District 3 Hamilton County Commission candidate Joe Smith speaks during the debate held at Loftis Middle School. The debate was jointly sponsored by McConnell Elementary and Loftis Middle.At the sole debate organized for the candidates running for the open Hamilton County Commission seat in District 3 – representing Hixson, Lakesite, Middle Valley and Big Ridge – candidates expressed similar views on several issues.
Both candidates, Greg Martin and Joe Smith, described themselves as conservatives and Republicans who are wary of raising county taxes, and both said they want to know more before they will support spending county funds on a new jail.
While Martin is running on the Republican ballot, Smith is running as an independent.
Both candidates said they’re not in favor of giving commissioners discretionary funds, with Martin calling them “re-electing funds.” A school board member since 2012, he said if elected county commissioner and he was able to return the funds, he would.
“I’m not for them because the people aren’t,” he said.
Smith said that although discretionary funds have funded worthy projects in the past, he would not be for resurrecting them if the county budget can’t allow for them without a tax increase.
Martin said while on the school board, he worked with county officials to get the first capital projects in District 3 schools in five years.
“I think I know what it takes to get things done for this community and I think I’ve shown that,” the 53-year-old real estate agent for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services said.
Smith, the 63-year-old director of mission advancement for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga, said he hopes to work together with the county school board to improve Hamilton County schools.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that we’re just not getting the return on our investment,” said Smith. “I don’t know why that is, but it’s got to be looked at and dealt with before we even think about giving more money to the schools.”
Martin played up his local support and focus while suggesting his opponent gets most of his support from outside of District 3.
“My support has come from the people of Hixson,” Martin said. “According to the latest financial records, 82 percent of the people who are financially backing [Smith] do not live in this community. His campaign manager is from Soddy-Daisy, his treasurer is from Signal Mountain and his communications director is from East Ridge. My campaign manager and treasurer live in Hixson and I’m proud to have over 72 percent of the people who are supporting my campaign be the voters who live in this community.”
When asked if he had anyone in mind to take his place on the school board if he wins the commission race, Martin said he’s had about 35 people express their interest in the position to him. He said he doesn’t have a specific person in mind, just a profile of whom he feels would be a good candidate, which includes someone who will communicate and work with the County Commission.
Smith urged Martin to stay on the school board rather than move to the County Commission.
“It shouldn’t be about furthering personal careers or climbing the political tree,” Smith said. “I don’t have any aspirations about climbing the political ladder. My opponent should stay on the school board and quit worrying about climbing the political ladder.”