This is an exciting election year! The excitement for me is not at the national level, but at the local campaign level. What will happen in East Ridge if certain people gain a seat on the East Ridge City Council? Are there enough good candidates to choose from? Who will be our next Mayor?
Here is where we stand for the city council election. East Ridge has three available seats on the council. Larry Sewell is term limited (served for 12 years) and must sit out an election before he can run for council again. Jacky Cagle is running for his second term. Esther Helton and Brian Williams have two more years on the council. Helton is running for the Tennessee House of Representatives (District 30) in the Republican Primary to take the seat currently held by Marc Gravitt, who is running for Register of Deeds. Her desire is to hold both local and state office.
After serving for the last 10 years, Mayor Brent Lambert is running as a candidate in the Republican Primary for County Commission District 8 against incumbent Republican Tim Boyd.
I have some theories about the race and why we need to know the facts. Mayor Lambert has been spending money in East Ridge based on future economic development that may or may not happen!
The developers of Jordan Crossing, Matt Wood, Ethan Wood and John Healy, and one of their legal advisers, former City Attorney John Anderson, will get rich quick and East Ridge takes all the financial RISK! This leaves East Ridge debt ridden for the next two decades. Three of the four men have been major financial backers in the political careers of Lambert and Helton.
I personally have not had access to Brent Lambert for conversations about his vision for East Ridge. He has never replied to any of my e-mails I have sent him. On the other hand, Commissioner Tim Boyd has been very responsive to any questions. I have called, texted and e-mailed Commissioner Boyd in the past. He has always gotten back to me promptly. He has also been willing to listen and inform me so I can better understand the business of East Ridge and Hamilton County.
Here is the deal… Mayor Lambert knows that the city’s continued spending is limited to anything not already in the works. In the summer the city will be getting another “General Obligation Bond” for $2.3 million to spend at Camp Jordan on “upgrades” to the park. I know that Camp Jordan needs some updates but I fear the developers may press the city for further financial resources and property demands.
The idea last summer was to use “General Obligation Bonds” to acquire $15 million to make Camp Jordan a regional sports complex. The service on the debt would be repaid via tax increment financing (TIF) generated from the “future” build out of the Exit 1 development. The developers are telling Mayor Lambert, if we (the City of East Ridge) build it, they (increased tax dollars) will come.
I believe that the Mayor’s judgement might be clouded by what the developer’s wish for Jordan Crossing and not so much what’s best for citizens of East Ridge. Thankfully the $15 million “upgrade,” and the way to finance it (TIF) has not been repeated since some citizens spoke out against it, and the measure was never brought before the Hamilton County Commission.
It’s interesting to note that last year when the City did a study about what the public wanted in the form of future recreational opportunities in East Ridge, people said they wanted to build a dog park, fix Pioneer Frontier, add a splash pad there, and make improvements to McBrien School as part of a Town Center project. There were no ideas expressed about expanding Camp Jordan into a sports complex.
If Brent Lambert loses in the Republican Primary, he will be in a lose/win situation, just as he was in 2014. Lambert can then turn around and run again for Mayor of East Ridge for four more years. I am hoping that is not the case.
East Ridge deserves a mayor, not a man who is using the office as a stepping stone to higher political aspirations.
How is that what is best for East Ridge?
_ Laura Mathis
