A push to support roads projects in Hamilton County won unanimous approval from county commissioners, but not before some raised concerns over the process behind the initiative and its funding.
County Mayor Weston Wamp recently held a news conference that he said represented the county’s commitment to bolstering roads infrastructure in unincorporated areas like Ooltewah. He laid out projects that could be paid for by adding another $5.8 million to an improvement fund established last year.
Wamp Director of Communications Paris Vinnett said in a text the county leveraged the $5.8 million into almost $20 million in local projects, using state and federal funds.
The projects include work on Hilltop Drive, East Brainerd Road, Thrasher Pike and several others. According to the resolution commissioners approved, the money for the project comes from the county’s fund balance — the government’s net position, which officials often describe as a “rainy day fund.”
Wamp’s public announcement on roads came a day after the county planning board chose to send a comprehensive plan for growth in unincorporated areas to the County Commission.