Mayor Kelly, City Council sworn in at city inauguration

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Chattanooga mayor Tim Kelly and all 9 city council members were sworn in to a new term Monday morning at Memorial Auditorium.Mayor Kelly defeated challenger Chris Long with over 85 percent of the vote on March 4th, the largest electoral victory by a mayor in city history.

He said, “It’s worth remembering that this election put Chattanooga at a crossroads, just after the strife of our November elections.  We could have turned toward the politics of division that has torn a hole in the spirit of our country and so many cities across America. Or we could reverse that trend and continue cutting our own path, driving Chattanooga towards its full potential.”

A group photo including Mayor Tim Kelly, city council members, their families, and city employees in front of Chattanooga City Hall after Monday’s inauguration.

Mayor Kelly says that despite the progress made within his first term, he says there are still plenty of things he would like to improve on during the remainder of his mayorship.

“The gaps between the wealthiest and poorest are still far too wide. Housing is still too expensive. There are still too many who are homeless. Too many roads are still in poor condition. Our public transit system still needs investment and improvement to meet the needs of our people and businesses. UTC still does not have the research capacity that our region needs to be economically competitive. Parking downtown is still needlessly complicated and frustrating. While crime has gone down significantly, it’s still too high. Our first responders are still underpaid,” he said.

In addition to the mayor, all 9 city council members took their oaths as well.

Four of these members, Jeff Davis, Ron Elliott, Cody Harvey, and Dennis Clark, are new to the City Council.

Jenni Berz, who has been on the council since late January after the passing of her mother, Dr. Carol Berz, took her oath for her first full term.

Chip Henderson will remain the chairman of the City Council.

Chairman Henderson said. “I look forward to serving this community together with purpose and a shared commitment to keep Chattanooga moving forward in the right direction.”

After the ceremony, city officials held a march to City Hall to kick off city business in the new term.