To Mayor, or not to Mayor?

OK, all you folks in the Knox County area. I know I've been out of pocket on and off the last few weeks, but someone tell me this:

When did the office of Knox County Executive change to the title "Mayor"? All of a sudden County Executive Mike Ragsdale is Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale?

What was the genesis behind this change? Who gets to make it? As the holder of the highest public office in the county, can the County Exec/Mayor change his own title? Is it up to County Commission? Or does it require a state mandate?

And on a personal note, the term "Mayor" just doesn't fit the concept of a county. Mayor should denote leadership of a municipality, a primarily urban area with surrounding suburbs. To be sure, Knox County contains Knoxville but it also contains Farragut, an incorporated town of its own right.

It just sounds very odd, and seems to invite confusion with the position of the Mayor of Knoxville. When someone said "the Mayor" did this, you knew it was the Mayor of Knoxville, and when they said "the County Executive" did that, you knew it was Knox County. Now both will require qualifications when used.

See what happens when my attention is distracted? Things just go downhill.... But I'm going to pay attention from now on, so pardon me while I go watch UT play in the College World Series.