We believe residents in Chattanooga's District 2 have enjoyed sound, pragmatic leadership from first-term Councilman Jerry Mitchell in the last four years, and we hope they'll allow him to continue representing them in the March 7 municipal election.
Mitchell, 62, is quick to admit his district, which borders the Tennessee River at the south and east and Red Bank at the west and runs north to Highway 153, doesn't suffer from the violent crime some other districts do. But he said it does face the same challenges found throughout the city in lack of enough early childhood development centers, the necessity for better schools for all students and the need for improved infrastructure.
He is opposed by Mickey McCamish, 74, who is in charge of marketing and sponsorships for the Chattanooga Riverbend Festival.
"I'm tired of politics as usual," McCamish said. "I have no bureaucratic connections. I just want to do what is best for District 2 and for the city of Chattanooga overall."
Mitchell has been in private business most of his life - and is now in real estate sales - but was director of parks and recreation under Mayors Jon Kinsey and Bob Corker. Under Corker's leadership and Mitchell's oversight, the 21st Century Waterfront area was developed.
He said his constituents' No. 1 issue, "by far," is paving. He said he and several fellow commissioners have worked to double the city's paving outlay over the past four years, but it needs to be doubled again.
While violent crime is not prevalent in his district, Mitchell said, property crime is. While it was down across the city, it was up in District 2, he said. However, he said a recent change in police department leadership in the division is likely to make a difference.
Nevertheless, while he said Mayor Andy Berke's Violence Reduction Initiative "hasn't been as successful as we'd liked," he believes the city has "the right police chief (Fred Fletcher)," sees real value in Fletcher's emphasis on community policing and says more "on the carrot side," such as workforce training and other opportunities, must be done "to give folks a chance."
Mitchell said he generally tries to get along with Berke and other council members but does disagree with the mayor over stormwater fees, thinks the city is becoming "more and more onerous" with regulations and believes the city should get "things done in a more timely way."
While we greatly admire the longtime Navy veteran McCamish's energy, friendliness, community involvement and love for the city in which he was raised, we don't believe he offers enough of a difference to warrant a change from the incumbent.
We endorse Mitchell for a second term.