a good idea. In 2014 when county commission voted to lower property taxes, you guessed it, she voted not to lower property taxes.

And finally, in what I think is one of her most egregious votes, Ms. Yarbrough voted to cut funding to the Loudon County Fire Rescue (Rescue Squad) by 20%. This is an all volunteer rescue squad. They respond to fires, wrecks, water rescues, smoke investigations lift assists and much more in the vast majority of Loudon County. Every member of LCFR is a volunteer having spent hours in training and many times their own money for their personal equipment. I can't imagine how one could single out the squad for cutting.

These are just some of the highlights or lowlights of Ms. Yarbrough's time on the commission, there are many more incidences of her positions that just fly in the face of Loudon County tax payers. I want to be clear, Ms. Yarbrough and the professor are nice enough people but their approach to local government is just counter to anything most of us believe in. I'm not trying to be mean or anything, I'm just reporting her documented record of votes and positions.

I know a lot of you reading this don't live in the 5th district but I'm sure you know someone who does. I sure would appreciate your vote and your encouragement to others to cast their vote for me in the primary.