Republican Hubert Gene “Gene-o” Shipley, first-time Hamilton County commissioner and longtime Soddy-Daisy advocate, will seek a second term during the 2026 election season.
Shipley, 70, represents the northernmost district of Hamilton County, including the city of Soddy-Daisy and other communities like Sale Creek and Mowbray Mountain. He was first elected in 2022, unseating Randy Fairbanks, who had been on the commission since 2014. Shipley had previously been a Soddy-Daisy City commissioner for 28 years, and his family has been involved in running the city for 46 of the 55 years it’s been incorporated.
No one has announced an election bid to challenge Shipley for his District 1 seat.
In an interview, Shipley said improvements to schools was one of the goals that he originally entered office with, including a renovation of 65-year-old Soddy Daisy Middle School. The school will be expanding to allow for more students, and he’d like to see that project finished out, he said. He’s watching several other schools that are close to capacity, too, he said, and he’s trying to help funding keep pace with growth.
He’s also working on several road improvements across his district.
Overall, he’s trying to ready his district for more growth with the narrow passage of Plan Hamilton, a set of guidelines on how development will move forward in the county’s unincorporated areas. He voted no on the plan each time it was brought before the commission.
“We need to get more prepared for the type of growth that can bring,” Shipley said. “And we’re not prepared. We’re not preparing our streets. We’re not preparing our schools … We need to back off and start giving the county government time to catch up.”
(READ MORE: Plan Hamilton adopted by regional planning board)
Parks and the environment as a whole are also a focus, he said. Most recently, Shipley and other county officials held a press conference at Holly Park, where they announced renovations in partnership with the city of Soddy-Daisy through the county’s grant-matching program. He wants to find ways to offer more county help with parks, he said.
Shipley also wants to keep development away from McDonald Farm, a 2,100-acre parcel purchased by the county in 2021 to build an industrial park, outlined in Plan Hamilton as a place with the potential for medium-to-high residential areas and industrial areas. The parcel, in Soddy-Daisy, has been recommended for agritourism in the past by economic development consultants and residents near the area.
“We’re continuing to work to make sure McDonald Farm is not destroyed by a massive manufacturer,” Shipley said. “It will, hopefully, stay preserved.”
Shipley said there’s not enough infrastructure to support major development there. He would rather it stay a farm that the county and Soddy-Daisy can use recreationally, he said.
Contact government reporter Siena Duncan at sduncan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.