{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"NORMA BARRETT KNOX","chatgptsummary":"Norma Knox's biography shows eight years of prior work in the Trustee's office and a decade as the county's banker, handling tax collections, fund accounting, and investment management. She has completed required training and serves as Vice President of the Middle Tennessee Trustee Association. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific experience administering senior property-tax relief programs or managing partly-online customer service operations.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nNorma Knox is the incumbent Cannon County Trustee, running for re-election in the August 6, 2026 county general election against independent challenger Neal Appelbaum [3].\n\n## Background and education\n\nKnox is a lifelong resident of Cannon County's Readyville Community [1]. She has completed the County Officials Certificate Training Program and regularly attends Middle Tennessee Trustee Association meetings, where she serves as Vice President [1][2].\n\n## Career\n\nKnox worked in the Trustee's office for eight years before being elected County Trustee, a role in which she serves as the county's banker and tax collector - receiving state and federal funds, collecting property and utility taxes, accounting for county funds, and managing investment of idle county funds [1][2].\n\n## Office history\n\nKnox was first elected County Trustee in 2014 and sought re-election in the 2018 county general election [1].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [\"Norma Knox seeks re-election as Trustee\"](https://www.cannoncourier.com/norma-knox-seeks-re-election-as-trustee-cms-17575), The Cannon Courier, May 21, 2018 - accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [Trustee - Cannon County, Tennessee](https://cannoncountytn.gov/trustee/) - accessed 2026-07-06\n[3] [\"2026 Election Field Continues to Grow\"](https://www.wbry.com/2026-election-field-continues-to-grow/), WBRY FM 107.1/1540 - accessed 2026-07-06","firstname":"NORMA","lastname":"KNOX","middlename":"BARRETT","suffix":null,"token":"8gxA72aECS"},"token":"norma_barrett_knox"},{"candidatename":"NEAL APPELBAUM","chatgptsummary":"Neal Appelbaum's biography shows relevant financial trustworthiness through a bachelor's degree in economics, CPA exam passage, and over twenty-five years of business experience including budgeting and facility management learned from his family's dealership. His recent role as Deputy Finance Director for Cannon County suggests familiarity with county operations, while board service indicates community engagement. Bio does not indicate specific experience administering Tennessee property-tax law or direct experience managing county investment portfolios under state-law constraints.","notes":null,"party":"I","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nNeal Appelbaum is an Independent candidate challenging incumbent Norma Knox for Cannon County Trustee in the August 6, 2026 county general election [3].\n\n## Background and education\n\nAppelbaum holds a bachelor's degree in economics and passed the Certified Public Accountant exam in his late twenties [1]. He grew up around his father's Ford dealership, purchased when Appelbaum was 12 after his father had worked for Ford Motor Company; Appelbaum has said he learned accounting, budgeting, customer service, and facility management through that family business [1]. He moved to Cannon County in 2002 [1].\n\n## Career\n\nAt the time of a 2018 campaign for Cannon County Executive, Appelbaum described more than 25 years of business experience and cited service on the Cannon County Chamber of Commerce board (six years, two as president), the Industrial Development Board (four years, two as chairman), and the Stones River Watershed Association (five years, two as president); he was also Executive Director of the Arts Center of Cannon County from 2013 to 2017 [1]. He has more recently worked as Cannon County's Deputy Finance Director, according to his LinkedIn profile (LinkedIn requires login; reflects the public profile as of July 2026) [2].\n\n## Office history\n\nAppelbaum announced a campaign for Cannon County Executive in the 2018 election [1].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [\"Neal Appelbaum announces for Cannon Co. Executive\"](https://www.cannoncourier.com/neal-appelbaum-announces-for-cannon-co-executive-cms-17512), The Cannon Courier, May 2, 2018 - accessed 2026-07-06\n[2] [Neal Appelbaum - Deputy Finance Director, Cannon County](https://www.linkedin.com/in/neal-appelbaum-27094519) (LinkedIn requires login; reflects public profile as of July 2026)\n[3] [\"2026 Election Field Continues to Grow\"](https://www.wbry.com/2026-election-field-continues-to-grow/), WBRY FM 107.1/1540 - accessed 2026-07-06","firstname":"NEAL","lastname":"APPELBAUM","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"c8PehuZgnm"},"token":"neal_appelbaum"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"trustee","o.office":null,"office":"trustee","officedescription":"The trustee is the county's banker \u2014 collecting county property taxes, keeping and investing county funds, and disbursing money on the county's authority. It handles large sums of public money and is a fiduciary role.","officequalities":"- Financial trustworthiness: the trustee is the county's banker and custodian of tax revenue, handling the county's property-tax collections.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee property-tax law, including tax-relief programs for seniors, disabled residents, and veterans.\n- Investment and cash-management competence for county funds under state-law constraints.\n- Monthly settlement and reporting discipline.\n- Accessible customer service for taxpayers paying bills, disputing assessments, or seeking relief, and the ability to administer a partly-online operation.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Trustee","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":{"retrieved_at":"2026-07-02","title":"Cannon County, TN \u2014 August 6, 2026 Sample Ballot","url":"https://cannoncountytn.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Total-Ballot.pdf"},"title":"County Trustee"}