2025 Message from Mayor Weston Wamp

As we begin 2025, I’m full of gratitude and excitement to continue to serve the people of Hamilton County. From the bluff of Walden to the lakefront in Birchwood, Hamilton County is quite a place. The magnificent blue bridges of downtown Chattanooga, the falls of Big Soddy Gulf, and the rolling hills of McDonald Farm all help form a landscape rivaled by few communities our size in America.

So much so that those of us who grew up here are always at risk of taking for granted our unique corner of the world, where the southernmost ridges and mountains of the Appalachians meet the Tennessee River.

But in my role as County Mayor, I often face the reality we are also a community where great beauty and prosperity meet deep pain and poverty. It is both the best and worst of times for many of our citizens.

On the one hand, in my short time in office, Hamilton County has experienced tremendous economic growth, historically low unemployment, and rising household incomes. As a new resident of Signal Mountain, where one-in-five public school students is new to our area, the momentum of our county is evidenced by people from across the country choosing to move their families here.

However, as I look ahead to 2025, I am struck and motivated by the challenges that remain for so many of our neighbors. Student reading levels, ACT scores, health outcomes, income disparities, violent crime, traffic, and opioid abuse are all areas where our county has enormous room for improvement.

The divergent circumstances across our county are undeniable. Crime is nearly nonexistent in neighborhoods not far from some of the most dangerous zip codes in the South. The same dichotomy exists for health metrics and household income from one neighborhood to another. Most concerning of all, we have public schools with student success rates reaching 85% and schools with success rates in the single digits.

On each of these fronts, rest assured that efforts are being made in the public sector.

-In county government, we are launching the Center for Thriving Families to educate and prepare new parents to support our youngest citizens.

-In 2025, the county will make $250 million in investments to modernize public school facilities and enhance the learning experiences of thousands of students.

-Road safety and infrastructure improvements are being prioritized to counteract years of unplanned growth in Ooltewah and the east part of Hamilton County.

-Local law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney’s office have implemented new strategies that led to reductions in crime in 2024.

-Sheriff Austin Garrett and I have partnered to offer vocational training and addiction treatment at the Hamilton County Jail in a concerted effort to reduce recidivism.

-Overdose deaths have steadily fallen each of the last two years as we continue to implement innovative strategies to combat the opioid epidemic.

-To address income inequality in our community, we are making bold investments in career and technical education, ensuring that economically disadvantaged students have opportunities to develop the skills that lead to high paying careers and small business ownership.

These are examples of how we can try to make a difference in government, but it is unlikely that we are able to drive transformational change without your help. Every company, church, and civic organization has a role to play in this pivotal moment in our county’s history.

If the history of our county were to be summarized, it is that the enterprising spirit of our people has always carried the day. Entrepreneurship, citizen engagement, and generosity are core ingredients to our progress since 1819.

In 2025, will you consider your role in the unfolding story of Hamilton County? This can look many different ways. Here are a few that came to mind…

-A local company partnering with the school system to prepare students for their career.

-A church organizing its members to volunteer in a nearby public school.

-An employer providing family friendly benefits so that young parents are supported as they raise our county’s next generation.

-An “empty nester” volunteering with an organization like Boys & Girls Club to love on a kid who needs a role model.

You can be a coach or mentor. Feed the hungry or help us clean up a county road. In some way, large or small, I hope that you will look for an opportunity to serve. If I can ever help, please send me an email at westonw@hamiltontn.gov.

Here’s to 2025.

Weston Wamp

Hamilton County Mayor