During their first meeting of the new term on Wednesday, new and returning members of the Hamilton County Commission chose Commissioner Chip Baker, R-Signal Mountain, as their chairman and Commissioner Joe Graham, R-Lookout Valley, as their vice chairman.
Baker was the only commissioner nominated for the role of chairman and was appointed in a 10-0 vote.
Commissioner Lee Helton, R-East Brainerd, nominated Graham, and Commissioner David Sharpe, D-Red Bank, nominated Commissioner Steve Highlander, R-Ooltewah, for vice chair, which ultimately went to Graham in a 9-1 vote.
Highlander voted for Graham, who officials said was out sick Wednesday. Graham previously served on the County Commission for two terms before losing to Sharpe in 2018. Sharpe cast the lone vote for Highlander on Wednesday.
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"I'm really excited about this group," Baker said during the meeting. "I think we've got a lot of great opportunities in front of us. We've got a new mayor, we have a new sheriff ... . I just look forward to a great year, and it's a great privilege to serve as your chair going forward."
Baker, who was first elected in 2018, previously held the chairmanship in 2020-21 and will be responsible for conducting meetings and maintaining order on the body. Commissioners elect their chair and vice chair for one-year terms. All commissioners will receive $26,156 in paid compensation in fiscal year 2023. The chair receives an additional $5,000, and the vice chair an additional $2,500.
The panel has grown from nine members to 11 as a result of a redistricting process using 2020 census data.
Previously, the nine commissioners sat on the dais, plus former Mayor Jim Coppinger and the county attorney -- so there were already 11 seats. With new officials taking office this month, there will be a need for 12 seats -- the 11 commissioners, plus new Mayor Weston Wamp.
Administrator of Public Works Todd Leamon told commissioners Wednesday that the county has gone through the procurement process for an emergency purchase to expand the dais to make room for the larger board, enclosing an existing staircase. He said the cost would be about $49,000. The commission approved the project Wednesday with the goal of completing work by next week.
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"My understanding is the previous commission was presented with two or three options that had been drawn up by Todd and his staff for expanding," Wamp's interim chief of staff, Claire McVay, said by phone. "The previous commission never acted on it, so this commission did the right thing and will be working with Todd and his staff to add a seat to the dais to provide a spot for the mayor as soon as possible."
The body had a light agenda Wednesday and met for a little more than 30 minutes.
Staff Photo by David Floyd / New and returning members of the Hamilton County Commission held their first meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. The county plans to add a seat to the dais to accommodate the expanded 11-member body plus Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp.Commissioner Warren Mackey, D-Lake Vista, said he's hopeful commissioners will avoid engaging in partisan politics and will have a growth-friendly attitude. Every year, local schools graduate 3,000 students, he said, who need jobs if officials want them to stay in Hamilton County.
"Long story short: Government, I hope it stays out of the lives of private citizens," Mackey said. "If a person owns a piece of property, let them develop their own property. If you were to ask that same person, would they want government telling them what to do with their own property, they would say no. So, Mr. Chairman and members of the commission, let's grow Hamilton County and create jobs."
(READ MORE: New Hamilton County school board members take their posts)
Wamp, who sat in Graham's seat Wednesday, said there are some new faces in the mayor's office, and his staff looks forward to working with the commission. He announced members of his team last week, which includes two new deputy mayors. One of them, Tucker McClendon, will focus on education and workforce development, and the other, Cory Gearrin, on economic and community development.
McVay will act as Wamp's interim chief of staff. She previously served as an outreach coordinator and field representative for U.S. Sen. Bob Corker's office in Chattanooga.
Wamp pointed out Wednesday that all 11 commissioners are men. Previously, former Commissioners Sabrena Smedly, who was Wamp's opponent in the Republican primary for mayor, and Katherlyn Geter were the only women on the panel. Both opted not to run for re-election.
"You may have noticed that I referenced all of you as 'you guys' because quite literally the commission has taken an interesting turn here," Wamp told commissioners at the end of their meeting, "and that's one of the reasons why I look to Claire to bring some grace to the operations of county government as well our other administrators who aren't guys."
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6249. Follow him on Twitter @flavid_doyd.