As the legislative body of the City of Chattanooga, City Council approves local laws, or ordinances, and passes resolutions to make appointments to city boards, sign contracts, accept grants, and more. City Council members represent residents of their district in local government, working with the Mayor’s Office to direct citywide policy and pass an annual budget.

I have 36 years of public service as a member of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, with 29 years of service being as a supervisor. I also have 3 years active duty in the military. Public service has been my life. My biggest call to serve is my opponent and his lack of communication with the public who elected him. Many don’t receive return phone calls or emails. They don’t feel part of the process and they don’t feel he has their best interests in mind. I plan on changing that. If elected, I will be a representative of the people, elected by the people and I will not forget that. My campaign motto is “Time for Change”. We cannot afford another 4 years of the current Representative.

A – Crime – while crime is down in certain areas, many residents of district 1 don’t feel it is down for us. The vape shop in Tiftonia/Lookout Valley has been robbed numerous times in the last 2-3 months, with an employee punched in the face. The vehicle break-ins are not slowing down, and property theft continues to be an issue. It must be addressed, and I feel it can be done better than it is now. I think we need more officers, and we need to work on pay (pay is a huge issue and my opponent has been on the council 12 years so why is it just now a priority issue for him) and retention for them. Can the city employees take another 4 years of my opponent when he has been there for 12 years and this issue still hasn’t been fixed? We also need to start a Neighborhood Watch training program in conjunction with the Chattanooga Police so that it is set up the right way, safe and responsible way.

B – Funding – Our current councilman was given 100,000 a couple years ago to use in the district. He then spent almost 60,000 of that in areas outside our district. He only used approximately 40% in district. That is unacceptable. He could have used that at the local recreations, the community centers, and in many other areas that would have benefited the citizens of district 1, not other districts. He currently has over 600,000 to use for our district. He is putting all of that into a traffic light synchronization program. This is for 11 red lights from Lookout Valley to Downtown on Broad Street. The troubling part of this is that only 4 of the red lights are in District 1, the other 7 are not in our district. He is doing this due to Lookout Valley area being locked in by only 2 ways in and out to get to Downtown or other areas and the recent crashes that have occurred on the Interstates. The Chattanooga City Police department, along with TDOT, THP and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, have developed a plan to move crashes off the roadway and to come back and clean them up at night when the traffic is easier to deal with, with less problems for the citizens and travels alike. So, I ask, do you go with the opinion of the councilman who is a construction company owner, or do you trust in the people who deal with this every day. While the synchronization might assist a little bit, you can’t move traffic over Hwy 41 at any faster rate when the roads are merging into one lane at an overpass on each side. This is the issue with Hwy 41 as a detour area. But again, money designated for District 1 in two instances is being used in other areas. I must ask WHY? and the citizens should be doing the same.

Editor’s note: Chattamatters independently verified the claims regarding the use of $100,000 in COVID relief dollars allocated to District 1 and the $632,000 recently appropriated for Lookout Valley infrastructure improvements. See more details here. Chattamatters is working to verify the claim that some of the traffic lights targeted by the infrastructure funds are not in District 1.

C – Infrastructure – Our roads are terrible. My opponent proclaims that he is responsible for certain roadways being paved. Well, after 12 years in office he should be claiming double or triple that amount based upon the road conditions. Our roadways across the district are a disaster. Sewer, water and basic infrastructure are a mess. We have to do better. We need to have these items fixed and in place before we look at affordable housing which is a great need right now. We have to do better. Can we really take another 4 years of this when he has had 12 years already to work on this issue?

The council is the voice of the people. The people elect us, and it is our responsibility to remember that and act accordingly. We are to make decisions based upon their concerns. We can’t please everyone every time, but we can look at both sides and try to find a compromise that works for each. We must live within our means with the budget, and we must cut all the excess and unnecessary funding. Time for Change

Many complaints I have heard are that the current councilman not responding back to citizens. I will work on making myself more accessible for them and I will respond back. We must get better, and I plan to be a representative who works for the people, with no back door decisions. They deserve to be a part of the process, not an afterthought. I will set up an email and phone system so they can contact me with any issues. I will make sure I notify them of any controversial items that are coming up so we can discuss them ahead of time. Again, I want them to be a part of the process because they will be the ones who elect me and if they don’t have any input then am I truly representing them? Time for Change

I am honored to get to represent the people of District 2 on Chattanooga City Council. My public service is motivated by the need for change and the recognition that we have a huge opportunity for progress here in our city. Something that I love about the work that we do on City Council is that we have the opportunity to work at a systems level for change.

