One thing in the city’s mayoral race is sure. The six candidates are evenly split on the city’s major rewrite to its zoning codes.

What’s not clear is whether all of their hard thinking about Recode Knoxville and its possible effects will matter. It could be well-decided by the time the next mayor is elected.

Regardless, it was the first topic of discussion Tuesday during the Knoxville/Knox County League of Women Voters forum hosted at the News Sentinel.

Marshall Stair, Indya Kincannon and Michael Andrews said they supported the measure, while Eddie Mannis, Fletcher Burkhardt and Calvin Taylor Skinner do not.

Knoxville-Knox County Planning commissioners approved Recode with slight changes earlier this month after the City Council made revisions and passed it on to them.

The Council will take up the changes, discuss and possibly vote on approvals in July, but there has been no scheduled time yet and it could very well drag out into the fall.

What is Recode?

Recode has been in the works since early 2016 when Mayor Madeline Rogero asked for an update of the city’s zoning law — the fundamentals of which are about 60 years old. Planners and a consulting firm worked through five drafts and more than 80 public meetings, receiving several thousand public comments, according to Green.

The zoning ordinance applies only within Knoxville city limits, establishing land use regulations that say what can be built where, from lot setbacks to approved lighting. Even so, it excludes county, state and federal property.

Supporters: It’s good for the city

Stair said Recode supports walkability, mixed-use housing and different housing options, things that support neighborhoods as they are now. He has been a proponent of slowing down Recode before Council and said he thinks the city has taken the necessary time and has gotten it right.

Kincannon linked the city’s affordable housing shortage to Recode and said the plan will be part of the solution and help push the city to be more equitable with housing. She said the process should be slow and seek input from across the community but said it should move forward.

Andrews said he’s supportive of Recode but thinks the process has been rushed. Everyone should be brought to the table, he said, particularly business owners who operate out of their homes.

Opponents: It’s too complicated

Skinner said most of the 150 or so people at the forum likely don’t understand Recode. He said comprehensive zoning should be done from the bottom up because of special and unique needs of different areas of the city.

Mannis said citizens are afraid of Recode because they’re afraid of the unknown, particularly what will happen to their property value. The city should be able to show them exactly what will happen to their property, he said. Until it’s able to do that, he said, he’s not supportive.

Burkhardt said the plans negatively impact different areas of the city and said it is a one size fits all plan. The citizens, through a referendum, should vote it up or down.

What to know about voting

Early voting for the primary race begins shortly, Aug. 7. The last day to register to vote is July 29.

The primary process for the mayoral election can be broken down in two ways. If no candidate receives 50% plus one of the total vote, then the top two vote-getters square off in November's general election.

If one candidate does receive over 50% of the vote, there is no runoff and that person will be the city's next mayor.

The fall elections also include four City Council seats, three city-wide at-large seats and the fifth district. John Rosson Jr.'s municipal judge seat is also on the ballot, but he is unopposed.

The general election is Nov. 5.

Candidate bios

Kincannon was a Knox County School Board member from 2004 to 2014. She also worked on Madeline Rogero’s staff for a time, serving as the city director, where she did a number of tasks, including acting as a liaison for the 2020 U.S. Census.

Mannis has served on a number of boards and is well-connected in Knoxville. He is the chairman of the Metropolitan Airport Authority board, owner of Prestige Cleaners, and founder and chairman of HonorAir Knoxville. He previously served as the chief operating officer and deputy to Rogero. He is a Republican.

Stair is a civil litigation attorney but has served as an at-large councilman for eight years, through Rogero’s two terms. He highlights his work supporting small business and changes made to the city’s zoning code that make areas more walkable, among other items.

Burkhardt does not have a public service history, but the self-described Libertarian is a native Knoxvillian whose campaign slogan is “people over politics.” His goal is to show Knoxville off as one of the best cities in the country, a modern city in the southeast. His father, Buddy Burkhardt, is the immediate past chairman of the Knox County Republican Party.

Andrews is a licensed barber at Obsidian Barber Shop and Beauty Salons who said he is entering the mayoral prayerfully after feeling like God was calling him to run. He’s running to support complete inclusion, listening to a number of voices to make decisions that support the whole community.

Skinner is a Knoxville native who worked in community development in Philadelphia, leadership development in Washington, D.C. and is focused affordable living and jobs and job development in the city. He has been back in the community since 2017.