Four candidates, including one incumbent, are seeking two seats on the East Ridge City Council.

With early voting winding down and the November 8 Election Day around the corner, East Ridge News Online asked the four candidates about issues facing our city, such as crime reduction, smart growth, and how Border Region increment tax money and grant money are being utilized.

Jacky Cagle (Incumbent):

What qualifications do you have to serve on City Council?

I have 34 years of employment with the City of East Ridge, including 20 years as supervisor of vehicle maintenance. I have knowledge of the budget-making process for all city departments.

What would you change or do differently as a councilman to help govern the city?

We need to make policies and stick to them. We need to stop continuously amending documents to be able to enforce them.

What are your ideas on smart growth for the city?

Take the sidewalks program and use it as a selling point to convince commercial property owners on the west end to attract more businesses, such as clothing boutiques, and a skating rink/bowling alley.

Do you feel that grants and Border Region revenue have been adequately used to address projects and upkeep in your community?

No, I do not. I would like to see grants come in at 100 percent, or a 90-10 match or 80-20 match. By doing this we won’t have to borrow money to cover the match.

Do you have any proposals to reduce crime in East Ridge?

In our troubled spots, we need more patrol and more arrests.

Jeff Ezell:

What qualifications do you have to serve on the City Council?

I am a lifelong resident, born and raised here. When I retired in 2016 I decided I needed to become involved in how our city needs to be led. I was fortunate that my career afforded me the opportunity to lead, guide, and direct my peers from a team approach. I have served our city by serving on the Housing Commission for the last several years. That experience has opened my eyes to just how much East Ridge has changed and is continuing to change. Being the father of three girls who have been active in sports in school and recreation leagues has led me to meet fine citizens on multiple levels and to hear from them about the good and the bad in our city. I have watched as we have evolved to where we are today and I feel I have the motivation, desire, and ability to move East Ridge forward as we grow and prosper. 

What would you change or do differently as a councilman to help govern East Ridge?

First and foremost I would bring your voice to the council meetings. This rarely happens in today’s fast paced world. I not only want citizens to reach out to me, I need citizens to reach out and tell me or ask me what can be done to address an issue or concern. This very rarely happens anymore. If you have an issue come to me, and in doing so bring me your view on what can be done to fix or resolve it.

We are a very unique city. There isn’t another city like East Ridge anywhere in Tennessee. I will continue spending time helping citizens. I will spend time talking with the various departments in East Ridge so that we may come up with a better way to serve the citizens. I would encourage quarterly reviews to praise the good work and address issues that need improving. We must slow the turnover of employees leaving their jobs. This is costly to the city. We also need exit reviews on all employees leaving. This could help solve issues we might have in their department. 

Smart growth would be a breath of fresh air.  We need a business plan that looks at several benchmarks and area’s. We need to focus on developing all area’s of our city. We need to setup 1, 3, 5, even 10-year plans for growth and improvement.  These plans need to be updated as needed to adjust to the changing economy, population and other economic factors.

We see more rapid growth on the east end, we need to find ways to do the same on the west and the middle of East Ridge. We need businesses that generate tax dollars on Ringgold Road.

We need to expand codes.  It’s a revenue-generating resource that is critical to the health and safety of our city. We need to come up with a plan to inspect rental houses once a year.  I have personally seen some disgusting properties while serving on the housing commission.

Most importantly we need to come together as a city and a community. I encourage citizens to bring me ideas on how to get this done. 

Do you feel that grants and Border Region revenue have been adequately used to address projects and upkeep in your community?

As far as the Border Region, I still have a lot to learn about it before I say a lot. I do feel we need to reach out to others cities that are using the BRA and see how it is working for them compared to us. This is a valuable resource for East Ridge and we need to capitalize on this tool before time runs out.

As far as grants, I believe we need somebody with experience and the credentials to write them. They also need to know how to find grants, both public and private. If we get a grant we need to use it, not let it expire.  

Do you have any proposals to reduce crime in East Ridge?

First and Foremost, expand our police department by adding personnel and resources. Look at possibly adding a speed reduction team and use unmarked cars. Speed on all of our streets is getting out of hand. Possibly add license plate readers to high traffic roads. Encourage businesses to add security cameras and link them to our police department. There is possibly grants we could apply for to help pay for this. We need to do something about nuisance properties before our first responders possibly get hurt. These places are a cancer to our city and citizens.

In closing, a vote for Jeff Ezell is a vote for progressive, real transparency and the future of our city. Let me be your voice. I am an honest man who stands behind my word. Give me a chance to show you.  

Robert Gilreath:

I have owned and operated several successful businesses and I am VERY involved in the community. Out of all other candidates, I am uniquely suited to address the concerns of the average citizen, foster relationships with the city’s business owners, and ask the tough questions that people expect to hear from their elected representatives.

What would you change or do differently as a councilman to help govern East Ridge?

One of the most important things a councilman can do is appoint the right people to boards and commissions. Oftentimes, people are appointed because they’re friends with a council member and are a “good guy” but poorly suited for the task they’re being assigned. I will appoint people with the right experience and skill to address the issues that plague our city.

For instance, the right people on the Housing Commission can help clean up our city’s degraded or abandoned properties. On the Industrial Development Board they can help foster an environment for business growth, or on the Planning Commission they can ask the hard questions that ensure development is properly managed.

What are your ideas on “smart growth” in East Ridge?

Growth in East Ridge should preserve the best parts of the city, and the best part of East Ridge is what lives behind Ringgold Road, the community. East Ridge is a great place to work, live, and retire and it should stay that way. Growth in East Ridge should contribute to community and strengthen relationships between businesses and the citizens.

Do you feel that grants and Border Region revenue have been adequately used to address projects and upkeep in your community?

In short, no it has not. If you compare East Ridge to the other two cities that participate in the Border Region, East Ridge has used the Border Region far better than either Bristol or Kingsport, but that doesn’t mean that it was perfectly executed. There are only four years left to expense projects to the Border Region account and there is a lot of money currently being left on the table. I think areas of opportunity for Border Region development are repurposing the McBrien School property, improving Camp Jordan’s fields and facilities, and paving our roads that are in dire need of repair. Paving, not patching!

Do you have any proposals to reduce crime in East Ridge?

Bring back the Neighborhood Watch. East Ridge used to have a fairly active Neighborhood Watch program that fell to the wayside after a drop in participation from the community. As a community leader, I think it is important that the citizens be an active participant in the policing of their neighborhoods and work with local law enforcement to prevent crime. Police involved with neighborhood patrols with citizen participation is the key to lowering crime.