How does Chattanooga City Council work?
Here's what to know about Chattanooga's legislative body — and how to get involved.
By Trista Ridge, Contributor
The Chattanooga City Council is the local legislative body of government that makes and passes laws.
Quick facts:
Our city council is made up of nine representatives.
Each member is elected by their district, in good faith that they will represent their district’s needs and interests.
City council elections are held in March every four years — the same time the mayor is elected.
There's a special election on Aug. 4 to fill the District 8 seat vacated by Anthony Byrd earlier this year, which is currently held by interim appointee Marvene Noel.
The council can pass local ordinances (laws), as long as they don't conflict with state and federal laws.
What's the relationship between the council and the mayor?
The City of Chattanooga has a mayor/council form of government, meaning the council consults with the mayor, the mayor's executive staff, and department administrators. The mayor looks to the city council to pass ordinances, approve the city budget, and keep an ear to the ground of the city.
What's the council's relationship to the people of Chattanooga?
Chattanooga City Council members work closely with residents and groups, like neighborhood associations, to remain well-informed about their district’s issues and needs. Weekly city council meetings are set up to address community needs, which is why they are open to the public. During these meetings, an hour is set aside for public comment, and each person who wishes to speak gets three uninterrupted minutes.
Get involved — attend a meeting
Chattanooga City Council meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the City Council Building at 1000 Lindsay Street.
You may also want to attend the agenda session which takes place each Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. This meeting covers the agenda that will be presented at the evening meeting and is a space for revisions to be made beforehand.
If you can't attend city council meetings in-person, you can watch the YouTube live stream of the strategic planning and agenda sessions here, and you can watch the weekly 6:00 p.m. meeting here.
Find your representative
Knowing who your council person is and how to contact them is a great way to get involved in city government. Your council person was elected to speak for you, so make sure your voice is being heard if you have something to say.
Becoming more involved means you’ll also stay informed on what changes or ordinances are being discussed, passed, or denied along with what the city’s budget is and how it’s being used.
Use the map below to learn which district you’re in and who represents you on the council.
Contact information for each representative is listed here. You can also leave a voicemail for your district council person by dialing (423) 643-7170 and pressing the number of your district to leave a message.
If you have a comment, question, or request, you can contact city council by emailing Council-Clerk@chattanooga.gov, or you can send your comments by mail to:
Chattanooga City Council
c/o Clerk to Council
1000 Lindsay StreetChattanooga, TN 37402
Attend a committee meeting
The Chattanooga City Council works through a committee structure. Committee meetings are often the first setting for an item that will be included on the agenda at a city council meeting. For instance, if you bring a parks and recreation issue to your council person, it will likely be brought up in the Parks and Public Works committee meeting before it’s placed on the council’s weekly agenda.
All committee meetings are open to the public.
Find more info on each committee at the links below:
Finding and understanding the agenda
The city council agenda is typically published on Friday afternoon, prior to the next Tuesday’s meeting. The easiest way to find the agenda is via the council’s Facebook or Twitter pages. Reading and understanding the agenda can be complicated, but attending the council’s weekly agenda meeting on Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. is a great way to understand the outlined items before you attend the council meeting.
