Group Wants Churches to Help Gain Support for New City
- FOH Admin
- Nov 16, 2011
- 2 min read
November 16, 2011 9:17 PM
Video Story
A group against annexation is taking the next step in creating a new city in Hamilton County. Friends of Hamilton is sending out letters to churches urging them to support a new city they want to call, “Hamilton.”
“You go to where the people are and people go to churches, especially in this county,” said Brendan Jennings with Friends of Hamilton.
The group wants to create a new city called Hamilton in the northern part of the county. This week they sent a letter to about 30 churches in that area asking to support the new city. It would compose parts of Ooltewah and Harrison, north to Birchwood, and east toward Georgetown.
“In another 20 years we don’t know what that area is going to look like and we believe this may be the only chance for the residents and the businesses and the area to actually make sure that their voice counts,” Jennings said.
Friends of Hamilton wants churches to help them get the issue on the ballot next year. That will take signatures from residents in the proposed city limits. Jennings says some churches are on board to help, and others want to stay behind the scenes. We met Craig Brown at Ooltewah United Methodist who lives in an area that would become the city of Hamilton to get his take on the idea and the strategy.
“I would be open to the idea of it because I don’t want to be in the city of Chattanooga. So if something’s going to happen I would at least like to see and explore the Hamilton verses I know I don’t want to be in the city of Chattanooga,” said Brown.
The petitions will start circulating once the Hamilton County election commission approves it. They’ll need 4,000 signatures from registered voters in the proposed city limits to get on the ballot next November.
To learn more about the city of Hamilton and how to get involved, click here.
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