More than two years into his first term, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly remains optimistic about the city’s ability to tackle challenges as it strives to become the best city in the United States.
Kelly sat down for a far-reaching question and answer session Thursday evening at downtown’s Walker Theatre with Local 3 News anchor Greg Glover. Described by city officials as a “fireside chat,” the annual State of the City ceremony touched on homelessness, affordable housing, workforce development and a series of other topics.
Economic mobility has been one of the biggest factors holding Chattanooga back, Kelly noted, and there remains deep disparities between the Black and white communities.
“We need to get comfortable talking about this stuff because if we don’t hit it head on, we can’t fix it,” he told the audience.