The city of Hamilton, a proposed new city that would incorporate the area from Mahan Gap Road north toward Highway 60 and from the Bradley County line South to the Tennessee River is moving forward with plans of incorporation.
Friends of Hamilton, the organization behind the new city, is asking for signatures on a petition to get the city's incorporation on the 2012 ballot and developing a services plan to present to the community in early 2012.
According to spokesperson Brendan Jennings, the proposed city will need approximately 4,000 signatures by registered voters in the area to reach the 33.33 percent required by state law to get the incorporation of the new city on the ballot.
"This may be the only chance we have to incorporate a separate city and defend against annexation by Chattanooga," said Jennings. "In the coming months there will be a different mayor, but there will be the same pressures to encroach on residents that chose to live in the county instead of the city."
Currently, the petition is available for signatures at five area locations Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. More locations will be listed online at www.friendsofhamilton.org as they become available, said Jennings.
"We have up until about 90 days prior to the general elections to turn the petition in, but we want to do it well before that, and we want to get well over the 4,000 signatures," he said.
Once the petition is circulating, Jennings said Friends of Hamilton will shift their focus to tweaking and presenting a services plan that must be approved in a public hearing before the group can submit it to the Hamilton County Election Commission.
"Shortly after initiating the petition drive, we'll have to have at least one public hearing, but probably a series of three or four to present a services plan," he said.
For more information visit www.friendsofhamilton.org.