Elements of my job that I find I spend quite a lot of time on include housing attainability,  strong infrastructure,  public safety,  and making sure that we are improving the way that we open our conversations to the public so that we can get more public input.

The top three issues that I find concern people in District 2 are housing attainability, because housing has become so expensive in our district, strong infrastructure — making sure that we’ve got great roads, and we’ve got good sewer infrastructure and stormwater infrastructure — and then quality of life issues related to codes enforcement and public safety, especially as it relates to pedestrian safety.

The harder question, really, is how we go about moving the needle on those issues. And what I have found in the last four years is that while every family in District 2 is different, and we are an ideologically diverse district, there are some things that we can all agree on, and I call those our shared values.

Our shared values in District 2 are strong foundation, smart city, and everyone belongs. I hang all of the work that I do on those three values, and it gives me direction as I advocate for the people of District 2, and as I work collaboratively with our neighborhoods and with people outside of our district.

The primary role of Chattanooga City Council is to set a budget and make sure that we stick to it. Now, that’s a big job, but I think that there are two other primary roles that City Council fills. First, every time I walk into the City Council Chamber, I have my District 2 hat on. I’m here to advocate for the people in our neighborhoods.

But the other job is for our City Council to work together to lead the entire city.  Now to do that, I think it’s important that we have a shared vision for the kind of city that we want to be and be intentional about working toward the goals that we set together.

I have set a high standard for constituent engagement and being accessible to constituents during the last four years that I’ve served on City Council and in the previous four years when I served on school board. The easiest way for you to get a hold of me is to email me at jhill@chattanooga.gov. 

A cool thing about that is it also automatically adds you to my District 2 email newsletter. Now, I work diligently every Tuesday to empty my entire inbox, so most people are going to hear from me within a week. Another way that you can engage with me is to attend a District 2 neighborhood network meeting.

We have those about four times a year, most often at Coolidge Park, and our next meeting is coming up on Feb. 13. It will be at the Walker Pavilion in Coolidge Park, and there will be brownies. Finally, I encourage you to think about getting engaged with your local neighborhood association. Most of the challenges and opportunities that we have in Chattanooga are best dealt with when we work with our neighbors and get to know all the folks that could be impacted by change that we think would be great.

So, to know your neighbors and work together on problems early helps me advocate even better for our district. If you’d like to email me at jhill@chattanooga.gov, I’d be happy to get you connected with your neighborhood association. I’ll tell you what, change really does start in your own backyard.

I’m running for the District 3 seat on Chattanooga City Council to be a strong advocate for Hixson residents and to put my leadership experience to work in serving our community. As a child advocacy attorney with over a decade of experience representing the best interest of children who have been abused and neglected, I believe I have the skill set necessary to fight for a bright future for families across Chattanooga. 

And given my leadership experience, including service as a Judicial Commissioner for Hamilton County Government, and on the board of directors for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga, District 3 residents can be assured that I’ll be an effective councilman who’s well prepared for the job.

The top three issues that I see facing residents in District 3 are the rapid growth that our community is experiencing, the necessity of improvements in our infrastructure in order to accommodate this growth, and ensuring that public safety remains a top priority for city government through proper funding of our police and fire departments. 

In the many conversations that I’ve had with District 3 residents about these issues over the past several months, I believe I have a good sense of their opinions, and I’ll ensure that those opinions are heard when decisions are being made on City Council concerning these issues.

The role of the Council is to serve as a legislative body of city government, and the most important item that City Council considers each year is the city budget. 

With over eight years of experience managing budgets and providing financial oversight as a member of the board of commissioners for Hixson Utility District, I’ll bring a conservative, responsible approach to all decisions made by City Council regarding taxpayer funds, and I’ll also ensure that city government serves as a good steward of public resources.

