IN OTHER BUSINESSThe City Council also unanimously voted for Councilman Chip Henderson to become the next council chairman. Yusuf Hakeem completed his one-year term Tuesday. Councilwoman Carol Berz was voted as the new vice chair person to replace Henderson.
Chattanooga City HallChattanooga officials went on the offense Tuesday in an ongoing feud between the city and Hamilton County Schools.
The City Council gave City Attorney Wade Hinton permission to take steps to recover $1.7 million they claim the county school system owes the city — an amount that is $10 million less than what school officials say the city owes in unpaid taxes. That action could lead to the city to sue the school system in a counterclaim.
“We don’t want to file a lawsuit but we do have a certain time limitation in which we can file a claim,” Hinton said. “I won’t file anything until it becomes apparent we won’t be able to come to a resolution.”
Tuesday’s unanimous vote is the latest in the months-long battle between Chattanooga and the school system over millions in unpaid liquor-by-the-drink taxes. Five days ago, the school system filed a lawsuit against Chattanooga to recover $11.7 million that school officials say is due from unpaid taxes between 1998 and 2014.