Mayoral candidate Monty Bruell announced the plan for his administration’s first 100 days Friday morning with an emphasis on infrastructure, equality, and relief to the working classes.
Here are the details:
A global pandemic, historically large wealth inequality, and a mounting housing crisis are a few of the issues the next mayor will have to address in order to put Chattanooga on track to a new normal. A Bruell Administration will tackle these challenges by upholding an agenda that repudiates the status quo, a system most voters agree continues to fail everyday people, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
On his first day in office, Mr. Bruell will make CARTA buses free to ride for all people, all of the time. He will add bus stops at places where people across Chattanooga need to go, such as grocery stores, schools, and recreation centers. His plan also pledges a day one minimum wage increase for every city employee to $15 per hour.
“Hardworking Chattanoogans deserve a living wage and a reliable way to reach those jobs,” Mr. Bruell said. “We are not only bringing bold change, but we are going to do it in a hurry, so put your track shoes on.”
One of his administration’s highest priorities will be adopting the GreenSpaces Integrated Community Sustainability Plan alongside the Bruell Sustainability Action Plan to substantiate Chattanooga as a national model for environmental and economic justice.
Mr. Bruell’s administration will also take up the following issues during his first 100 days agenda:
Form a community taskforce to redesign policing and public safety
Create community land trusts to increase development of affordable housing
Redesign Department of Youth and Family Development to expand recreation programs and community services
Expand Office of Public Art and introduce new private funding sources
Create Mayor’s Citizen Advisory Board that is diverse and inclusive
Establish Office of Immigrant Affairs and a municipal ID card
Establish Office of Disability Affairs and Accessibility
Recruit 100 largest African American, Latinx, and women-owned businesses in the US to relocate to Chattanooga’s urban core
To remediate the issues pressing Chattanooga today, much work has to be done, which is why Mr. Bruell said he plans to focus his first 100 days on areas such as small business development, statewide coordination between city mayors, and increasing government accessibility.
“Monty has more than a vision for his first 100 days in office — he has the knowledge and heart,” said Alix Thornhill, director of Communications for Monty Bruell. “He knows because he’s been there. He feels that frustration, that cynicism, and he wants to be the one to change people’s view of government, how it can truly be a great thing.”
The Chattanooga City mayoral election will take place on Tuesday. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election will decide the new mayor on April 13.