To make it easier for my constituents to engage with the governing process,  I’ll continue to utilize the methods that have served me well during this campaign: holding neighborhood town hall meetings and district wide virtual town halls using teleconferencing. In addition, I’ll maintain a website and social media accounts with up to date information on matters under consideration by City Council, and with details about government activity affecting our district. 

In my interactions with constituents, I’ll always listen more than I speak, seeking to really understand their viewpoints, and I’ll always be straightforward and honest with my constituents, even if some might not agree with every decision I make as their councilman.

Good local government requires active citizens who step up to lead. As a husband and father who has chosen this community as my family’s home, I have a vested interest in ensuring that Chattanooga remains a great place to live, work, and play for years to come. And I’m ready to get to work on City Council to make that future a reality. 

I believe that when considering the leadership experience and abilities of the candidates, I’m the one best suited to represent District 3 on Chattanooga City Council. And so I ask for your vote on March 4. Thank you.

I decided to run for Chattanooga City Council District 5 because I believe there was still a lot of work to be done in delivering results for the people in my community who were promised certain things, but things didn’t get done.

I’m running for Chattanooga City Council to make sure that our residents, our seniors in particular, get their fair share of city services, that we have community health infrastructure, and that we are developing areas in District 5 that have been undeveloped in comparison to other parts of the city. I’m running against an incumbent who I believe missed a lot of opportunities and had a lot of unmet promises. And I believe I have the experience and relationships to deliver results for the people in District 5.

The top three issues facing residents in District 5 include infrastructure development, reducing crime, increasing public safety for our seniors, developing Highway 58 and the Brainerd corridor, and basically just making sure we get our fair share of city services.

A city councilperson is like a customer service representative. Our job is to respond to the needs of the residents and work with the mayor’s administration and making sure that the city services are delivered to our customers, which are taxpayers and city workers.

One of the ways I’ll make it easier for constituents to engage in the governing process is to strengthen neighborhood associations.

I think neighbors should collectively gather with their City Council so they can discuss issues and the needs of their community together. I think the city councilperson should host more forums inside the neighborhoods. And we should also do more electronic communication through newsletters to engage voters, not just when it’s time to get elected, but when it’s time to get things done.

The main reason I’m running for City Council is the lack of representation of young Chattanoogans in City Council and the lack of change in District 5. My biggest call to serve was following in the footsteps of my father and other mentors in the community that coached and served the community. They didn’t base their success on their personal gains, but how good they serviced the community

The top three issues in my district is lack of transparency, the age gap between politically informed and active citizens, and we don’t see anything physically changed in our community in District 5.

A councilman’s role is to create policies that meet the needs of the residents and represent the community to the best of their ability.

Transparency is of the utmost importance. I believe that having monthly livestream meetings, as well as quarterly neighborhood and district meetings, and changing the time for City Council meetings to fit the city’s needs would be absolutely paramount.

When my mother, Councilwoman Carol Berz, passed away unexpectedly four days before the election qualifying date, my family and I discussed how we were going to ensure her legacy carried on and the hard work that she had done, and the projects that were still in the works were sustained.

And I said I’ve worked alongside her for the past 15 years. I live in District 6. I’ve lived in District 6 most of my life, and have served on community organizations and held influential leadership roles on various boards and councils that include the Family Justice Center, Midtown Connect, and the Mayor’s Council for Women — all organizations that serve the well-being of the city and those who live here.

It was during that conversation that I decided to run and share my over-25 years of experience in the public and private sector as a professional collaborator and community leader in order to serve the needs of District 6 and the city, and I look forward to this leadership opportunity.

First of all, safe, sustainable neighborhoods. My focus areas will be paving and traffic calming. Streets need to be safe for people to walk, run, and be out in their neighborhood in conjunction with ongoing traffic. Panhandling is also a critical issue, and I want to make sure folks are educated on how we discourage and protect neighborhoods against it. 

I will encourage public park space and community centers that support the needs of neighborhoods to include youth and family programs. Education is important to everyone, and we can provide programs for youth and families that support educational institutions. I’ll also focus on economic development to include workforce development, planned sustainable growth, and zoning that protects the integrity of neighborhoods, and public-private partnerships that work collaboratively to enhance the quality of life for District 6 and the city.

