New Mayor of Chattanooga Tim Kelly took his oath of office Monday morning + laid out his plans to get back to the basics.
✅ 100: Kelly has a plan for his first 100 days in office.
✅ 9: That plan includes 9 focus areas.
✅ 60: ICYMI, Kelly won a runoff election by 60% against former River City President Kim White.
The 9 areas Kelly wants to tackle are:
- COVID-19 response + recovery | Build trust with Hamilton County; work to accelerate vaccine distribution; help for businesses, specifically Black-owned enterprises
- Education | Focus on Pre-K; raises for Head Start teachers; establish education partnership between Hamilton County Schools + Chattanooga Chamber; focus on trades
- Roads + parking | Increased budget for paving + filling potholes; establish a 5-year paving plan; plan to modify bike lanes; expand access to unutilized parking
- Neighborhoods | Implement free fare on major CARTA routes; convert Youth & Family Development centers to “dedicated community centers” that operate based on scientific findings; develop plan for investing in neighborhood upgrades
- Affordable housing | Look at what city-owned properties might be converted into affordable housing; work with local orgs to develop innovative funding strategies; revitalize the Land Bank Authority; audit of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
- Economic development | Improve business recruitment; maximize small business + entrepreneurship resources; invest in skilled work trades; have a small business summit; start Outdoor Chattanooga app
- Criminal justice and public safety | Establish politics that decriminalize poverty; start a community outreach response team that can dispatch to nonviolent situations involving mental illness, homelessness, and addiction; promote community policing
- Homelessness | Create a rental registry; launch a Housing Choice Voucher incentive package; better support shelter providers; establish comprehensive homelessness strategy
- Effective government | Increase transparency + accountability; start an impact-based budgeting process that focuses on funding the services that impact citizens the most
See the entire plan here.
