1. Hall Income Tax changes to have local implications, April 27
Tennessee legislators last spring voted to phase out the state’s 6 percent Hall tax over a period of six years. The decision means the town of Signal Mountain will lose an average of $750,000 over the next six years, with the first 1 percent decrease to take effect mid-2017. Walden, which generated nearly $173,000 in 2015 from the Hall tax, will also see its first 1 percent loss this year. Local officials will soon have to decide whether to reduce services or increase taxes to offset the revenue reduction. Town of Signal Mountain officials have said it would take a 30-cent bump in property taxes to replace the overall $750,000. “The Hall tax reduction will require municipalities to critique their budgets even more,” Walden Mayor Bill Trohanis said at the time.
2. Walden changes term limits, July 13
After agreeing that it was difficult to get much done in two years, Walden officials voted to change the concurrent two-year limits currently in place for the Board of Mayor of Aldermen to a staggered four-year system. During the November election, Vice Mayor Thom Peterson ran for the two-year seat. At the end of his term, that seat will switch over to a four-year term, and from then on, residents will have an election every two years for at least one seat on the board.
3. Hamilton County to purchase land for new Walden’s Ridge fire hall, July 21
Since announcing plans to purchase a 1.8-acre parcel of land next to Waldens Ridge Emergency Service’s fire hall on Taft Highway, Hamilton County has narrowed its selection of potential architects to build the new volunteer fire hall from 12 to three. The final architect will be selected by Mayor Jim Coppinger and the Hamilton County Commission in the coming months. WRES officials have assured residents that the design will match the town and that they will have a voice in the process. The new county-funded fire hall will finally give the current station’s 60-plus volunteers the space they need.
4. Kathy Lennon beats Jonathan Welch for Hamilton County’s District 2 school board seat, Aug. 5
With 1,791 votes to her opponent’s 1,693, Kathy Lennon replaced incumbent Jonathan Welch on the county school board. The 60-year-old former educator hopes to bring greater strategic vision to the school board and advocate for more art in schools and improved early childhood education. Also hoping to improve education is Todd Stinson, the new principal of Signal Mountain Middle/High School. The former principal of Merrol Hyde Magnet School, Stinson plans to use his experience to enhance areas within the school to create a better learning environment.
5. Visitors tour Wild Ridge at grand opening, Aug. 10
After three years of development, residents welcomed the mountain’s newest subdivision, Wild Ridge, to the neighborhood. The 124-acre extension of Fox Run is expected to bring 199 new homes over the next 15-18 years, but its true lure is its blend of natural and man-made elements. Fifty percent of the land will remain untouched as open space, and that undeveloped land, which will adjoin an additional 51-acre preserve, will allow room for a three-mile hiking trail.
6. Naturalists voice concerns about endangered species at proposed development site, Aug. 17
After listening to community concerns about two endangered plant species located on land slated for development along Shakleford Ridge Road, the developers at GreenTech Homes agreed to take precautions to save both. The large-flowered skullcaps and small whorled pogonias present there will be transplated to appropriate locations off-site, with the more fragile pogonias transplanted with the help of a Master Gardener. Developers agreed to postpone work on the three lots housing the plants until this summer to ensure both species can be properly identified.
7. Brush fire continues to blaze on Signal Mountain, Oct. 12
Firefighters on the mountain had their hands full when dangerously dry conditions led to a brush fire on Roberts Mill Road that just wouldn’t die. With strong, unpredictable winds acting as an accelerant, the fire jumped fire breaks and spread from five acres to 20. Among the agencies battling the blaze was Waldens Ridge Emergency Services, and the Signal Mountain Fire Department covered additional emergency calls on the mountain.
8. Projected costs for MACC construction options released, Nov. 9
Conversations about where to house the Mountain Arts Community Center’s programs dominated the local political sphere last year, and after costs were released for the three potential scenarios, the town of Signal Mountain held a series of public meetings to get community input. Officials said the single common theme throughout many of the comments was that the original 1926 grammar school should be protected and preserved, though residents were divided on whether it should host the MACC’s programs or not. Based on these comments, some Signal Mountain Town Council members expressed interest in repairing the original part of the building, a cost estimated at $1.2 million, though no decisions have been made. Officials stressed that none of the three scenarios are set in stone; their costs will serve as guidelines as a final solution is determined.
9. Howley named new mayor of Signal Mountain, Dec. 7
After former town of Signal Mountain mayor Dick Gee asked to have his name removed from consideration for the position, two-year councilman Chris Howley was unanimously named mayor. With 21 years of administrative experience at Republic Parking System, Howley plans to decrease upcoming issues’ impact on taxes. Joining him on the council are newcomers Amy Speek and Dan Landrum, re-elected Councilman Robert Spalding and newly appointed Vice Mayor Gee. With 3,250 votes to his opponents’ tied 3,427, Landrum was appointed a two-year term, while Speek and Spalding will serve four-year terms.
10. Signal votes to study forming own school district, Dec. 21
Years of quiet conversation among some local residents about breaking away from the Hamilton County School District came to fruition last year when, per the request of a group that spent months researching the split, Signal Mountain Town Council members voted 4-1 to create a committee to investigate the viability of the town creating its own school district. Mountain residents are divided on the issue. Some pointed to Hamilton County Schools’ low academic achievement and high turnover in leadership as red flags, while others worried about the financial burden a split would bring the town. Walden officials wondered what the split would mean for their students and those from the unincorporated areas of the mountain, though some Signal officials have said they will not support the move if all on the mountain are not included. The town of Signal Mountain is now accepting applications for the School System Viability Committee of up to seven members, with a deadline of Jan. 13.