Raquetta Dotley will run for reelection to a seat on the Chattanooga City Council representing District 7. She said in a phone interview that she hopes to build on accomplishments from the past three years.
District 7 includes the East Lake, Alton Park, St. Elmo and Southside neighborhoods. Dotley, of East Lake, was elected to the council in 2021, taking up Erksine Oglesby’s former seat. She’s worked as an administrator at Westside Missionary Baptist Church on Hughes Avenue and as executive director for the Net Resource Foundation, a nonprofit focused on Alton Park.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga Housing Authority will complete updated survey of Westside residents)
She pointed to the Lookouts Stadium, The Bend riverfront development and infrastructure improvements as changes to which she’s proud to have contributed as a council member.
An East Chattanooga native, she came to politics from a position she described as one of a community advocate, assisting with voter registration and local civic engagement events. Noticing disparities between neighborhoods prompted her to see if she could lessen them, she said.
“There seemed to be a gap in investments,” in areas like South Chattanooga, compared to other parts of the city, she said, and she hoped to close it. According to her website, Dotley “is dedicated to ensuring that all communities have a voice in local government and that resources are allocated equitably.”
She served as vice chair of the city council from 2022 to 2023, and in 2023 she became the first Black woman to serve as the council’s chair, a position she held for a year. She is the chair of the council’s public safety committee.
“I was happy to represent District 7, women and African Americans,” she told The Chattanooga Times Free Press. “That was very much an exciting space to be in.”
(READ MORE: Chattanooga Lookouts stadium groundbreaking draws hundreds)
Moving forward, she said, improving access to affordable housing, intensifying community engagement and promoting equitable development are some of her foremost priorities. Information on her campaign website says, “Whether it’s developing the infrastructure to attract new businesses or providing resources to help small business owners succeed, our goal is to ensure Chattanooga remains a city of opportunity.”
“I am dedicated to ensuring entrepreneurs has access to the tools, resources and networks needed to bring their ideas to life. As we look to the future, prioritizing innovation and supporting local businesses will keep Chattanooga thriving for generations to come,” Dotley says on the site.
Dotley attended Brainerd High School and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, earning a bachelor’s degree in human resource and business management. She later earned a master’s degree in Christian education from Temple Baptist Seminary.
Contact Mariah Franklin at mfranklin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.