Last but not least, I’m proud to live and work in a city that works to ensure safety, respect, and inclusion. As a professional collaborator, I will continue to work with community organizations and leaders to create positive change for our city.

The City Council’s role is to foster an ethical and inclusive environment that supports the well-being of everyone by encouraging citizen involvement at all levels of city government. And I’m also responsible for delivering high-quality professional public services that meet community needs.

I will stay up-to-date and informed on the issues. I will be accountable to those I serve. I’ll be responsive to constituents’ concerns, ask for input, and listen. I’ll also continue to engage with the community organizations and key strategic partners that work together to provide the best possible city for us all to live in.

I am committed to encouraging citizens’ input and participation at all levels and making sure folks know how to get involved. My business is in District 6, and I will be available to meet with folks in the district and attend neighborhood and community meetings. 

I also invite constituents to engage by attending community meetings, especially community police meetings and neighborhood association meetings, where we can discuss specific issues and engage with other community organizations who are working for the well-being of our district and city. Last but not least, attend City Council meetings, either in person or streaming.

Email me or call me. It is essential that we work together to maintain an open line of communication where we can have positive and productive dialogue for the betterment of our city.

My name is Jennifer Gregory, and I’m applying for the job of being our next councilwoman for District 6. I’m running to represent every voice in District 6, not just a select few, and because I believe that we should choose our next elected official. We’ve had the same leadership in the district for a decade and a half, and I’m here to simply ask the question, are we ready for a change? 

I’m a born-and-raised Chattanoogan, and I’ve spent decades in the food and beverage industry, restaurant management, and community service, and I want to bring that diverse work experience to the City Council. I grew up with a mother who ran Erlanger’s ER for decades and a father who graduated from Kirkland High and ran a printing press downtown.

I graduated from UTC with a degree in anthropology, the study of human behavior, and I focused on primate studies, which was great practice for politics.

The top three issues I see facing not only District 6, but all of Chattanooga — affordable and attainable housing, safer streets and neighborhoods, and supporting small businesses. I’m in real estate and I love what I do, helping my clients with some of the largest financial decisions of their lifetimes.

We have fiduciary duties in real estate, and I take those responsibilities very seriously to put our clients’ needs above all else. I’ll do the same with the citizens of Chattanooga.

The role of City Council is to be a system of checks and balances with the Mayor’s Office, ensuring that the people of Chattanooga’s needs come first.  City Council is responsible for tending to our taxpayer dollars and maintaining our budget in a fiscally responsible way. We also deal with planning and zoning, something I’m particularly poised to understand as it impacts our communities and city.

I think community involvement and communication is important, not only during election season, but throughout term in office. And I intend to do just that with the citizens of District 6. I want to hear from you, even if it’s a hard conversation. And if you can’t make it to neighborhood meetings or make it to a 3:30 City Council meeting, I want to hear from you, too. We have to go where people are to hear their voices and understand what the needs are for the community.

So when I was an undergrad at UT, I had a, just a retired, salty NSA agent with his doctorate in political science, who used to drive home to us all the time that you can’t change anything in any government by throwing stones at the outside. You have to make changes from inside, and I firmly believe that.

Above that, I think that if somebody has the ability to do good, they have the responsibility to do good, and I believe that I’m able to help Chattanooga and make Chattanooga a better place.

Well, you can’t talk about District 6 without talking about Brainerd Road and Lee Highway. You know, this is 2025 — we need sidewalks down Brainerd Road. I walk to restaurants. I walk to stores. I take my daughters to Camp Jordan. Sidewalks are basic and a requirement these days. And Brainerd Road and Lee Highway, especially — they’re not just for cars anymore. People traverse them for recreation and for work. So we need sidewalks down Brainerd Road. That’s a focus of mine.

Second is a unified plan for the homeless population. You know, my wife’s a CPD officer. And so I hear a lot about the homeless population. You know, let me be clear — I do not believe that a modern society lets people waste away on the street. However, I do have a problem with the people who, they’re on the street because they just refuse to live by society’s rules, so they’re camping on the railroad tracks, they’re camping, you know, under boats in people’s backyards, and they’re, you know, having a meltdown in Dollar General.

