Early voting starts Wednesday in Chattanooga’s March 4 elections. All nine city council seats and the office of mayor are on the ballot, and four candidates are competing for the district 8 seat.
Incumbent Marvene Noel is being challenged by Doll Sandridge, Anna Golladay and Kelvin Scott.
District 8
– Communities represented: Clifton Hills, Fort Cheatham, Foust, Oak Grove, Orchard Knob, Bushtown, Avondale, Riverside Park, Boyce and Battery Heights
– Number of residents: 20,541 as of the 2020 U.S. Census
– Incumbent: Marvene Noel
– Key issues in the race: Care for older adults, crime
– Duties of a council member: Council members are the city’s legislators. They levy and collect taxes, appropriate money to be spent by the city and pay city debts.
– Pay for position: Council member salaries are set at 15% of the city mayor’s salary. With Mayor Tim Kelly’s salary set at $196,100, council salaries amount to $29,415 yearly.
– Term begins: April 14
The Chattanooga Times Free Press asked all candidates in contested races to participate in a short survey covering aspects of their experiences. Here are their responses to the newspaper’s questions:
Contributed photo / Doll Sandridge is running for Chattanooga City Council district 8.Doll Sandridge
– Age: 35
– Years in district: More than 30
– Neighborhood of residence: Orchard Knob
– Education: Graduated from Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences in 2005, studied at Tennessee State University in Nashville, as well as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
– Occupation: Sandridge runs an insurance agency called Covered by Doll.
– Experience/qualifications: “Do you care about other people? Are you willing to deny and sacrifice for someone else’s benefit? I’ve made a career out of that. They say, when you’re doing what you love, it’s not work. And I get to, you know, invest in other people’s livelihood for a living, which is amazing. I’m also a living organ donor, so I donated one of my kidneys in 2013 as a single struggling mom. I just have always prioritized the needs of other people. That’s where I find my purpose. I think that’s the most important thing. Everything else is kind of lipstick and rouge.”
– Family: Two sons
– Amount raised, per latest disclosure forms: None
– Website or social media page: instagram.com/dollfordistrict8
Why are you running? “We all suffer from PTSD in some form, just the way our country just changes, and things just happen. One thing we need is something that feels like a safe place, you know, something that feels like home. And I feel like that has always been one of my gifts is the ability to bring people together and also to advocate for difference perspectives. So I am running to be a voice for not only just the community, but a voice for the government as well.”
Why should voters choose you? “Voters should choose me because I actually care. I can promise that I’m always firm, I’m always fair, and I’m always consistent. And being firm is not necessarily a negative thing, because, you know, I can have a solid yes, but I can also have a solid no, but I’m always going to look at things. My grandmother always said, it’s not who’s right, but what’s right. I’m not a person that makes decisions based on pride. You know, my ego can’t be burned because I’m very confident of who I am.”
Contributed photo / Anna Golladay is a candidate for the district 8 seat on the Chattanooga City Council.Anna Golladay
– Age: 51
– Years in district: 4.5
– Neighborhood of residence: Park Central
– Education: Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, master’s degree in science integrated marketing communications, master’s in theological studies
– Occupation: Senior director of communications and marketing, entrepreneur
– Experience/qualifications: “I have 20+ years of corporate experience with significant training/facilitation in strategic planning and leadership tactics. I have served as an executive representative for several national organizations. I have managed noteworthy portions of budgets for a $1 million plus business, and my role as a faith leader in the community has garnered me a reputation of empathetic leadership blended with tenacity for social change.”
– Family: Married
– Amount raised, per latest disclosure forms: $7,105
– Website or social media page: annagolladay.com
Why are you running? “My priorities are infrastructure, economic equity, senior resources and housing. Chattanooga receives hundreds of millions of dollars each year for public and private projects. How is that money allocated? Who benefits from each initiative? We must be committed to asking the hard questions that create conditions for the funding to be ethically and rationally spent. I want to ask questions like ‘What roads are unsafe? Where are there sidewalks in disrepair? Where are bike lanes needed? What communities aren’t feeling safe right now?’ With a vibrant economy, there is no reason the racial wealth gap is still on par with the national average. Creating conditions for economic parity is important not only for the people of Chattanooga but also for the current industry our city supports and the new ones it welcomes.”
Why should voters choose you? “My experience offers me a perspective that blends responsibility with social curiosity. I want to offer creative solutions while also providing an appropriate level of oversight. I am obligated through my desire for public service to keep my constituents informed and aware of what is going on in their district and the city at large. I’m highly aware of the frustration that district 8 residents feel around communication and information sharing. I hope to be one of the nine voices that interrogate the proposals coming before us. My ultimate hope is that the Chattanooga City Council is viewed as a body that deeply cares about our people, leading with ethics and empathy and accomplishing tasks that create a sense of trust between residents and local government.”
Contributed photo / Marvene Noel is running for reelection to Chattanooga City Council’s district 8.Marvene Noel
– Age: 70
– Years in district: More than 30
– Neighborhood of residence: Orchard Knob
– Education: Graduated from Tennessee State University
– Occupation: Pharmacy technician
– Experience/qualifications: “I have been a public servant for a very long time, probably more than 30 years. I was president of my neighborhood association. I have always advocated for my people, my district, my neighborhood, in whatever way that I could. I consider myself a lifetime learner. I have served in multiple leadership positions across the city, have fostered relationships with developers and business leaders in a large, diverse neighborhood. I’ve always attended the neighborhood meetings, the roundtables that the city offers, to make sure I can be at the beginning of the conversation when a neighborhood or a constituent is in need of something.”
– Family: Married, three children, one grandson
– Amount raised, per latest disclosure forms: $6,850
– Website or social media page: marvenenoel.com
Why are you running? “I’m running in order to continue the progress that we have made as the great district 8 family within the last three years, because everyone should be able to live their best life in a safe neighborhood, in a healthy neighborhood, in a neighborhood where where you have basic needs met in order to do what you need to live your best life. That takes investment, that takes time, that takes education, that takes knowledge, that takes those relationships that you need to foster and bring those people to the table in collaboration in order to get anything done. I’m running so that we can further continue that progress that we have made.”
Why should voters choose you? “Voters should choose me because I have put in the time, the effort, and I have delivered the results.”
Kelvin Scott
– Age: Chose not to disclose
– Years in district: 25 years
– Neighborhood of residence: Avondale
– Education: Attended DeVry University and Anne Arundel Community College
– Occupation: Nuclear for Tennessee Valley Authority
– Experience/qualifications: “I have been working in the community for the last 20 years. I have developed a GED program. PTA president for Tyner Academy. On the International Business Council for Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. Serve on the regional council for Scouts of America. Serve on Hamilton County Juvenile Court Foster Care Board. Serve on Mayor Kelly’s Community Council for Community Centers. I have organized several job fairs and worked closely with Mayor Kelly in working on more contracts for small business with the city and new stadium.”
– Family: Single
– Amount raised, per latest disclosure forms: $4,000
– Website or social media page: kelvinscottdistrict8.com
Why are you running? “I am running because I have a passion for helping people. District 8 needs a new vision that unites the entire district with quality provisions across district 8. The vision must cover economic empowerment, affordable housing, small business, a facility for the seniors, safety, address mental illness and homelessness.”
Why should voters choose you? “Because I will be accountable to district 8 community. I will be accessible and everything that needs to be done in district 8, we have to do it together. Without the people, there is no me.”
Contact Joan McClane at jmcclane@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6601.