Vision For Red Bank

I was taught that I could not spend more money than I had and that there was nothing wrong with delayed gratification. So therefore I am not a big believer in “Tax and Spend.” However I am a huge believer in thinking outside the box and trying to come up with other ways to make things work. Nor do I believe that I have to keep up with the Jones. My Dad would always say, “just pass them up on their way back down.” Living next to a big city does not mean that we have to act like them. We need to figure out a way to attract commercial business or industry into our town to prevent continually raising the property tax. Based off the Annual Financial Report for 2023 which ended June 30 of 2023 property tax accounted for 30% of revenue only to be out done by “other taxes” which accounted for 34.90% of revenue. We are a small city of 12,000 that covers only 6 square miles. According to Red Bank has about 5,892 homes and apartments available with 55% being home owners 45% renters. The cost of housing in Red Bank is above the state average by about the same amount Red Bank is behind for income. The average income in Red Bank is $48,154 while national average is $69,021. By some that could be viewed as a $40,000 hit. The average rent is $1,869 while the average price of a home is $281,000 plus utilities, insurance and taxes for the home owner. One factor for sure, that being surrounded by Chattanooga has not helped our fair city in, is crime. Many non-residents will travel thru our city for different reasons, while some come here with foul intent. The first 4 court sessions for this year showed 558 cases and involved 275 persons. The largest amount went to traffic violations, followed by possession and there was a large amount concerning financial responsibility. The disturbing one was domestic assault over 20 and other assault charges 15, totaling about 35 Assault Charges. Theft/stolen property included 40 cases one being a stolen vehicle. There were noticeable amount of DUI’s as well. The police department is set up to be a reactionary force; in other words they respond after or during the event. Some of these crimes could potentially be prevented all together while others could potentially be a lower risk event. It is a proven fact that crime has been reduced by as much as 16% with the proper education and programs in place such as Make programs such as which is provided by the state at no cost, available for establishments that sell alcohol by the drink; demand formal eduction as part of the sentencing for assault perpetrators. Per Square mile Red Bank already has more parks and green space than Chattanooga. We are not Chattanooga; we are Red Bank and need to learn to live within the means so graciously provided, not figure out ways to take more of the cities and its residents limited resources. I have tried to provide a glimpse into my beliefs so you can better understand me.