The two Republican candidates for the District 8 Hamilton County Commission seat are two sides of a coin when it comes to taxes.
Tim Boyd, a local business manager, said he would not commit to vote against a tax increase. He said he would base his vote on information available at the time.
His opponent, retired Tennessee Valley Authority employee Jack Martin, said he would not support any property tax increase, but would not rule out voting for other kinds of taxes.
He said people who pay property tax shoulder an unfair amount of the burden in supporting local government. He also said he wants to freeze property taxes for the elderly.
Mr. Boyd said he does not know enough about the issue to say whether he supports it.
The two candidates discussed a variety of issues Tuesday with the Chattanooga Times Free Press editorial board.
Education
Mr. Boyd talked at length about improving education. He said the elementary school system is functioning well, but said students tend to lose interest when they reach middle school.
“If they’re not fully engaged in the process when they leave middle school, they’ll probably drop out,” he said.
He advocated getting more local leaders involved in schools, particularly those in the business community.
Mr. Martin said he wants to improve education by getting the problem students out of schools.
“Those kids do not need to be in the schools,” he said. He said he does not think “money is the answer” to what he calls a school system in need of improvement.
Business experience
Name: Tim BoydAge: 57Fundraising: Less than $4,000Occupation: Business manager, Southeast CarpentersPrior political experience: None.Name: Jack MartinAge: 55Fundraising: $700 (self-funded)Occupation: Retired from Tennessee Valley Authority, engineering consultant for Burns & McDonnell Inc.
Mr. Boyd said he brings business experience that his opponent lacks to the county commission job. He said he can use his business connections to help efforts to improve county schools.
Mr. Martin said he, too, has business experience. He said he once owned a service station and currently runs a home inspection business and owns rental property, in addition to his consulting work.
“I live within my budget and my means,” he said. “I’m not really sure he has a full knowledge of what I have done.”
WHAT’S NEXT
After the May 4 primary, the winner will face Hamilton County Board of Education Chairman Kenny Smith, a Democrat, and two independents, Jim Winters and William T. “Terry” Turner. The county general election is Aug. 5.
Source: Hamilton County Elections Commission