Writer: Tamara Wolk
Published February 11, 2023
The Catoosa County News
The Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce held its annual “State of the County and Cities” luncheon on Feb. 9, at which leaders from the municipalities shared updates on how their governments are doing.
Representing Catoosa County was chairman of the Board of Commissioners Larry Black. City council members Kelly Bomar and Rhonda Swaney represented Ringgold, and city manager Molly Huhn spoke for Fort Oglethorpe.
Some of the information below is from the Chamber speeches and some is from additional information the governments provided to us.
Board of Commissioners chair Larry Black told the Chamber audience that the county is in good fiscal condition. He said the county issued 1,028 building permits in 2022 resulting in $116,526,526 in revenue.
Black said that one issue plaguing the county is finding enough emergency services workers, including police officers and sheriff’ deputies. Last year, according to Catoosa County records, 911 received 88,429 calls.
The sheriff’s office received 48,769 calls in 2022. The fire department fielded 4,072 calls and the ambulance service responded to 9,591 calls. The coroner went out on 230 calls.
Catoosa County has 427 miles of roads to maintain. With the help of grants in 2022, the county paved 11.5 miles of roads.
City council member Rhonda Swaney shared at the Chamber luncheon a long list of projects the city of Ringgold has finished or is working on.
The city established a youth council.
The police department’s Ringgold Explorers, a program to help young adults explore law enforcement careers, had 14 participants in 2022 and competed at an event in Pigeon Forge.
Ringgold was designated a “Rural Zone” by the Department of Community Affairs, making it eligible for a variety of tax credits.
The city received four grants in 2022 totaling $2.3 million.
Work has begun on what will be a two-acre dog park.
Most of the playground equipment at Little General Children’s Park has been replaced.
Plans are in the works and significant funding secured to build more trails, add soccer fields, pickle ball courts and a splash pad to the recreation complex and to build the multi-ability playground, Crossroads Unity Park, that so many have been dreaming about.
The city has received a $750,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to revitalize the Benton Coal property to create space for businesses, additional parking and community gathering space.
Fort Oglethorpe City Manager Molly Huhn shared at the Chamber luncheon details about the city’s work on the revitalization of the historic downtown area — business incentives, the Stable 41 Farmer’s Market, the 136-page Renaissance Strategic Vision and Plan (RSVP) developed with the help of the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the city’s new logo, streetscaping that’s already been done and some that’s in the plans, and more.
Catoosa County, the City of Ringgold and the City of Fort Oglethorpe are all members of the Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce.
