Hamilton County Commissioner Fred Skillern says voters know what they’re going to get when they vote for him — a man with strong fiscal discipline.
His opponent, Laura Oakley, says voters in the commission’s District 1 don’t know Mr. Skillern at all and says the district is lacking in economic development.
Both Republican candidates spoke Monday during separate meetings with the Times Free Press editorial board.
Mr. Skillern disagreed with Ms. Oakley’s assessment that voters don’t know him, saying he is responsive to constituents.
Ms. Oakley promised to be more engaged with voters and use more outside-the-box thinking to solve problems if she is elected.
Consolidation
Both candidates discussed consolidation of city and county services, a proposal brought up by Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield. The mayor has suggested making Sheriff Jim Hammond head of the city’s police force.
Mr. Skillern, like his fellow commissioners, has staked out a cautious approach to consolidation. He said there are some areas where services in the city and county could be merged, but said putting the sheriff in charge of the city’s police force is more complex because each agency has a different administrative structure and benefits.
Ms. Oakley said she believes in consolidation but not annexation. In recent months, Chattanooga has annexed several formerly unincorporated areas of the county, but Mr. Littlefield agreed to put future annexations on hold if the county would discuss consolidation.
“I am in favor of looking at the two sides and pulling together the things that make sense,” she said.
She said the two law enforcement departments could be under the same “umbrella” without being consolidated.
Rails to trails
Fred Skillern* Age: 73* Fundraising: $9,200 (includes $7,000 loan)* Occupation: Co-owner Dixie Souvenirs* Prior political experience: Hamilton County School Board 1976-96* Hamilton County Commission: 2001-present* IncumbentLaura Oakley* Age: 50* Fundraising: $2,395* Occupation: Owner of Professional Recruiting Services* Prior political experience: Ran for Hamilton County Commission District 1 seat in 2006, lost to Mr. SkillernELECTION DATES* May 4 — County primary election* Aug. 5 — State primary election* Nov. 2 — State general electionSource: Tennessee Election Commission
Another point of departure for the two candidates involves a proposed Rails to Trails project in Soddy-Daisy.
The proposed trail, three miles of which would be in the city and three of which would be in the county, would start at Tractor Supply in Soddy-Daisy and run along a rail line to Sequoyah Nuclear Plant on the Tennessee River.
Ms. Oakley said the Tennessee Valley Authority has promised to lease the land and there is community support for the project, but Mr. Skillern said he’s against it until his concerns about the project are addressed.
Mr. Skillern said Ms. Oakley is overstating community support for the project, which would cross several roads and driveways, saying he has talked to many who are against it.
He also said he wants to know who will be responsible for providing police protection on the trail and who will be responsible for its upkeep.
“All I ask for is give me assurance of who is going to keep it up and who is going to do the policing,” he said.
Accessibility
Ms. Oakley said Mr. Skillern is not accessible to voters and that he has not been visible and engaged with his constituents.
“He’s running on his record, which is difficult to identify,” she said.
When asked if she had any disagreements with his voting record on the commission, Ms. Oakley said she could not think of a vote with which she disagreed. She said she disagrees with some of Mr. Skillern’s opinions and his approach to representing District 1.
Mr. Skillern said he is highly visible in his district.
“I go to church in that district, I eat in that district at least five times a week and I have an open-door policy at my business,” he said. “(People) can come anytime they want to … I might not have been responsive to her, but I’ve been responsive to anybody that’s come to my office.”
Mr. Skillern said the voters in the district know where he stands.
“If you vote for me, you know what you’re going to get,” he said, “a conservative approach to handling the people’s money.”