Cooper: Henderson favored in Chattanooga's District 1

Chattanooga City Councilman Chip Henderson
Chattanooga City Councilman Chip Henderson

Chip Henderson was one of seven new Chattanooga City Council members elected in 2013.

Four years later, he says he feels "a lot more qualified than I was the first time. I know how to work within the council [and] the administration to get things accomplished within the district."

We believe that experience gives Henderson, a construction company owner, the edge for re-election in District 1 over his two worthy opponents, auditor Susan Miller and businessman Jay Nevans.

Admittedly, his priorities list is similar to that of many of his colleagues, various council contenders and several mayoral candidates - infrastructure, public safety and workforce development. Some candidates may put them in one order and some in another as to importance, and many will have different ideas as to how to accomplish them, but a variety of issues in the city revolve around those three.

Henderson, for instance, said years "where [the paving budget] never really increased" led to the city doubling the paving budget in the last four years to around $3.5 million per year, including District 1 jobs on Brown's Ferry Road, Westview Road and Boy Scout Road. A 4-year-old study indicates the city needed to fund paving at $5 million just to maintain conditions annually, he noted.

"Public safety," he said, "should be the No. 1 priority of any elected official." And while his district has not suffered the violent crime some have, he said "if the whole is not well, the part is not well." In other words, violent crime affects his district indirectly.

The most effective way to combat gang violence, Henderson, 56, said, is to "shut off the pipeline - address [the] problems at a younger age." Crafting solutions to crime in general involves education, "community buy-in," better trust between police and the black community, and tweaking current law enforcement procedures, he said.

Crime and workforce development go hand in hand, he said. Young people who turn to gangs, he said, need jobs, soft job skills, transportation and programs that rope in the school system, businesses, churches and foundations.

Miller, 49, a Hamilton County native, says she's "not running a negative campaign against Chip Henderson" but believes she would be good at the job because she is a "level-headed person" who can "make the best, fairest decision." Further, she said, she understands the struggles of many district residents because she has moved from a blue-collar background to a white-collar job.

Nevans, 47, says he wants to implement "a multi-modal transportation plan," to find "budget-neutral solutions" to pressing problems and to improve conditions for "so many who haven't shared success."

With all due respect to his impressive opponents, we endorse Henderson for re-election.

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