Mayor Tim Kelly held his 2023 State of the City Event at the Walker Theatre while outlining accomplishments of his administration.
The program featured a fireside chat between Local 3 News Anchor Greg Glover and Mayor Kelly, during which the mayor answered questions and reported on the progress being made across the areas of strategic focus outlined in his One Chattanooga Plan.
“Last year we rolled out our One Chattanooga Plan to lay out our strategies to close the gaps in opportunity, education, infrastructure, and other key areas that stand in the way of Chattanooga reaching its full potential, and we are making tremendous progress toward realizing the vision of a city where every resident shares in our prosperity,” said Mayor Kelly.
“Providing responsive and effective local government is the foundation of everything we have set out to accomplish, and I’m incredibly proud of the work my team is doing to live up to that standard and deliver the kind of city government Chattanoogans deserve. Making this the best city in America isn’t something City Hall can do by itself, and I’m so grateful for our countless community partners who have embraced One Chattanooga and who are working hand-in-hand with our city departments to help make these shared goals a reality. We’re not there yet, but our city has its mojo back. I can proudly say that the state of our city is strong.”
Here is a summary of the accomplishments Mayor Kelly discussed.
Catalyzing economic vitality in the black community.
? EMPACT Program on track to have 40 Google-IT certified graduates by the end of 2023.
? Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy partnership with Department of Labor and National League of Cities.
? Joined Southern Cities Economic Inclusion initiative focused on economic inclusion strategies for residents.
? Investing $2.9 million for entrepreneurship access programs that are in various stages of development. Ensuring affordable housing choices for all Chattanoogans.
? Commissioned a Housing Action Plan to identify tools and programs to achieve our affordable housing goals.
? Launched the Homebuyer Downpayment Assistance Program to ensure working families can access home ownership.
? Expanding resident access to free credit counseling and repair through Consumer Credit Counseling.
? Housed nearly 800 Chattanoogans through direct city support or investment in 2023; nearly 3,000 since taking office.
? Preserving 629 units and bringing 1,100 new affordable housing units online through One Westside.
? 40% reduction in homelessness in 2022.
? Prevented evictions for 279 households through the Eviction Prevention and Diversion Initiative.
? 600 new affordable units in various stages of development.
? 3D-printed tiny homes pilot program with Branch Technology. Improving local infrastructure & public transit.
? Paved more than 160 lane miles and repaired more than 40,000 potholes, cracks, and divots in the last two fiscal years.
? Repaved Gunbarrel, McCallie, Davidson Rd, Elmendorf, Shallowford, Wisdom, S. Moore, Dodds, and more.
? Led multi-city initiative to bring passenger rail back to Chattanooga; a plan endorsed by Tennessee state government.
? First comprehensive Parks and Outdoors Plan in 25 years adopted by City Council. ? Ninety-million-gallon equalization station built to prevent wastewater overflow and keep our waterways clean.
? Piloting advanced solutions to make our rail crossings safer and easier to navigate. Building a path to a universal path to early learning.
? More than 275 additional Early Learning seats underway
? Pay raises for Head Start Teachers.
? Expansion of Community Forward Program into Howard (from 7 to 8).
? Established the One Chattanooga Institute for Early Care and Learning at Tyner Academy. Building a competitive regional economy.
? Launched America’s first commercially available Quantum Network.
? Job growth at twice the pace of the national average and record-low unemployment
? Attracting more than $2 billion of new investment through South Broad and One Westside projects.
? 900 jobs created with Novonix, Steam Logistics, and Kordsa tax incentives. Closing the gaps in public health.
? Improved vaccination levels in populations in our City’s urban core, producing a substantial increase in vaccination levels in communities of color.
? Established various community-based healthcare and resource sites in previously underserved areas of town to expand access to health services and providers.
? Began offering services such as vaccinations, checkups and sports physicals in City community centers.
? Significant investments into mental health resources and initiatives like the Co-Response Unit in CPD.
? Leveraging intervention and prevention to break the cycle of violence in impacted neighborhoods. Provide the responsive and effective local government Chattanoogans deserve.
? Built a culture of putting residents first, focused City Government on service, problem solving, and innovation.
? Improved 311 request completion times and reduced 311 wait times.
? Prioritized public safety and investment in police and fire departments.
? Overhauling the City’s website to be user-friendly and resident-focused.
Mayor Kelly also presented his inaugural One Chattanooga Awards recognizing outstanding individuals and organizations who have embraced the vision of One Chattanooga and whose work is contributing to the success of the city.
“Our success would not be possible without committed people and organizations throughout the community,” added Mayor Kelly. “Chattanooga has a deep history of civic engagement through its community, philanthropic, faith-based, and other service organizations. They are truly the heartbeat of Chattanooga, and this is a chance to begin to publicly recognize a few of them for their contributions and positive impact.”
This year’s One Chattanooga Award winners are:
? The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga for its work to make a tangible difference in reducing our city’s homeless population and for preventing evictions for more than 400 households since standing up the Eviction Prevention Initiative (EPI).
? Purpose Point Learning Academy for bringing 180 new early learning seats online and for providing a safe, and positive environment in teaching the next generation the social, emotional, and practical skills they need for life success.
? Youth Community Action Project (Y-Cap) for its use of $300,000 in American Rescue Plan funds, awarded by the City of Chattanooga, to open a fourth site at the Chris L. Ramsey Community Center, providing mentorship, tutoring, and love to 100 kids per day. The 2023 State of the City address can be streamed in full here