Recently you had a story where ChangeTN gave their recommendations for Chattanooga City Council. In this story, they endorsed a person charged with several crimes, Marie Mott, for District 8 councilperson.
This is appalling endorsement of an individual, who according to public record has been charged with driving on revoked or suspended license, obstruction of a highway or street, disorderly conduct, theft of property, vandalism, inciting to riot and reckless burning.
Not only did she admit to these but posted on her Facebook page, which was also aired on all three news channels. Is this the image of a City Council that we want to give to the people looking at Chattanooga for business, or a new home.
This is someone who has paraded around Chattanooga with a bullhorn attempting to bully the ordinary citizens. This would scare off anyone from wanting to be in Chattanooga. We want to portray the city as one of welcoming not constant turmoil or insurrection.
There are two other candidates running for City Council, D’Andre Anderson and Anthony Byrd. Anderson is a respectable person working in Chattanooga and also serving his country in the Tennessee National Guard, but is new in the field.
Incumbent Anthony Byrd is the reasonable choice in this race as he has already served four years on the council and has experience in city government under his belt.
Byrd has learned a lot in the past few years of what the District 8 community wants and needs to move forward in Chattanooga. He is working hard on Police reform, balancing what is needed for reform but also keeping in mind that we need good police officers who can work with the community. He pushed for and established the Citizen Police Oversight Board. That is a work in progress that needs his leadership
Housing will be a key item that he will work on trying to obtain affordable housing for everyone, especially the homeless.
He is interested in getting trade schools started to assist our next generations coming up with getting the skills they need to meet a growing demand in the workforce in Chattanooga. He also wants more technical schools in the fields of computer technology such as robotics, coding and programming started.
Anthony Byrd lives in the district and is raising his family so he has concerns for the 8th District. So for the best choice for District 8 council weigh the options. Someone with a positive image an invested interest in the district and an outlook on future growth who can work with people to try to solve our problems in a fair and equitable way or someone who has fanned the flames of racial tensions, antagonizing everyone that comes in her path pushing people who would be willing to help to the wayside while she belligerently marches on.
Charles Riggs