We have a lot of resources. We have a lot of resources in this city. We have the CHATT Foundation, we have Room in the Inn for single mothers, we have resources for, you know, homeless veterans. We have resources for the guy who just needs a little bit of help getting on his feet. We have got to get together and come up with some plan because we’re piecemealing it together as it is, and you know, with mortgage prices going up, home prices, and rent prices, the homeless population is only going to grow. Less and less people are able to afford a home. So that’s my second issue. 

Let’s see here, my third issue — so, a lot of people in my district don’t realize it, Dec. 18, large portions of our district were rezoned without notice. You know, before I was a candidate, I was a resident here, and I am also an appraiser, and so I’m up on zoning. I didn’t know it, but, we were rezoned in December from R-1 to a higher density. They changed R-1 zoning, and you can go online and read about that.

But, they rezoned R-1, including our heritage neighborhoods, to a higher density, which, whether you’re for or against that — and I’m not against progress, so I’m not going to get into the whole technicalities of it — I don’t appreciate anything like that being passed without, you know, resident, constituent, all kinds of input. And we were never notified. It took a lot of us by surprise. So my third issue that I think the district needs to address, is representation that will come to HOA meetings, and come to church meetings, and talk to residents about what’s going on, and be OK if they’re mad at your representative. That’s fine with me — we will work it out and we’ll come up with a solution that everybody’s OK with.

Editor’s note: The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency (RPA) unveiled an updated zoning code, approved by City Council, which took effect on Dec. 18, 2024. Two new zones for single-family homes can create more density by allowing smaller lot sizes than the former RN-1 zone. The new RN-1-6 zone has the same minimum lot size requirement as RN-1. You can find the new zone for your home or business through this map from the RPA.

The RPA held several public meetings on the new zoning ordinance between October 2023 and June 2024. City Council held a public hearing on the ordinance in July 2024.

So I think first and foremost — and I touched on this on the end of my second question — is the role of a Council member is to research what matters to residents. Notice I said residents, not just people who voted because I represent the entire district, and I have a vote for the whole city. So research what matters to residents and ensure the city runs in the most efficient manner possible, while maintaining safety. You know, and I think the no. 1 role for City Council members is to be a conduit to the residents on what’s going on to the city — get resident feedback, get constituent feedback, first off, and stop things that they don’t want from happening.

Second is to propose, you know, understand what is important to your constituents and then to propose legislation that does matter to them and try to get that passed and really be an advocate to those people you represent.

This is an easy one because, you know, my phone number is my actual phone number. It goes straight to me. My email address, christian@chattanoogadistrict6 — with the number 6 — .com, my real email address. It really goes to me — there’s nobody between us, no representative, or aide, or something like that. So, the first way is avenues of communication. You know, you can reach out to me in multiple ways, and I encourage it. The second way is, you know, attending HOA meetings, attending church meetings. Just talking to people and getting out into the community and finding out what matters to them.

The third way is not waiting for just the people who go to HOA meetings or just the people who you run into on the street, but knocking on doors, you know, in this and being proactive, I guess, in general. But in this race, I’ve knocked on over 500 doors so far in District 6, found a lot of great things about District 6 — a lot of things we need to work on in District 6. But the point is, I’m researching, I’m trying, I’m hearing what you’re concerned about, and that’s really the best way to engage people in the governing process — is to find out what matters to them. And then, either try to defeat legislation that is harmful to them, or propose legislation on matters that you care about. So, that’s my answer to that question.

Finally, I just want to thank Chattamatters one more time for doing this video series. If you live in District 6, please consider voting for me. It’ll be honor, I’d be honored to have your vote and it’s going to be a tight race. I need every vote and every voter out of the polls on March 4.

I serve as the current City Council Representative for Chattanooga District 7. So, the first question is, why have I decided to run for City Council? When I decided to enter the race, what was my biggest call to serve?

So, of course, I currently serve as the City Council representative. I’m the current incumbent and my biggest call to serve was the people. It’s all about equity. It’s all about community, whether you’re downtown or East Lake. Every community deserves a good representative. So, I decided to run to represent the people and advocate for the things that we need in each neighborhood.

Top three issues I see facing residents in District 7 is economic development, equity, and community engagement. Those are areas that I’ve consistently focused on and will continue to focus on as we begin to look at neighborhood economics, when we look at how that wealth is distributed — what does that development look like and then engage in those community and neighbors to actually participate in the process of economic development and what that equity looks like. So, those are the three things that I believe are facing residents in District 7.

