Business owner and architectural consultant Chris Long places personal integrity at the forefront of his bid to become Chattanooga's mayor.
Long is one of four candidates seeking the seat, including incumbent Andy Berke, City Councilman Larry Grohn and former three-time city councilman David Crockett.
"The most important issue of any campaign is the moral character of the candidate," Long says on his campaign website. "A mayor has a moral responsibility to do what's right morally, ethically and legally when no one is there to cast a watchful eye."
Long said he is committed to reducing gang violence, crime and homelessness.
Other signature issues for his campaign call for providing job training for former jail inmates and encouraging economic development.
"Perhaps our greatest need as a city is to protect its citizens from acts of violence against the community," Long said.
He calls for confronting the problem by helping at-risk youth become productive citizens.
"My plan is to create a stop-gap after individuals exit municipal, county jails or state prisons, and directly help them in transitioning to career job opportunities," Long said. "Blue- collar skilled labor enables that individual to enroll in job education training and certification."
Long wants to grow private-public sector partnerships to provide affordable housing and to create segregated homeless areas away from public display. He said that will address homeless people's needs "while providing a dignified and safe area" for them to sleep while undergoing case management.
The candidate proposes economic growth for the entire city, not just downtown.
"Many of our citizens have been ignored, only to be pushed aside for a select few to enjoy the growth of our city and to become new business and homeowners, especially in the downtown area," Long said.
Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @pleach_tfp.