Outgoing Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger and outgoing members of the County Commission honored their colleagues during their last meeting on Wednesday with heartfelt words, friendly jabs, tearful reflections and hopes for the future.
Coppinger and five commissioners — Randy Fairbanks, R-Soddy-Daisy; Tim Boyd, R-East Brainerd; Sabrena Smedley, R-Ooltewah; Katherlyn Geter, D-Ridgeside; and Ken Smith, R-Hixson — said farewell at Wednesday’s meeting.
On Thursday, county officials will hold an inauguration ceremony to swear in Republican Weston Wamp, who will succeed Coppinger in the role of mayor, and 11 county commissioners. The new commission will include returning members David Sharpe, D-Red Bank; Chip Baker, R-Signal Mountain; Steve Highlander, R-Ooltewah; and Warren Mackey, D-Lake Vista. The panel will expand from nine representatives to 11.
“Local government really is where it’s at, folks,” Coppinger said. “Whether you’re going to church, the grocery store, wherever you may go, you have to face the people, so you get to hear from them, and I like that the most. … You also get to see the results of what you do up close and personal.”
Members of the local legislative delegation presented Coppinger with a joint resolution approved by the Tennessee General Assembly recognizing him on the occasion of his retirement. Coppinger has served as county mayor since he was appointed to the role in 2011. Before that, he was a county commissioner and chief of the Chattanooga Fire Department.
“Jim is the quickest person I know to share credit when things go well,” state Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, said. “He’s also the first person to shoulder the blame when they don’t, and that is a remarkable trait. We’re indebted to him for his service.”
At the end of their meeting, commissioners took turns sharing memories of their colleagues on the body, often addressing each in turn.
Smith, who the commission appointed in May to fill the seat vacated by state Rep. Greg Martin, told Boyd there has never been a bigger bulldog on the County Commission or any other elected body.
“No matter the size of the challenge or the bone, when you pick it, you don’t let go,” Smith said, “and it can be misconstrued by many people, but let me tell you, the way you hold true to what you believe in and never waver is truly honorable, and I have truly enjoyed serving alongside you and watching you for years as you pursue those to get to what you believe is rightfully true.”
Highlander fondly compared Boyd to a “junkyard dog.”
“You are the guard, buddy,” he said. “Nothing gets in that junkyard without that dog finding out about it and letting some people know that they’re not supposed to be there. One of the news media came out and said, ‘Every board needs a Tim Boyd to be the watchdog,’ and you have been, and I very much appreciate that.”
When it was his turn to speak, Boyd quipped that he appreciated “this one last opportunity to bite somebody,” drawing laughter from people in the room.
“This is closing out another chapter of the life, right?” Boyd said. “The most important thank you goes to the confidence of the constituents over the past 12 years of District 8, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. Some points have been difficult. There have been challenges and differences.”
Boyd was initially elected to the position in 2010. When he started on the board, he said he wanted to be part of a renaissance in Hamilton County, and Boyd said he leaves the county in a better position.
“I want to thank the constituents for giving me that honor, thank the family for putting up with it,” he said, “sharing me with this community. 2018 was a very dark moment in my life. As I recall, I was probably the only elected official indicted in the history of Hamilton County as a candidate for the upcoming term, and I thank the jury that found me not guilty for any of those accusations.”
Outgoing Attorney General Neal Pinkston in 2018 prosecuted Boyd for allegedly threatening a political opponent with damaging information if he didn’t drop out of the race. He went to trial in October 2018, but a mistrial was declared after the jury deadlocked. A judge later dismissed an extortion charge against him.
Fairbanks, who lost his primary in May to Commissioner-elect Gene-o Shipley, remembered Smedley telling him about a call she had received from a startled constituent who was shocked to hear that Fairbanks, a Republican, was spotted eating lunch with Sharpe, a Democrat.
“When you get up on here to serve, it’s not Republicans or Democrats,” Fairbanks said. “We all have our passions and what we stand for, but it’s not Republicans or Democrats. I’ve worked as closely with my Democrat friends up here as my Republican friends.”
Geter said when she announced her campaign for County Commission 1,689 days ago, she knew many people questioned or even doubted her. During her four-year term, Geter said, the commission tackled wastewater projects, school infrastructure needs, redistricting, zoning issues, tornadoes and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“But even with all of this, life has gone on, and everybody probably within Hamilton County wasn’t made happy with the decisions or the votes that were made up here,” Geter said. “But as someone who walked humbly into this seat, and now as I leave forever grateful, I will say this: Government is and should be about the people it serves.”
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6249. Follow him on Twitter @flavid_doyd.