Georgia trip spurs Littlefield's consolidation push

A trip to Columbus, Ga., this week left Mayor Ron Littlefield with the impression that a dream of consolidated government for Chattanooga and Hamilton County should become reality.

Mr. Littlefield spent several days in the military town, home to the U.S. Army infantry school. Pounding the ground himself, Mr. Littlefield said he spoke with several city leaders who helped consolidate services between Columbus and Muscogee County in 1971.

"They looked me square in the eye and said they wouldn't go back to the way it was," Mr. Littlefield said Friday during a Southeast Tennessee Political Action Committee luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel.

He spent a half hour in his speech talking mostly about how he still wanted to pursue consolidation between the city and the county, even as the recession presses on.

He said it was time for Chattanooga to transform itself, much in the same way that U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., transformed himself from comedian to U.S. senator.

"Where we will be Dec. 31, 2019, will largely be determined by what we do today," Mr. Littlefield said.

Hamilton County Commissioner Bill Hullander said some simple things such as combining the trustees' and treasurers' offices could be examined, but a fully consolidated metropolitan government would need to be on a voter referendum.

"The voters need to decide that," he said.

The mayor's trip to Columbus comes after another mayor in the region also took a trip there.

Dalton, Ga., Mayor David Pennington went to the military town and came back with the outlook that consolidation was the best way to go for Dalton and Whitfield County.

"I think the leaders back then saw the opportunity to bring two governments together (that were) providing similar services in overlapping jurisdictions," Mr. Pennington said, according to Times Free Press archives.

While in Columbus, Mr. Littlefield said he also learned that the metropolitan county of 187,000 had a consolidated water and sewer company. He said he took notes of how those operate, as well.

Councilwoman Pam Ladd, who attended the speech, said she was pleased to hear what the mayor learned from his Columbus trip.

"I'm excited dialogue is continuing and work is going to begin soon," she said.