Staff photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free Press – Hamilton County Commissioner Larry Henry participates in a county commission meeting at the courthouse.Commissioner Larry Henry is a small businessman with big dreams.
Henry, who has served as District 7 commissioner since 2002, believes he would be a good candidate to replace Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey, who is stepping down to become deputy to the governor and chief of staff for Gov.-elect Bill Haslam.
Commissioners plan to select a new mayor Dec. 27.
Henry, who formerly owned Stacy Transport Co. for 39 years, said he considers his greatest accomplishment helping to land a new school for the area, the new East Hamilton Middle High School.
Larry HenryAge: 62Prior political experience: Elected to county Commission District 7 in 2002Wife: PatsyChildren: Jennifer, 36, Gary, 30
“It was a real plus for our area,” Henry said. “It gave the students that were living in District 7 a school for their own. Looking back, that was one of the highlights, I think.”
Henry said he sees infrastructure challenges in the county’s future and said fixing them is going to “take some real management.” He said he wants to promote a smart-growth plan for the county.
“The times we’re living in, we’re going to have a real challenge in the economy,” Henry said. “It’s going to take some critical decisions to be made and I think I’ve got the qualifications to do that.”
Henry served as commission chairman from 2005 to 2007, and has held other committee assignments. He currently chairs the Security and Corrections Committee. He also has numerous affiliations with local clubs and civic groups, such as the Ruritan and Rotary clubs.
Henry grew up in East Brainerd, following his father into the oil transport business. Though the company he led no longer exists, Henry still owns and leases the building that housed it.
He studied political science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga but said he left a few hours shy of a degree.
Henry said that when people approached him about running for commission in 2002, he hadn’t given it much thought. He said friends and future constituents convinced him.
Hamilton County Mayor CandidatesGuy M. SatterfieldMike CarterEdward Ector Jr.Jim CoppingerRussell E. CollinsLarry HenryRichard RankinHarry “Buddy” RogersDenise Russell-Ford
One of those friends was Jerry Evans, who was Chattanooga’s fire chief before Jim Coppinger. Coppinger later became a commissioner and is also vying for the county mayor’s job. Mike Carter, special assistant to county Mayor Claude Ramsey, is also in the running.
“I felt like Larry was a small businessman who had the knowledge of our community and knew the people and would really understand the community needs,” Evans said. “He understood the average working person.”
Evans added that Henry “would make a fine mayor” and said he hopes commissioners will select one of their own instead of bringing in an outsider.
Gordon Anderson, who ran against Henry in the 2010 Republican primary, came away from that race with a good impression of his former opponent. He said that on Election Day, Henry’s camp provided snacks to Anderson’s poll workers.
“He was very much a gentleman toward me in the disagreements that we had and we saw a lot of things together consistently eye to eye,” Anderson said. “I think as we came to understand each other better, he treated me with the best of respect.”
He said Henry would make a good mayor.
“And then I want his County Commission seat,” Anderson said, laughing.
Contact staff writer Dan Whisenhunt at dwhisenhunt@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6481. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DWhisenhunt.