Members of the Chattanooga City Council have questions about Mayor Tim Kelly’s new affordable housing action plan. Among them: Could it require a tax increase?
Council Member Darrin Ledford, of East Brainerd, brought that query to an affordable housing committee meeting Tuesday, when the panel had an opportunity to discuss the 101-page plan that was unveiled in late August. It’s designed to act as a flexible road map for the city as officials aim to plug a gap in Chattanooga’s housing supply.
“When I read the document — and I’ve read it three times — I read a tax increase is what you’re recommending because it’s written in here to fund more tax abatements,” Ledford said Tuesday.
Among other steps, the plan suggests dedicating more funds to boost housing programs and changing how the city awards public incentives for affordable housing projects.