The role is stated in the City of Chattanooga Charter – the City Council serves as the legislative body for the City of Chattanooga. We also are the fiscal, we are fiscally responsible for the city’s budget. So, that’s why you see us go through budget season, and why it’s so important.

We are also responsible for constituent services and concerns. We address our constituents and see what issues they may have, and we also deal with planning and zoning. You know, what’s being built, how it’s being built, and where is it being built? How’s it going to impact the people? So those are our four roles, legislation, budgeting, constituent services, and planning and zoning.

I think that’s an interesting question because it’s not about how we will make it easier because it’s already easy. The question to the constituents is are they going to participate? We have neighborhood associations. We have City Council meetings. You can also reach out via email or phone. So, there are a variety of ways to engage in a government process or a governing process. It’s just a matter of how involved a person wants to be because we know that people have things to do. People have lives to live and, you know, work and all these different things. So it isn’t a matter of if we’ll make it easier because it is absolutely easy. It’s just a matter of the level of engagement that a person would like to participate in.

So, it’s simple as email, phone — the biggest way is neighborhood associations. Please be involved in your neighborhood association.

I am running for City Council in District 8. I live there with my husband, Mike, of 27 years. I am a creative director and an entrepreneur. I have decided to run for City Council because I believe that District 8 has one of the most complex tapestries of people, varying in age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. 

It is packed full of talent and resilience, and it contains neighborhoods that are worthy of a fair allocation of resources. I also see the need for increased communication and leadership. My background in several disciplines, many years in corporate boardrooms, as a community advocate, and as an entrepreneur give me a perspective that will enable me to be the right voice for many different people. 

I believe that my skillsets are exactly what District 8 needs right now as we continue to look forward to the growth that is needed and the fiscal responsibility that will come with it. I believe we can do this, but it must be done together and it must be done with care.

The three things that I think are most important for the District and the biggest issues are infrastructure, economic equity, and housing. Chattanooga receives millions of dollars every year for public and private projects, but how is that money allocated, and who benefits from it? We must be committed to asking the hard questions that create conditions for the funding to be ethically and rationally spent. 

Infrastructure costs account for a significant portion of your tax dollars. Street and sidewalk maintenance, wastewater and environmental needs, transportation, including walkability and bike lanes, and recreational projects are all part of the city’s budget. My priority is to spend sensibly, ask difficult questions, and push for transparency. 

I also believe that with an economy as vibrant as ours, there is no reason the racial wealth gap should still be on par with the national average. Creating conditions for economic parity is important not only for the people of Chattanooga, but also for the current industry that our city supports, and the new ones that it welcomes.

And housing. I think housing is important not just for those who are looking for it to be something they can afford, but also for those who are unhoused. There are many that can’t afford to pay minimal — that can only afford to pay many minimal amounts — and who find themselves unhoused. Finding housing that is not just affordable, but most importantly accessible, is what’s key.

We have to make housing affordable for those based on what they can afford, not based on what the city’s average tells us they can afford. We have to be creative about finding tactics to use vacant properties in creative ways.

Editor’s note: Chattamatters is working to verify the information above about the local racial wealth gap.

I think the role of the City Council is different for an individual versus for the group.  My individual role as a councilperson is that I have an obligation to my constituents to keep them informed and aware of what’s going on in their district and in the city at large. I’m highly aware of the frustration that many District 8 residents feel regarding the lack of communication. 

Additionally, I hope to be one of the nine voices that interrogates the proposals coming before us. My experience offers me a perspective that blends responsibility with social curiosity. And I want to offer creative solutions and provide the right level of oversight. As a Council, we are the checks and balances for the mayor’s administration, and we are a legislative body and a budgetary oversight arm.

But we also must be a group who collectively cares deeply about our people. We must lead with empathy, and we must lead with care.

I think one of the things that I have heard most as I’ve been door-knocking and having conversations with District 8 is that transparency and communication are of the utmost importance for my residents. District 8 constituents deserve consistent and truthful information, and I intend to implement a bi-weekly update email that includes Council and neighborhood announcements. 

