Only halfway through his first term, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly says he’s ready for his second.
“I’m seeking a second and final term so we can complete this work and see it through,” Kelly said Thursday. “We know it’s working and that a brighter future lies ahead. We are fixing the broken things, and the best is yet to come. I’m asking for your support and for you to join me so that together we can help Chattanooga realize its full potential as the best city in Tennessee and the best city in America.”
In many ways, Chattanooga is on the upswing: a business-friendly environment, low unemployment, quality of life that is the envy of many other cities and a renewed focus on those “broken things” in the city — income inequality, lack of affordable housing and infrastructure that can put a halt to progress.
Under Kelly’s administration, progress is being made — or the groundwork is being laid for progress. According to Kelly’s administration, nearly 3,000 unsheltered people have been housed; more than 600 new affordable homes have been created, and nearly 300 Chattanoogans have avoided eviction thanks to the Hamilton County Eviction Prevention Initiative.
These early accomplishments are positive, but they tell a story only two years in the making.