[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 58 (Tuesday, May 3, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E788]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING BILL KNOWLES

                                 ______
                                 

                 HON. CHARLES J. ``CHUCK'' FLEISCHMANN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2011

  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an outstanding 
individual whose commitment and dedication has done so much to provide 
exceptional government services to the residents of Hamilton County, 
Tennessee. Those of us who live and work in Hamilton County can be 
thankful for the tireless efforts of Mr. Bill Knowles in his 36 years 
of service as Hamilton County Clerk.
  First elected in 1974, County Clerk Bill Knowles has made it his 
priority to not just provide excellent services to his constituents, 
but to also manage an office that provides innovative ideas and 
consistently exceeds expectations. Shortly after being elected to his 
position, Bill Knowles solved the problem of long waits for vehicle 
registration tags by making it possible to renew tags by mail. Mr. 
Knowles's initiative was soon followed by the Tennessee legislature, 
which passed a law requiring tags to be mailed in throughout the state.
  The exceptional work ethic and innovative ideas that are the hallmark 
of Bill Knowles have resulted in many firsts for Hamilton County. 
Hamilton County was the first county in Tennessee to allow for tag 
renewal by Internet. It was the first to have on-the-spot vehicle title 
printing. The county led the way with electronic record keeping and 
continued this development by computerizing marriage records in 2009.
  In recognition of a litany of impressive accomplishments over a 36 
year career, I hereby salute Clerk Bill Knowles and thank him for his 
service to the people of Hamilton County. I, for one, am grateful for 
his service, and I know that the fine residents of Hamilton County join 
me in honoring him.

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