Editor’s note: Read all Times endorsements for Hamilton County Commission in the Aug. 6 election here.
Since he first took office in 2018, Democratic Commissioner David Sharpe has been a fierce advocate for public schools. On that front, he said there’s more work to be done.
“Our teachers are not being compensated at a competitive rate. Our classrooms are not funded at a level that is meeting expectations, at least to my constituency. And frankly, the buildings are still falling down around them,” Sharpe said in an interview with the Chattanooga Times. “We’ve made some strides to improve those things, but we’ve really not done anything any different than what has been done in the past.”
This isn’t due to Sharpe’s lack of trying. The only commissioner to vote against the budget, Sharpe, explaining that decision, said he promised his constituents he would advocate for more investment in public schools.
“In the budget, we are laying off support staff for teachers,” Sharpe said. “We’re cutting emergency dental services for needy youth. That’s a problem.”