The chair of the Hamilton County Republican Party said the City Council "should stand strong against a tax increase on hard-working families."
Gail Greene said, "What we are witnessing in Chattanooga is a cloaked dagger from liberal Mayor Tim Kelly. This same mayor who asks you to watch his right hand, while his left hand moves against your interest.
"The same liberal mayor, who told you he was an independent while using taxpayer resources to travel to Chicago, speaking around the Democratic National Convention and endorsing failed liberal Kamala Harris.
"Now, our liberal mayor is standing atop Chattanooga’s police officers and firefighters as pawns to justify the largest property tax increase in Chattanooga history.
"The HCGOP believes our first responders deserve better pay, and we believe Mayor Kelly should look into the wasteful spending in Chattanooga to find the money to support them. This tax increase has little to do with public safety, and everything to do with protecting bloated liberal spending.
"Here are a few examples of what our liberal city mayor uses Chattanooga’s money on:
· $1 million to rebrand The City of Chattanooga;
· $2 million to fund the Office of Equity and Community Engagement, funding the "Office of New Americans"; and
· $1.75 million to Community Haven, a program with no emergency response capabilities, no accountability, all while pretending to address crime.
"Officers are leaving Chattanooga, firefighters are dealing with staff shortages, yet our liberal mayor claims there’s no way to fund public safety without robbing the Chattanooga taxpayer.
"At Tuesday’s council meeting, Mayor Kelly was quoted saying, “I’ll get behind any one of you who gets behind it and the reverse is true from a political standpoint, frankly.” When asked if he meant that he would punish districts whose representatives stood up for their voters, Mayor Kelly responded, “We support our friends, that’s just how politics works."
"This tax increase isn’t about keeping Chattanooga safe. It is about growing the government and protecting those profiting from liberal projects. Our liberal city mayor is pushing a false choice: support his theft through taxes or be accused of not supporting public safety. It is dishonest, and Chattanoogans have had enough.
"There are some who sit on this Chattanooga Council who do not own homes. If they vote to raise your taxes, it will not affect them as it will you.
"The HCGOP stands with those council members who have pushed back on behalf of property owners across Chattanooga, not with a toxic mayor who hides behind our community’s bravest to protect wasteful spending.
"Their next budget planning meeting is on Aug. 5 at 10 a.m. If you are a Chattanooga property owner, let your representative hear from you."