Chief Dale Taylor and Sergeant Wes Ashby
Sergeant Lockmiller with daughter Loren and son Landon
Chief Dale Taylor and Lieutenant Matt Hyde
The Lookout Mountain, Tn. budget for 2025-2026 was given final approval at the commission meeting Tuesday night. Some items of interest include paving where it is most needed. West Brow Road has not been resurfaced for 30 years, said Mayor Walker Jones. The budget will include $600,000 for paving. That amount may be increased to $700,000. The town receives about $60,000 each year from state gas taxes that has been set aside in the State Street Aid Fund being saved for this work.
There is $125,000 in the budget that will go toward improvements for parks and recreation. That amount is a required contribution to qualify for the grant from Hamilton County. The town’s share will be combined with a $250,000 grant from Hamilton County which will give the town $375,000 to make improvements at public recreation spaces. Also in the budget are new air packs for the fire department to replace those that will soon expire. And the purchase of a new police vehicle is planned.There is $20,000 for repairs to the city hall building and $30,000 budgeted for repairs and updates for the town’s parks and facilities.
Lookout Mountain, Tn. has received a state grant from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) for $475,000 that will be considered income but will immediately be passed on to the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority to pay for work that is being done on the sewer pump station on West Brow Oval.
The original traffic cameras that both Lookout Mountain, Tn. and Ga. used at the entrances to the top of the mountain were powered by EPB. Tennessee paid the bill and was reimbursed by Georgia. The camera technology has advanced and now Flock tag reader cameras are being used, so the old cameras will be sold as surplus and the power bill to operate them will be eliminated.
Spending in all of the town’s departments except Dispatch, came in under budget this year said Town Consultant Brooke Pippenger.
The new tax rate assigned by Hamilton County is calculated so that the amount of property taxes collected by a municipality remains the same as the year before. Lookout Mountain’s certified tax rate from Hamilton County has been set at $1.51 for every $100 of assessed value, which is down from $2.23 in 2025. If the new budget is passed with these planned expenses and no tax increase, the town would come out negatively by $419,714, said Ms. Pippenger. The budget that was passed Monday has no increase but is expected to be amended next month. Each city has the ability to increase their tax rate above the certified rate which will give that city additional tax revenue from property taxes. It is expected that the tax rate will be increased by five percent in Lookout Mountain, Tn.
The strong storms that came through Chattanooga on June 7 caused 14 trees to fall and left others hanging over the streets. The public works employees were praised for their quick response to get them out of the roads and cleared in case emergency personnel needed access. The workers also stayed and worked throughout Sunday following the storm. Commissioner of Public Works William Valadez reminded residents that if a fallen tree comes from their yard but falls on town property, then that home owner is responsible for having it removed. It is the responsibility of the town to remove trees that come from public owned property that fall onto private property. When the weather is hot and dry enough, paving, patching and fixing the roads will begin, said Commissioner Valadez.
In the next couple of weeks, work at the Commons will begin, said Joe Hailey, commissioner of parks and playgrounds. That will include fencing, working on the bleachers and the dugouts at Senter Field. The joint Tennessee and Georgia rec board will pay for these improvements. There is also collaboration between the towns to figure out what to do about the shortage of sports fields on the mountain. Lookout Mountain, Tn. spent $25,000-$30,000 last year to rejuvenate Johnson Field at The Commons, but now it is in bad shape again, said the commissioner. This is another project the rec board is being asked to help with. The problem is a lack of drainage and overuse. The first attempt will be to aerate and reseed it with another type of grass. And the commissioner was happy to announce that the number of children at Commons Camp this year is way up.
The large brass bell that was made in 1822 by John Wilbank in Philadelphia, the same craftsman who made the Liberty Bell in 1828, hung above Navarre Pavilion for 60 years until Commissioner Hailey did the restoration work on it. And now the town wants to find a prominent place to hang it and will consider suggestions. Despite attempts to find how it ended up on Lookout Mountain, it remains a mystery.
Even though school is out now, there is a lot going on there, said Commissioner of Education Karen Leavengood. A new bookkeeper and a secretary have been hired to replace Mary Duncan who just retired. The school is losing half of a position due to spending cuts by Hamiton County. The school’s social worker was eliminated by Principal Emily Haney. During the summer the library at LMS will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. but the commissioner suggests to check the school’s website before going since the schedule may vary. The recent strong storm created a huge electrical mess at the school, she said. It took out the HVAC system and the elevator. Hamilton County is aware of it and was responding to the problems. It is hoped that the repairs will be completed by the time school starts back.
The town is very concerned about the safety of children on electric scooters. Commissioner of Fire and Police Jim Bentley said, “Complaints to the police continue to be made right and left” and he said that parents should be responsible for educating their children about scooter safety. The commissioner also clarified facts around the incident that took place at The Commons earlier this week. He said the Lookout Mountain, Tn. Police Department received a call from a resident and acted on it. The Lookout Mountain Police called the FBI, he said. It was just three days from the initial call until the offenders were arrested. He praised the police for getting two bad actors off the street.
The owners of 1009 Evanwood Dr. came to the meeting to request a variance that would allow them to build a carport. The planned structure would be sitting on the property line. The commissioners are hesitant to grant the variance for two reasons. It could set a precedent and, although the current neighbors have given permission, building too close to the property line might restrict what could be done by future owners of both the properties. The request was tabled until the July commission meeting.
Three police officers were promoted Tuesday night. Officer Larry Lockmiller came to Lookout Mountain after serving in the Chattanooga Police Department where he started in 1995. There he was in the patrol division working in reactive crime prevention, traffic enforcement and community policing. Then the next 18 years, he was a leading figure in investigation of financial crimes, bank fraud, credit card fraud, identity theft, embezzlement and other scams. He has also solved residential and commercial burglaries and robberies of individuals and businesses. On Tuesday night he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant of the Police and Fire Department.
Officer Wes Ashby became a volunteer firefighter with the Highway 58 Fire Department in 2011 followed by a career firefighter with the Catoosa County Fire Department. Since then he earned his national Registry ET certification and the rank of sergeant at Catoosa County and lieutenant at Highway 58 Fire Department. He has earned numerous credentials including firefighter I & II, Fire Apparatus Operator, EMT and POST certification I law enforcement. He also serves as an adjunct instructor teaching basic firefighting skills. Wes Ashby has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant for the Lookout Mountain Police and Fire Department.
Matt Hyde began his career in public safety in 1996 as a volunteer firefighter. After college he worked as a dispatcher for 911 service. He received his EMT certification and worked as an EMT and firefighter, a National Registered paramedic and was promoted to lieutenant at CHI Memorial EMS and Walker County Emergency Services. With those positions he gained skills in team management, operational readiness and inter-agency coordination. In addition to those experiences, he holds certifications including Firefighter I & II, Fire Officer I, Paramedic and law enforcement POST certification. He has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant.