CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Although revenue streams remained relatively flat, 2014 was still a good year for Bradley County, Mayor D. Gary Davis said Thursday.
“At the end of the year, I always ask if Bradley County is a better place today than it was a year ago,” he said. “I can honestly say, ‘Yes.'”
Davis highlighted a number of the county’s successes and challenges during his annual “State of Bradley County” address to the Kiwanis Club of Cleveland.
The county reduced its debt by $4.2 million in 2014 and its net position exceeded liabilities by $27 million, representing an increase of $55,000 of its assets, Davis said.
Bradley County’s job growth, cost of living and unemployment numbers compared favorably with surrounding counties, he said.
A 6.1 percent unemployment rate, which he reported in his 2014 Kiwanis address, has fallen to 5.1 percent, while job growth is at 3 percent and the cost of living remains about 8 percent below the national average, Davis said.
The mayor also touted improved fire service to county residents through the establishment of three new full-time fire stations, located on Dalton Pike, Minnis Road and Georgetown Road.
The stations, which began operating in 2013, have contributed to recent boosts in Bradley County Fire & Rescue’s protection ratings, he said.
In 2014, the county fire department received a Class 4 Insurance Service Organization rating for most of its service area Davis said. About 50,000 county residents living outside Cleveland — which amounts to about 90 percent of county residents living outside of the city — now benefit from the improved ISO classification, Davis said.
About 40,000 of those residents previously were under a Class 7 rating from the county fire department, he said.
Generally speaking, lower ISO ratings may translate into lower fire insurance costs, Davis said.
To reflect the expanded fire service coverage area, about 3,000 property parcels were reclassified in the county’s new fire districts and corresponding fire tax assessments, Stanley Thompson, assessor of property for Bradley County, said last summer.
Fire taxes, which are included in property tax notices, are based on the assessed value of properties, Thompson said.
Davis also cited the need for improvements to the safety and traffic flow of Lauderdale Memorial Highway in northern Bradley County.
A traffic signal is needed at the highway’s intersection with Walker Valley Road, which is located close to Walker Valley High School and has been the site of recent serious accidents, he said.
Tennessee Department of Transportation officials have announced plans to schedule safety audit of the intersection and for Lauderdale Memorial as a whole, agency spokeswoman Jennifer Flynn said.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.