Mayor Tim Kelly has bashed a state bill that he said would take control of the Chattanooga Airport away from local officials.
“One of the core conservative principals from the beginning of the conservative movement is that the government closest to the people governs the best,” he said in a phone call Wednesday. “You need agency to make good decisions. Somebody’s got to have skin in the game, and somebody’s got to care.”
Chattanooga appears to be collateral damage in an ongoing spat the legislature has with Nashville, Kelly said.
“As mayor, that’s just not a good enough answer,” Kelly said. “We’re not going to sit still because they can’t craft legislation just against Nashville and we’re just caught in the crossfire. That is not OK with me.”
An amendment to House Bill 2507 — a measure sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and state Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta — would vacate and reconstitute the boards of metropolitan airport authorities, including the Chattanooga Airport.