Both candidates for the Hamilton County trustee’s office favor merging property tax collections with Chattanooga’s treasurer’s office.
The similarities end there.
The challenger, District 9 County Commissioner Bill Hullander, said the trustee’s office is not cost efficient or customer friendly. Incumbent Trustee Carl Levi said it is run efficiently and that voters should keep him because he has experience.
It’s a campaign that already has manifested itself in Hamilton County Commission meetings, where Mr. Hullander has twice questioned his opponent over the awarding of the county’s banking contract.
Customer service
Mr. Hullander said he wants to bring business experience to the trustee’s office and make it more “customer friendly.” He said he wants to allow customers to make partial payments on their tax bills and extend office hours during tax season.
He also said he wants to make it easier for taxpayers to get receipts mailed back to them.
Mr. Levi said if taxpayers pay their tax bill at the bank, they can get a receipt. He said sending receipts takes up too much time for office employees.
When asked about Mr. Hullander’s proposal to allow partial payments of tax bills, Mr. Levi said, “I hope I’m not there when that happens.”
He said the trustee’s office would have to hire more employees for accounting if the policy were enacted.
He said he’s never had any complaints about office hours.
Operating costs
Mr. Hullander said that, under Mr. Levi, operating costs increased in the trustee’s office by 187 percent, bur Mr. Levi disputes that figure.
“We’ve got to bring costs down,” Mr. Hullander said.
He said he came up with the figure by averaging the costs for the last eight years under Mr. Levi and comparing it to past trustees’ operating expenses.
Mr. Levi said he’s cut costs by eliminating two employees. In his first year as trustee, his office employees received a raise, he said, but he did not have control of the budget that year.
Hamilton County trustee candidates* Carl Levi (incumbent)* Age: 79* Fundraising: $15,000* Occupation: Former Chattanooga city treasurer* Previous political experience: None, elected trustee in 2002* Bill Hullander* Age: 64* Fundraising: $30,000* Occupation: Former owner of home improvement business Hullco Exteriors.* Previous political experience: Elected as Hamilton County District 9 commissioner in 1998; spent 10 years on the Zoning Board of Appeals
Negative campaigning
Mr. Hullander said he wants to run a positive campaign and said he was not politicking when he asked his opponent questions over the banking contract during public County Commission meetings.
“I guess it’s of interest to me because I’m running for that seat,” he said, adding later that, “I’m not here to put Mr. Levi or anyone in that office down.” Mr. Levi sees it differently. Mr. Hullander’s questions during the commission meetings are “campaigning from the dais,” he said.
While saying that he is trying to stay positive on the campaign trail, Mr. Levi said he does not feel Mr. Hullander has run a positive campaign.
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Article: Hullander hits Levi again over banking business