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Andy Berke reflects on eight years of crisis and renewal as mayor of Chattanooga

Staff photo by Troy Stolt / Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke speaks during a ribbon cutting for the Blue Goose Hollow development project on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The development at Blue Goose Hollow, known for being the birthplace of Bessie Smith, was made possible because of a $3.5 million agreement between the City, Highalnd Building Group and Evergreen Real Estate, and will complete connections between Chattanooga's downtown core and the Tennessee River, which City and Hamilton County officials say will enhance public space along the Riverwalk and stimulate private investment of commercial and residential spaces in Chattanooga's West Side. Staff photo by Troy Stolt / Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke speaks during a ribbon cutting for the Blue Goose Hollow development project on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The development at Blue Goose Hollow, known for being the birthplace of Bessie Smith, was made possible because of a $3.5 million agreement between the City, Highalnd Building Group and Evergreen Real Estate, and will complete connections between Chattanooga's downtown core and the Tennessee River, which City and Hamilton County officials say will enhance public space along the Riverwalk and stimulate private investment of commercial and residential spaces in Chattanooga's West Side.

By Sarah Grace Taylor April 17, 2021 11 min read

Outgoing Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke said he spent eight years striving to maintain a human connection as he sought “renewal” amid unprecedented challenges.

As he mulled over his first mayoral bid in 2011, Berke, then 43, was preparing to leave his seat as a state senator representing Hamilton and Marion counties.

According to Berke, he was being urged by friends and supporters to run for mayor but wasn’t initially interested.

“I never wanted to be mayor,” Berke said early Friday, the morning of his last day in office after two terms. “Lots of people were encouraging me to enter the race, and I told all my friends and supporters that I wasn’t going to do it. The job had too many problems and too many issues.

“But I saw some problems happen in the city, and I thought about writing an op-ed for the Chattanooga Times Free Press,” Berke recalled, noting he was specifically bothered by gang violence in the city. “Then I searched my soul and thought, ‘All your friends and supporters are telling you that you should run for mayor, and instead you’re talking about writing an op-ed from the cheap seats. Seems like you should reconsider.”