Mickey McCamishMickey McCamish, executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Southeast Tennessee, has announced his campaign for the Chattanooga City Council District 2 seat.
District 2 extends from the North Shore to Northgate and includes the precincts of Lupton City, Riverview and Stuart Heights.
McCamish challenges incumbent Jerry Mitchell, who has held the seat since 2013.
"I believe in accountability and living up to commitments," McCamish, a retired United States Navy captain, said. "I believe in open communications and to always be available for the people in your district. That way I can have an understanding of how the people of District 2 feel about an issue."
His vision of service goes beyond the limits of District 2 to encompass the city as a whole, he said.
"The people of District 2 work and and play outside of District 2," McCamish said. "I want to make decisions that are best for the city as well as the district."
McCamish cited the needs of veterans, public safety and education as key issues.
"We need to be proactive in what we do for our veterans, particularly the homeless, instead of being reactive," he said. "Let's be proactive so our veterans don't become homeless."
He said public safety cannot be achieved with a "silver bullet," but requires ensuring public safety officers have the right tools to do the job.
"We need a safe place to live, a safe place to raise a family and a safe place to visit," McCamish said. "We need to make sure we are doing the things which enable them to achieve that mission."
McCamish said he supports Chattanooga 2.0, a community-led education and workforce development initiative.
Elections for Chattanooga mayor and city council seats will be held on March 7.
Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @pleach_tfp.