I’m going to attend neighborhood association meetings and be accessible when I’m needed, and I ask that you vote for me for District 8.

Well, I decided to run for City Council because if not me, then who? Being a person that is born and raised in District 8 — we’re five generations strong from this district — it’s my civic duty to give back to the community that’s built me. Being a person that has walked up and down Willow — I’ve rode a bike up and down Willow, rode the CARTA bus, and now I drive up and down Willow — I literally have experienced every walk of life in that community. And being a mom of two boys and showing them what it looks like to be a partaker of your community is leading by leadership and leading by example. So, that’s my main reason for running for City Council.

And then when I think about my why, like, what do I plan on doing? I only plan on being a translator for the needs and voices in my community. It’s what we want. It’s what we need. And so, if I’m going to be the person to be the poster child for change, then hey, sign me up.

Well, the, I guess, political answer is going to be affordable housing, economic development, and crime. But the issues are not what you see. The issue is what’s motivating these issues. So when I think about affordable housing and the issue that I think is, it’s going to be the lack of financial literacy. So, what resources can we bring to the community to educate people so that they know what affordable housing is and also how to take advantage of different opportunities and programs that are available to them? So, that’s the first issue.

Second issue is crime. Not only is crime an issue because that’s a product of what the real issue is, and the real issue is the lack of sociological background. So, do you understand the people that are next door to you? Do you understand the police that are policing your community? And also, do the police understand the people that they’re policing? So, once we’re able to build the learning aspect and just gain knowledge, then we’re able to kind of make those connections to where we actually are a community.

The last issue that is, I guess, the poster name is going to be economic development. Again, financial literacy. Can I be upset to someone that has the money to buy the old, you know, grocery store on my block just because I can’t afford it? No, but how do we enrich our community to where we’re able to take part in what’s being done. Instead of being reactive, we should be a little bit more proactive. So, I think our biggest deficit in District 8 is access to resources and also access to information.

Well, the main priority of the position that I’m running for is to make sure that the city does what’s best for the community. So, I’m only going to be a liaison, which, let me not say “only” because a liaison is a very big role. But my job is to translate what government plans to do to the community prior to it happening, and also, translating what the community wants to the government prior to it being too late.

So, my job is not really going to be hard. Accessibility is going to make that job very easy. And that’s why I give my direct cell phone number to every person that I run into. It’s on all of my literature because I want my community and, you know, everybody in the city to be able to access me if they need my assistance or if there’s something that I can do to help.

And as a Medicare professional, being a CEO of a Medicare company, all of my clients have always been able to reach me. So, I have a 24 to 48 hour rule, and so if you don’t get in touch with me within 24 to 48 hours, please call 9-1-1. But my main job, again, just to circle back, is to make sure that I am being transparent with what’s happening, what’s going on, and what the needs are. I’m kind of going to be like a political newscaster, broadcasting live.

Well, the first thing that the constituents are going to need to be able to do is to attend City Council meetings. And at 3:30, for someone like me or many people that live in my district, they’re not at home, you know, drinking coffee all day or watching talk shows. We’re at work. We’re taking care of children. Some of us are caregivers.

So, I think the first thing that we need to do is consider that meeting time, the time and the day to make sure that it is feasible for the most people to get there because if we are representing the community and the community is not involved, first of all, they have to be able to attend. So, that’s one of the first things that I will advocate for is to see if we can find a time that’s more suitable.

Me being a single mom, getting kids from the bus and wanting to make sure that they’re at home — even sometimes, the youth needs to be involved. That’s one thing that I feel like in our local government that we haven’t been able to bridge that gap is involving the youth, you know, high schoolers, middle schoolers — these kids know what they need. And how do we get those answers without them there?

So, if we have a more family-friendly time that would be more inclusive, then I think that we’ll be able to get a lot more involvement and make a lot of progress. So I’m looking forward to seeing a more family-friendly, a family-involved, City Council meeting and just getting all hands on because it’s we over me.

I decided to run because I was seeing some things in District 8 that was lacking. One is equality across the entire district. We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to be able to succeed and to be able to do things that they will like do for entrepreneurship, owning homes, and those type of things. So, we need a new senior center for the seniors — they are currently being housed in our district at Glenwood Community Center, and we need to work on that.

