So, Tom Peeler was mayor for 44 years. Last year, he was running for re-election. He was being challenged by a former alderman, Dewayne Birchfield, for the job. Well before the election, Mr. Peeler's daughter, Robin Blankenship, who was a current alderman running for re-election, took to Facebook to essentially condemn local business owners, Jim & Kathy Brooks, owners of Greenback Corner Market, for daring to sign the qualifying petition of Mr. Birchfield even though signing a qualifying means nothing nor suggest support other than a citizen's right to seek office. From and after this point, social media really took over with Peeler family members and others venting a lot of political ill will. 

On November 2nd, Mr. Birchfield defeated 44 year incumbent Peeler, then was officially sworn in on November 20th. Unfortunately, Mr. Peeler refused to step aside canceling both the November and December Greenback council meetings. Finally after another month of stalling, Mr. Peeler stepped aside on December 27th. His wife, who was the city treasurer, also resigned the same day. 

The day after Peeler finally stepped aside, December 28th, he signed a quit claim deed to the Greenback Fire Department, giving them nearly all the land around the city hall/community center including the road that leads from Morganton Road to the high school football field. Some have suggested the fire chief, Ronnie Lett, may close the access road to the football forcing the school to build a new road from the school to the football field. Given that Peeler's actions took place after he left office, the quit claim deed is likely null and void. In reality, Peeler has not been the mayor since Mr. Birchfield was sworn in back on November 20th.

At the end of December, one newly re-elected alderman, Polly Evans, resigned her seat and Jim Scott, the attorney retained by the city also resigned. Oddly enough, the other three re-elected aldermen have not yet been sworn in two and a half months after the election. Some claim they don't have to be sworn in again because they were all sworn in two years ago after the last election. This is of course incorrect. Every newly elected or re-elected official must be sworn in when elected or re-elected. Fact of the matter is, two years ago, they were sworn in by a county commissioner. County commissioners are not authorized to administer the oath of office.

New elected Mayor Birchfield, has retained a new attorney and hired a new treasurer. Documents and resolutions pertaining to city business for the last four decades have been hard to come by and assemble. Questions have arisen to the legitimacy of many of the city's past actions given they were not properly adopted by required city processes or the charter.

And most recently, Mr. Peeler has hired prominent Knoxville attorney, T. Scott Jones to send letters threatening legal action against 7 or 8 greenback residents, including Jim & Kathy Brooks, owners of Greenback Corner Market, if they said anymore mean things about Mr. Peeler. T. Scott Jones is a lawyer serving Knoxville in Criminal Law, DUI and Drug Crimes cases.  

This is the short version of what's been going on in Greenback for the last few months. Who knows what the next page of the drama will be.