Mr. Johnston, in response to your letter of April 9th. The tax increase that Mike Chauncey, Mayor Williams, and the City Council approved helped raise much needed funds that provided new police cruisers, fire trucks, and EMS service upgrades. Do you happen to know the millage rates for the different areas of Hamilton County? Do you realize that even with the modest bump, East Ridge is still the lowest rate in the county? None of this was done in the dark, it was an openly discussed and transparent procedure with the overwhelming support of the involved citizens. Mike Chauncey even mentioned this in his first mailer because it is something that the city needed, obviously not something anyone wanted. Nobody wants to fix a flat tire, but it HAS to be done.
Raising funds to improve the functions of a constantly improving city is a necessity. However, Mr. Chauncey’s opponent isn’t shy when it comes to spending money and voted for a $34,000,000 property tax hike, that was fortunately shot down. We don’t need to have someone at the county level wastefully spending our tax dollars on woke/CRT diversity training and other virtue signaling projects. Tim Boyd sent out the mailer you are referring to and nothing he said was untrue. I agree with Mr. Boyd on this contest though, Mike Chauncey is the best choice to continue representing us here in East Ridge. If anyone knows what it takes to represent District 8, it’s Mr. Boyd.
Mr. Johnson, why did you fail to mention all of the amazing things that have happened while Mike Chauncey has been on the City Council? Incredible progress up and down Ringgold Rd with numerous new businesses opening up, new buildings being built, a professional soccer stadium and the ongoing new development around it, modernizing of our first responder’s equipment, tax revenue growth, tennis court revitalization at half the expected cost, and stability in the city employee workforce. What about the awesome newly opened playground and soon to be opened Splashpad. You also left out any mention of the new dog park that Mike Chauncey personally took the reigns to get done for the citizens of East Ridge. The hundreds of calls and meetings that it took to get the work and materials donated by private businesses. This was a highly requested project by the citizens of East Ridge that could have easily just been put in the budget. This is the work of a true fiscal conservative that rolled up his sleeves and called in every favor to help improve our city without just throwing tax dollars away.
The people of East Ridge ARE good people, I agree. However, anyone taking a drive from one end of Ringgold Rd to the other can remember back four years ago and see the progress our city has made under good leadership. I would like to see that type of leadership at the county level and I know that Mike Chauncey is the best choice for that job.