We need to work on safety, early-child education. So, these are things that I’ve already been doing — I have not just woke up one day and said, ‘Well, we need to do this.’ These are things that I’ve been doing, from being a PTA president and GED programs, apprenticeship programs — these are things that I’ve already done. I just have a love for helping and working with people.

One is affordable housing, two is safety, and three is education/mental health. I think these are the top three areas not just in District 8, but probably what’s being faced around the entire city. And so, as elected to be the city councilperson for District 8, these are the top priorities that we will be looking at and dealing with in District 8.

The role of the City Council is to make sure that different policies and procedures are in place that affects the city. Of course, everyone knows that it’s our job to approve the mayor’s budget, but it’s also our job to make sure we take care of our constituents that we represent in our particular areas as City Council in our particular districts. That’s the main purpose and role for City Council.

I will have quarterly meetings, community meetings, where we will sit and discuss issues that’s on hand that I will have to vote on — concerns that they would like to see done for the district and their immediate communities. And just transparency, you know, social media — make sure we put things out on social media.

I would like to see a small newspaper that goes out for District 8 to make sure people, you know, read and know what’s going on and hold me accountable to the decisions and the votes that I will make up there at City Council.

I decided to run for City Council because I’m sick and tired of seeing working people go hungry. The owning class in our city makes billions off of working people. I’m tired of seeing our people killed and beaten and harassed in the street by police. I’m tired of seeing immigrants families ripped apart.

I have a simple belief — call it socialist if you will. I have no problem with that term. I’ll call myself that. I believe that you work a full-time job all week, you’re able to pay your rent, feed yourself good food, live a good life, and that all people should be free of harassment from police, Klansmen, ICE — whoever wants to mess with you. 

I think the victory for this cause can only be achieved collectively by workers fighting to get the ruling class together.  This is why I was ecstatic last year when workers at Volkswagen won the union drive for a dignified life. That’s an incredibly important step in what I believe could see Chattanooga as the center of a labor and working-class renaissance in the South.

We will need bold ideas in the coming years to fight back against an oligarchical and fascistic movement in the White House. Part of this is the UAW and other representatives of the working class’ plans for a general strike in 2028, where millions of workers go on strike to demand a new, fairer deal. I believe the movement of the working class needs friendly faces in government, and I want to be that.

I see the three primary issues facing residents of my district as access to well-paying, dignified jobs, access to good, nutritious food, and access to transportation. These issues all compound one another. If you can’t get transportation as many residents can’t — District 9 has one of the lowest car ownership rates in Chattanooga — and you can’t get grocery stores, your job options are limited. I plan to solve this with targeted, achievable policies. For transportation, I want to massively invest in our public transit system, which has been rated as one of the worst in the country.

We can significantly increase CARTA’s funding by at least 50% and move to a fare-free system. This means more routes, more frequent buses, and more options. For labor and good jobs, I want to work with organized labor in their struggle by requiring city contractors to have certified apprenticeship programs. I want decriminalized solidarity strikes in Chattanooga. I want to include union members on boards. I want to have strict local hiring and accountability guidelines on all city deals with companies. 

And as for food, I want to open up a co-operatively run, city-owned grocery store. 

I believe the City Council, as the legislative body of the city, must represent the will of the residents of Chattanooga and especially advocate for those who too often have been left out of political conversations.  I believe the City Council has too often taken a back seat to city affairs, and must take an active role fighting for the working class of Chattanooga.

Opening up the governing process of Chattanooga is incredibly important for me. As an activist, I’ve seen the hurdles that are placed on average people to engage in politics. I would immediately advocate to move City Council meetings back to time and day where working class people can easily make it.

I would also immediately reopen the period for public comment, back to it up as in 2020 and before. If people want to keep me up to the early morning, speaking their voice, so let it be done.  I also would like to significantly lower the required signatures for ballot initiatives, appoint working class people to city boards, and open up a city of public participation in budgeting. 

And I commit that I will always be available for residents to talk to. I will hold regular town halls and meet with representatives of working class organizations regularly to hold myself accountable.

Editor’s note: Council members voted to limit the public comment period at the end of their business meeting to one hour in June 2020. Chattamatters has not yet verified if this limit is still in effect.