What are your top 3 priorities for county commission?

“Hamilton County's future will reflect the way we serve students today. We've made historic investments in public education, in both facilities (nearly $400 million) and creating new opportunities for students, particularly in career and technical education. For the first time in the county's history, every public school student will have a college or a career training pathway once Franklin-Roberts opens. These areas of focus will lead to high paying careers and small business ownership, creating financial stability for generations of Hamilton County families into the future. Beyond education and workforce development, we've worked to bring greater accountability on behalf of taxpayers to economic development opportunities. Without diligent oversight these types of deals are often unnecessary corporate handouts. We have brought unprecedented scrutiny to PILOTs and TIFs, requiring that our people and our students are benefitting if tax incentives are on the table. Another area of focus has been in parks and youth sports facilities -- from leading the charge to reinvest in the Chattanooga Riverfront to preserving McDonald Farm as a State Park we are prioritizing the preservation of our region's natural amenities. I'm particularly excited about the potential for the state's largest indoors sports facility and further improvements at Camp Jordan in East Ridge. We have an opportunity to be one of the hubs of youth sports in the South, but we have to be bold enough to invest in our own children like we have in professional athletes.”

How will you uphold transparency and provide opportunities for public input in big decisions?

“Most big decisions require lengthy government processes and multiple levels of approval, all of which come with opportunities for public comment as well as opportunities to give feedback to elected officials. In fact, government often moves too slow. While some have criticized the speed at which we have worked to change the culture of county government and make big investments in public education, decisions like the sale of the BDC or the acquisition of the Golden Gateway tend to take years, not days. Because I committed to term limits from the start, I've led with a sense of urgency and a willingness to disrupt the status quo in our community. We haven't gotten every decision right, but it's also easy to second guess when exactly announcements should be shared with the public, stakeholders, elected officials, government officials, etc. ”

What is your approach to managing development in a way that benefits both new and longtime residents?

“Recently we created a County Planning Department so that the rural, unincorporated areas of the county can have the same level of intentional planning that the City of Chattanooga and other municipalities have gotten. We are actively exploring land and farm preservation opportunities to preserve the beauty of the county and to ensure that our natural amenities will be conserved for generations to come. It is a misguided strategy, as was suggested at McDonald Farm, to bulldoze farm land to create industrial parks far away from where most of the people in our county live. We should be trying to harness the new opportunities in our community to preserve the natural beauty of the rural parts of the county and restore communities in the city of Chattanooga that have been overlooked for too long. The Rossville Boulevard corridor is an example of a part of our county that we believe is primed for revitalization and job creation where infrastructure already exists. Lastly, we have used new development agreements to insist that our people are not left behind as our community experiences growth. For example, when we had a chance to renegotiate aspects of the Lookouts Stadium deal, we insisted that The Howard School would be brought to the front of the the line and were able to secure $10 million to upgrade athletic facilities, the historic theater, and make security improvements.”

What can you do as mayor to help the city and county work together toward a shared vision?

“Contrary to media coverage, the city and county are partners in parks, public safety, tourism, and increasingly the city is joining our efforts to bolster workforce development, beginning in high school. Most of the major school investments we have made have been in the city of Chattanooga, including the new Tyner Academy, renovations and expansion of Brainerd High, the new downtown Franklin-Roberts Future Ready Center, the state's first YMCA elementary school adjacent to the North River YMCA, and planned renovations to elementary facilities in East Chattanooga. Frankly, we need even more commitment from the city in education because at the end of the day, we cannot affect change in the city of Chattanooga without reducing the disparities in education. Our focus on career and technical education has already shown tremendous moment, with the rate of college and career readiness having increased nearly 50% over the last four year. Incredibly, among Black students, who predominately reside in the city of Chattanooga, college and career readiness has increased by more than 100% in four years.”

What is your most unpopular opinion?

“Turkey, as served at Thanksgiving, is not good. Otherwise, we would eat it throughout the year.”