Early voting
At least two more early voting sites may be added in time for the March city election. Early voting runs Feb. 15 to March 2.While all of the council members agreed on the need to make it easier for Chattanooga residents to vote, they debated over how much money to spend and whether it could be done in time for the upcoming municipal voting.In a letter to his fellow members delivered at the council’s 1:30 strategic planning meeting last Tuesday, Councilman Chris Anderson had proposed six more sites be added.City attorney Wade Hinton reported at the 6 p.m. meeting that the Election Commission could add two more sites at a cost of $15,000 each. But adding the six sites proposed by Anderson would require them to buy additional laptop computers and other equipment at a cost of $30,000, he said.The council has a contingency fund that could be used for the additional expenditures, but in the end the council asked only that two more be added, one at the Glenwood Youth and Family Development Center and the other at the South Chattanooga YFD Center.The city now has three early voting sites, at the North River Civic Center, the Brainerd YFD Center and the Election Commission offices.The council adopted the resolution by voice vote, with only councilman Chip Henderson dissenting. Henderson had asked the council to postpone a vote on adding the early voting locations until the next election cycle, saying he was worried council members lacked information on where the sites were most needed.— Steve Johnson, staff writer
Some Chattanooga residents in northern Hamilton County will have decisions to make in the upcoming City Council election set for March 7, 2017.
With the qualifying and withdrawal deadlines now past, the ballot has been set.
Councilman Chip Henderson faces challengers Susan Miller and Jay Nevans in District 1, which encompasses Mountain Creek, Moccasin Bend, and portions of Hixson and North Chattanooga.
Businesswoman Susan Miller’s campaign focuses on addressing the challenges of high crime, affordable housing and improving the quality of public education.
Nevans, whose campaign slogan is “Listening for A Change,” calls for creatively improving education, home ownership, recycling and tourism. The co-owner of Scenic City Multi-Sport and manager of 7 Bridges Marathon and the Scenic City Mud Run, Nevans invites constituents to visit his website and Facebook page, which will serve as sounding boards, before and after the election.
District 2, comprising Lupton City, Riverview, Stuart Heights and parts of North Chattanooga, has two candidates: incumbent Jerry Mitchell, who has held the seat since 2013; and Mickey McCamish, executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Southeast Tennessee.
McCamish, a retired United States Navy captain, said his vision of service goes beyond the limits of District 2 to encompass the city as a whole. He cited public safety, education and the needs of veterans as key issues, and is a supporter of Chattanooga 2.0, a community-led education and workforce development initiative.
District 3 Councilman Ken Smith, who represents the Hixson area and currently serves as chairman of the council’s Public Works and Safety Committee, is running unopposed.
Staff writer Paul Leach contributed to this story.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.