FIFTH PLACE IN GROWTH IS BEST CASE FOR HAMILTON COUNTY

A recent Times Free Press report on an analysis of U.S. Census data showed steady population growth in Hamilton County, but what does that really mean for its residents?

Hamilton County was Tennessee’s fifth fastest-growing county in 2022, gaining 5,655 residents, a 1.5% increase to 374,682, according to the report. The county’s growth edged out Tennessee, which saw a 1.2% population gain of 82,988 residents in 2022, up from 42,732 in 2021.

Migration appears to be the main reason for the growth in population.

Hamilton County’s growth in 2022 only trails Knox, Rutherford, Montgomery and Wilson counties. It should be noted that Rutherford, Montgomery and Wilson counties are in the wider Nashville area, which plays in their favor as Nashville’s high cost of living pushes residents outside Davidson County.

Hamilton County’s slow but steady growth gives residents and elected leaders time to figure out what type of growth we want and how to ensure everyone will benefit from it.

A GOOD PLACE TO BE

This latest population data reinforces the reality that now is the prime time to support initiatives that lead to equitable development.

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp told Times Free Press reporter Ben Sessoms that growth is positive but noted that it needs to be handled appropriately.

“It’s certainly not a negative that the county is growing because a community in population decline is in a lot of trouble,” Wamp said. “There’s no question that growth is an indicator that the quality of life in your community is attracting people. For us, particularly given some of the geographic constraints and infrastructure limitations, appropriate growth is what we’re aiming for.”

That’s for sure. Growth, whether it’s economic or population, comes with the task of channeling it in a way that benefits the already invested, lifelong residents as well as newcomers.

This is not just about being a big city or booming county; it’s also becoming and staying a strong community.

“We have no desire to be the largest city in Tennessee. We are trying to be the best city in Tennessee — where our services are world-class and quality of life is second to none,” Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said in a statement on Sunday. “We are well on our way to accomplishing that goal by focusing on the right sort of smart growth and attractive higher wage jobs and quality development rather than growth for growth’s sake.”

Much like with Nashville and Davidson County, Chattanooga has been and will continue to be the nucleus of the county’s growth, and it leadership will play a substantial, significant role in guiding our growth.

PLANS, PLANS AND MORE PLANS

Kelly has spent much of his first two years overseeing development of plans that will, hopefully, push the city forward. So far, the Kelly administration has created the One Chattanooga, Climate Action, Affordable Housing and Gun Violence plans.

The plans that Kelly has in place could ultimately mean a better quality of life for Chattanoogans, but plans have a funny way of gathering dust on the bookshelf. Creating plans and trumpeting those plans are far different from seeing those plans through.

Kelly doesn’t have a lock on the plan market, either. The school facilities plan developed by a task force set up by Wamp and schools Superintendent Justin Robertson will have both an immediate and lasting impact on growth and where it does and does not occur. This plan must be flexible to accommodate shifts in where people want to live and what kind of schools they want to send their children to.

Earlier this year, county officials also announced a Hamilton County growth plan focused on guiding growth in the unincorporated parts of the county.

All of these plans could just be seen as face-level action, not really getting into the meat of what a community needs to succeed. The success of these plans relies not only on the leaders who created them, but also the residents to hold them accountable.

If the One Chattanooga plan, for example, performs at its highest level, it could mean that a Black family has the tools needed to ride the wave of positive growth in Chattanooga, instead of being consumed by it.

Growth doesn’t always mean prosperity, as any former Nashvillian can tell you. Music City boasts of a booming economy and brings in tons of money via tourism, but the city also is grappling — sometimes uncomfortably — with creating equitable development for members of the community who have been left behind.

So the One Chattanooga, Affordable Housing and Climate Action plans are a right step. Now what is needed is action and accountability so Chattanooga avoids the mess that has become so much of Nashville.

Growth without a people-focused approach slowly takes away the soul of a community.

A plan without action is a wish.

Let’s hope our leaders don’t plan to be tossing pennies into the wishing well anytime soon.