Mike Chauncey is throwing his hat into the ring for the Hamilton County Commission District 8 seat.

Chauncey, who is Vice Mayor for the City of East Ridge, said he wants to serve on the commission to “ask the tough questions.”

“I don’t want to be anybody’s rubber stamp,” Chauncey said in a phone interview on Thursday afternoon.

Chauncey, whose career is in real estate, was elected to the East Ridge City Council in 2018. He became Vice Mayor in 2020. 

While serving on the city council, Chauncey spearheaded efforts to build a dog park in the city. The plans for a new dog park behind City Hall were approved by council last August. 

Chauncey said he is running to be in a “position on the front lines” for funding education in Hamilton County. He said he is also concerned about unbridled development in the county which could exacerbate infrastructure issues.

He said he is for “responsible development.” 

“Perhaps, we need to step back and pump the breaks a little,” he said.

The Republican Primary for Hamilton County Commission is May 3, 2022. As of Friday, he and Hamilton County School Board Chairman Tucker McClendon are the only two people to have picked up qualifying petitions at the election commission. The deadline for filing is Feb. 17.

The District 8 seat on the commission has been filled by Tim Boyd for the last 12 years. Boyd recently announced that he would not seek a fourth term.