Curtis Adams with Tim Boyd campaign mailers
Curtis Adams, who is trying to regain the District 8 County Commission seat he long held, said attack campaign mailers by his successor, Tim Boyd, "are untruthful and lowdown."
Mr. Adams said, "Through six campaigns, I never stooped that low."
One Boyd mailer is titled: "With former Democrat Curtis Adams, if it has wheels on it, tax it! If it's property - raise taxes on it!" It gives his "history of tax increases on the people of Hamilton County."
Mr. Adams said the record shows he voted for two property tax increases and against three. He said he once rolled a wheelbarrow down Market Street "in support of allowing the people to vote on whether they wanted a wheel tax that would all go to the schools." The commission at the time agreed to put it on the ballot, and it was defeated in a referendum.
Another Boyd mailer is headlined "The real Curtis Adams." It talks about him "double dipping" and taking the post of East Ridge city manager while still on the commission. It says Mr. Adams left the East Ridge job after the council would not approve a tax increase he proposed. It says he then went to Crossville as city manager.
It says Mr. Adams supported him (Boyd) as his successor. Mr. Adams said, "That is one of the lies. I didn't even know who he was."
He said Commissioner Boyd "has had five jobs in two years. Now he has to work out of Cartersville, Ga., and he's not available to do the job. Nobody at the courthouse likes him. He won't even speak to (County Mayor Jim) Coppinger."
Mr. Adams said his election rival "has no character."
Commissioner Boyd said everything in the mailers was thoroughly researched and checked.
He said it was based on newspaper articles, commission minutes and talks with constituents.
"We went to great lengths to make this information accurate," he said.
Commissioner Boyd said he ran his campaign office out of the Adams office at his invitation when he ran for office.
"We held many meetings there and hung a banner across the railing," he said.