Chattanooga executive budget higher than many other city services and departments

Note: This story was updated May 17 to remove references to two city services whose budgets are not lower than the mayor’s office budget.

Since Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly took office in 2021, the city’s executive branch budget has increased from $2.1 million to $6.5 million, outpacing and exceeding the amount allotted to many other city services and departments.

In the proposed budget for fiscal 2025, which may be altered in the next few weeks before the Chattanooga City Council approves a final budget in June, the executive budget is $6.6 million.

In the past few years, the executive branch budget saw its largest increase — from $2.1 million to $5.5 million — in the fiscal year 2022 budget, the first one approved under the Kelly administration.