Chattanooga is at a crossroads. Our city faces challenges that demand bold leadership and a clear vision. I am Chris Long, and I am running for mayor to provide that leadership and vision for Chattanooga’s future.
My focus will be on the basics, not flashy experiments like smart cities technology. While innovative, it’s not the answer to our most pressing issues, and it deeply concerns me having AI collecting every bit of data from your home to every person’s movement around our beautiful city. It involves extensive data collection, threatening privacy, and its high costs outweigh uncertain benefits. We need practical solutions, not costly distractions.
Our roads are crumbling, and it’s time to act. Potholes and poor infrastructure frustrate drivers and create safety hazards. As mayor, I’ll prioritize road repairs, targeting the worst areas first and crafting a long-term maintenance plan to keep our streets in shape.
Fiscal responsibility is non-negotiable. Under Tim Kelly, the executive budget has tripled - an unsustainable burden on our city. This reflects wasteful spending and misplaced priorities. I’ll reduce the executive budget by cutting inefficiencies, conducting a thorough audit, and streamlining services. Every taxpayer dollar will be spent wisely, not squandered.
I oppose Ordinance No. 14168 on the March 4 ballot, which would let city employees live outside Tennessee. Chattanoogans can take care of ourselves—we don’t need to beg outsiders to do our jobs. Tim Kelly’s administration, with part of his staff already hired from out of state, proves they can’t figure out how to recruit the talent right here in Chattanooga. We’ve got the people; we need a mayor who knows how to tap into our local strength.
Transparency matters to me. Every Tuesday after city council meetings, I’ll host Q&A sessions open to all. You can ask me anything - no topic is off-limits. These sessions will ensure your voices shape our city and hold government accountable with honest answers.
I’m also committed to hiring the best and brightest for city roles. DEI policies, with their arbitrary quotas, must go. Merit alone should decide who serves our city. By focusing on excellence, we’ll build a government that works efficiently and delivers results for everyone.
On March 4, you face a choice. More of the same - skyrocketing budgets, crumbling roads, and divisive policies - or a new path forward. I offer fiscal responsibility, strong infrastructure, and unity through common-sense leadership. I ask for your vote to restore Chattanooga’s priorities and make our city thrive.
Chris Long
Candidate for mayor of Chattanooga
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I think it is fantastic that Mr. Long is advocating for more transparency in government. I don't think he needs to wait until after being elected to answer questions, however.
Let's start with a softball: can he clarify, once and all, where he obtained his college degrees? For someone who promises to be open and honest, he sure seems to be avoiding those questions.
Walker Rhodes
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I have resided in Chattanooga, TN for most of my life. It's a city I love, one with more natural beauty than almost any other city in the USA. We are a city of good people, most of whom want to work together to pull the wagon forward, together.
I admire Christopher Long for putting his name out to lead us in that direction. It's a hill that's almost too steep to climb, not because he is not capable, rather because we are a city of apathy. It's just easier to sit on our butts and go along to get along. Mr. Long has some good ideas about moving Chattanooga forward, for all of her citizens.
Walker Rhodes asked a fair question, but one that on its face is irrelevant. I guess it's all he had. What would have been better questions would have been for Mayor Kelly. After all, he has had four years to deliver. He campaigned by pushing a wheelbarrow, filled with asphalt and a shovel, and promised how he would patch all the potholes on city streets, even if he had to do it himself. That would have been silly and inefficient, but he did have the resources to make our roads better, and have less potholes four years later. We have more potholes now. Mr. Rhodes could have also asked Mr. Kelly why he moved his very successful motorcycle dealership from our beloved Chattanooga to another city. Could it have had anything to do with avoiding taxes to the city he leads? In no way do I mean to paint a bad picture of a good man. He just hasn't got the job done and it's time for a change.
I believe Christopher Long deserves a chance to prove himself. I believe he has the passion for our city to help us move forward, across the board. The election is just four days away, and Mr. Long is going to get my vote.
J. Pat Williams
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I do not understand how a candidate who writes: "Merit alone should decide who serves our city" can be opposed to city employees who live in Georgia or Alabama. That makes no sense.
Why limit the talent pool, when so many from north Georgia and north Alabama have contributed to the betterment of the city?
Clinton Slayton, born and former resident of Chattanooga (1951-1989)
Lexington, Ky.
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Mr. Williams says he’s lived in Chattanooga for most of his life, but from what he writes I have to assume he doesn’t live in the city limits anymore. In no way do I mean to paint a bad picture of Mr. Williams. He just seems to be experiencing a different reality than the rest of us.
Our roads aren’t yet perfect, but they’ve improved significantly since 2021. Mayor Kelly has paved more roads and filled more potholes in four years than previous mayors did in eight years. That there’s still work to do isn’t a failure of Mayor Kelly’s, it is proof of just how bad things were–and how correct Mayor Kelly was to focus on the issue in his 2021 campaign.
He says Mayor Kelly hasn’t gotten the job done. In what way? By almost every measure Chattanooga is better off today than we were four years ago. Under Mayor Kelly, Chattanooga has created thousands of private sector jobs, seen a 23 percent reduction in crime, is running consistent city budget surpluses and has experienced significant improvement in the delivery of city services by agencies like Public Works, the Library and Parks and Outdoors.
Mayor Kelly isn’t just doing a good job, he’s going above and beyond his job. The mayor isn’t responsible for what our private water utility, Tennessee American Water, does. But when they tried to raise our rates by 20 percent, Mayor Kelly fought to stop them – and won.
Mr. Williams also says Chris Long “has some good ideas about moving Chattanooga forward.” Which ideas are those? His plan to drill for gas in Chattanooga, ruining our reputation as the Scenic City? Or maybe his idea to fight crime by spending taxpayer money on television commercials reminding criminals that crime is illegal? Or maybe Mr. Williams likes his plan to raise our taxes while cutting city services?
Chris Long is unqualified, has been dishonest about his professional background and education, and is seeking the most powerful office in local government through a campaign of division and conspiracy theories. Chattanoogans have a better choice, one that will bring people together to improve our city for everyone. That better choice is Mayor Tim Kelly. Vote Kelly on March 4th.
Therese Pace Tuley
Chattanooga