Industrial park a high priority for candidates
CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Candidates seeking a District 6 seat on the Bradley County Commission cite the Spring Branch Industrial Park, located near Exit 20 on I-75, as a priority.
Republicans Erica Davis, Tommy Ledford and Robert Rominger seek to fill Seat B. Rominger, a retired educator, has held a District 6 commission seat since 2010. Davis has worked in special education for more than a decade and co-owns a local trucking company. Ledford has worked in various capacities at a local hospital for nearly 40 years.
District 6 encompasses the south end of the county, including South Cleveland and Wildwood Lake. It borders Spring Place Road and Ladd Springs Road in the east and South Lee Highway in the west.
Supporting the park is part of the overarching need to boost the county’s economic growth, while protecting taxpayers with “fiscally responsible decisions,” Davis said.
“Economic growth encompasses everything,” she said. “Growth means jobs, homes, families and the children who need to be educated. We have to decide how we are going to handle that.”
This means supporting infrastructure, emergency services and education, Davis said.
“We have to support our first responders and make sure they have all the resources they need,” she said. “I’m a strong supporter of education. We also need to continue to maintain our roads and prepare for the future.”
Bringing in industry through the park and working to create free-flowing roadway are some of the biggest challenges facing the county, Ledford.
While Ledford called for ensuring school safety and finishing the new Lake Forest Middle School, he said it’s only the commission’s job to fund the school system, not run the school board.
For the district, Ledford named telecommunication services as a need. However, he said he believes leadership is its greatest need.
“The people’s voices and needs are not being taken to the commission,” Ledford said. “It’s a complaint I hear from everybody, not just District 6.”
Supporting expansion of lodging, restaurants and businesses around Exit 20 is an integral piece to encouraging growth expected to come from the park, Rominger said.
It’s unsure if Bradley County will need to put more money into developing Spring Branch Industrial Park —the county shares those costs with Cleveland — but growing property tax dollars from Amazon and Wacker Chemie will provide “a little extra money,” he said.
“There are several needs,” Rominger said. “I think we can do most of them without a tax increase. We should be able to get by another four years without a tax increase.”
Republican primary voters will decide who takes District 6, Seat B in the May 1 election. No Democrat seeks the office.
Commissioner Dan Rawls faces challenger Tim Mason for the district’s other seat.
Early voting begins April 11.