Chattanooga Mayoral Candidates White And Dahl’s Stance On Conservative Issues – Update

**Update – Several people have asked us on Social Media where the candidates stand on Gun Laws / Gun Control. We have reached out to them for this information. You can find their response at the bottom of the article.**

Chattanooga, TN – The Mayoral Election will soon be upon us so the Tennessee Conservative has reached out to the candidates to see where they stand on many of the issues that matter to Chattanooga Conservatives. 

We asked all of the candidates the same five questions. 

Candidates Kim White and Christopher Dahl replied and expressed an interest in reaching the Conservative voters of Chattanooga.   

Question – With so many residents and businesses struggling economically, city revenues will likely be down. Will you consider raising taxes to meet shortfalls? 

Kim White – “Raising taxes is something that we must do everything to avoid, especially when businesses and families are suffering.  I will manage Chattanooga finances responsibly and will only look at ways to secure additional funding sources if fundamental services and public safety are at risk. There are ways this can potentially be done without a tax increase.” 

Christopher Dahl – “I am against raising taxes.  The City, through its sewer billing, makes at least 10 million a month.” 

Question – Panhandling, loitering and littering have become big issues in the Scenic City. How can we help the homeless without reducing the quality of life or becoming a regional magnet for the homeless in other cities? 

Kim White – “We must work closely with our nonprofit partners to better serve the homeless population. We will concentrate on approaches that offer a path out of homelessness. We will humanely, but firmly, enforce existing aggressive panhandling laws and encourage concerned citizens to contribute to social service agencies that provide counseling and training.” 

Christopher Dahl – “The City has now put out a few plans to end chronic homelessness and they seem not to be working. The issue with people not having a home has been turned into a money-making industry here. Organizations and certain people exploit the problem to make money.”  

Question – Small business is the backbone of our local economy. What will you do as Mayor to make Chattanooga more business-friendly? 

Kim White – “I will assign a member of my staff who will wake up every day committed to assisting small business owners and entrepreneurs do business in Chattanooga. One of my top priorities will be to review all city policies and procedures and alter or eliminate any that needlessly burden business owners and operators.” 

Christopher Dahl – “A city mayor is put in place to oversee the city. For one, I would look into repealing the BID district downtown which is double-billing downtown business for service. And I would reevaluate how the Chattanooga tourist company advertises the city.  It seems like the more taxes and regulations it opens the government up to back door deals, corruption, fraud, waste, and abuse of tax dollars.” 

Question – Crime is on the rise in Chattanooga, yet many are calling for less policing. What will you do to make Chattanooga a safer place for law-abiding citizens? 

Kim White – “I have an outstanding relationship with Chief Roddy.  I am committed to providing the police the resources they need to keep our community safe.”   

Christopher Dahl – “For one, the city pays into a program called the Violence reduction initiative which seems to be able to apply for more grant funding when the crime is up.  I think it’s time we take a different approach to crime.  An approach that involves the community.  Also looking to decriminalize marijuana and curbing the illegal drug trade.” 

Question – Chattanooga relies heavily upon tourism and hospitality for tax revenue. Local restaurants, hotels and even iconic tourism attractions like the Tennessee Aquarium are suffering greatly – some have gone out of business, like Songbirds Guitar Museum. Will you ask for more restrictions or another lockdown in Chattanooga? 

Kim White – “Public health is a top priority for me. I will always work closely with Hamilton County officials and listen to our health professionals to ensure all precautionary measure are in place. However, I firmly believe that lockdowns are not the solution. Social distancing and mask wearing are highly effective tools in combating COVID, and their use allows businesses to stay open and to maintain jobs.” 

Christopher Dahl – “I believe the restrictions should be placed by the business and that government shouldn’t be as involved in the issues.  For example, the mask mandate should be enforced by the business and not the government. The reason for this is as long as the policy is posted a business can refuse service to anyone they wish.  So having a government that focuses on things like that only hinders them from performing their duties.” 

Question – What is your stance on Gun Laws / Gun Control?

Kim White – No Reply at Current.

Christopher Dahl – “I am a strong supporter of the second amendment. The ability of law-abiding citizens to bear arms and the right to self-defense is a fundamental constitutional right of every law-abiding American. Stating this, I do see issues with the state’s buyback program which seems to affect the gun violence issues we have in Chattanooga.”

*At this time, none of the other candidates have replied to our phone calls or emails.  However, as more candidates weigh in, we will keep you posted.