The lone Hamilton County commissioner to vote against the county’s budget this past week said his decision was due to, among other reasons, a school funding issue that dominated budget talks two years ago.
Commissioner David Sharpe, D-Red Bank, said in an interview after Wednesday’s vote that the budget did not properly prioritize funding for schools. The budget fulfilled the $705 million request the Hamilton County school board unanimously sent the commission, but Sharpe said he had a broader problem with how the county distributes property tax revenues.
The percentage of county property tax revenue that goes to Hamilton County Schools has dropped over the past couple of decades, though the amount of property tax and total education funding has grown. The proportion peaked at about 54% in fiscal year 2007 and, since 2024, it has sat at 43.15% – the lowest it’s been since the Chattanooga City and Hamilton County school systems merged in 1997. The latest budget remained at that percentage.
“A budget that earns my vote should include a higher percentage of investment in public education,” Sharpe said by phone. “Things cost a lot more, so you’ve got to talk about percentages, if we’re being honest.”
Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp said he believes that metric is not an accurate or useful way to quantify the county’s investment into schools. Public school funding comes from a variety of sources – primarily property tax, local option sales tax and state funding – and Wamp said the revenues need to be considered holistically.