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Knox County commissioner: Sold my home but I'm still a Knox resident

Knox County At-large Commissioner Ed Brantley said he's sold his Knox County home and bought one in Lenoir City but remains a Knox County resident.

Knox County Commissioner Ed Brantley and his wife have sold their West Knox County home and bought a house in Lenoir City, records show.

But Brantley, an at-large commissioner first elected in 2014, said he continues to live in the Hardin Valley residence as his primary home. It's where he gets his mail, he said, and it's where he's continued to put up hay.

He told 10News he and his wife will stay there until notified it's time to go by developer and purchaser Ball Homes LLC. Brantley said he doesn't know when that will be.

"When Ball Homes takes over this farm I will be moving," he told 10News.

Brantley said he's aware of the county's residency requirement - that an officeholder must live in the county to hold office. Any officeholder who no longer lives in the county must forfeit office "immediately," as he acknoweledged to 10News.

But Brantley said he and wife Linda are still at their old home at 11521 Hardin Valley Road, even though they sold it to Ball Homes on Aug. 4 for $1.1 million, Knox County records show.

He said he uses the Lenoir City home in the Miller's Landing subdivision at Fort Loudoun Lake as a weekend, "lake" home.

Loudon County records show the Brantleys bought that home on Aug. 4.

The commissioner said he might end up getting another residence in Knox County, in which case he would continue on with his seat through his term. Because he's an at-large commissioner, he can live anywhere within Knox County.

Or, he said he might make the Lenoir City residence his permanent home, at which point he said he would comply with the county charter and immediately submit his resignation.

"It is what it is," he said. "When they bring those bulldozers in, yes, I'll be moving."

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