Years ago when my husband and I decided to buy a house we knew we did not want to be in the city limits because we did not want to pay the high taxes for the county and city.

We bought a house in a great neighborhood in East Brainerd that is now up for the annexation.

I cannot believe that the city is getting away with this. You know that most of the citizens in the annexation areas do not care about having their sewer taken care of by the city. I like things the way they are now.

It is just a way the city of Chattanooga can make more money. I just do not think that taking over the sewer is a just cause for this. It's just another excuse to get our money.

Don't you know that with the value of the neighborhoods in East Brainerd they are going to bring in a lot more taxes (money) than the other parts of the city.

I love Chattanooga, but I pay enough in county taxes and it is just wrong to do this. If we do end up being annexed, Mayor Littlefield and anyone in office next time elections roll around are not getting my vote.

Brandy Turner
Chattanooga

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The city of Chattanooga cannot take care of what it has now, so why would you want to take on more responsibility? We already have the need to repair roads, put in sidewalks and the sewer system is in real need of repair.

I believe that the city officials just want more tax dollars to pack their own retirement, just like the county mayor did just three years ago with a property tax increase. Remember Santa Claude.

I live in the city limits and pay city and county taxes and yet can I see want the county government does for me, other than taking my money. I live in East Lake the dumping ground for the city officials. This area is in dire need of road repair, but the city will not fix them until they let East Lake go further down the toilet, so they can take our property for the future expansion of downtown Chattanooga. They may take it but not without a fight from this taxpayer.

As for the taxpayers that vote, just remember all of these elected officials come election time, not what they say they're going to do, but what they have actually done for the good of your community. As for East Lake “nothing”, so vote out M. Rico, he’s just out for himself and has done nothing for East Lake, but lie to voters in this area. So voters beware of these city and county elected officials and vote them out, after they vote for this annexation deal they have come up with to generate more tax dollars for their own use.

Chris Stapp
East Lake

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Well, so Ron Littlefield wants to annex the county into the city of Chattanooga. If I lived in the county, which I don't, I would tell them to fight it. Littlefield and Jack Benson can't even keep the roads fixed inside the city limits. After years of outright lies to the residents on Igou Gap Road about fixing our road they finally fixed one small section at the top of the hill. If you like your streets in the county I wouldn't let the mayor annex you in. We have been promised ever since Littlefield and Benson have been in office that the road would be fixed.

You get garbage pick up for your for your city tax dollars and that's all. Littlefield and Benson both have spent a ton of money on a survey and I'd sure like to know why they waste taxpayer money on surveys when they have no intention of doing anything to fix our road. They fixed the other side of Igou Gap to accommodate the David Brainard School which is now going out of business. The city also purchased land from them for their through road from Gunbarrel Road to Jenkins Road.

So I say to you county residents don't fall for it. You'll get less service for the extra tax money and your tax money will be used by the city for whatever project they have downtown or at the VW site. Our neighborhoods are left out with substandard roads and services.
Susan Nicholas

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Mayor Littlefield might better use his time and the city's resources to get a handle on Chattanooga's explosion of violent crime problem instead of planning massive annexation projects which, among other things, will certainly spread police patrols and other emergency services even more thinly.

Rather than dragging thousands of new residents into Chattanooga who have expressly said they do not wish to live there, enhanced public safety in the area already entrusted to Mr. Littlefield's administration would make a better impression.

Ray Minner
minnerray@gmail.com