On Wednesday, Hamilton County Commissioners approved spending $50,000 on restrooms that will be built at Raymond James Stadium.

Commissioner Tim Boyd said the funds came via discretionary money earmarked for District 8, which includes East Ridge. 

Boyd had earlier pledged to match anything above $50,000 that the East Ridge Alumni and Supporters raised last year during a fundraising effort.

Newly-elected Commissioner Greg Martin, who previously served on the Hamilton County School Board, was the lone vote against the measure. 

In March, the school board voted to transfer ownership of the athletic fields at East Ridge High School to the City of East Ridge. The transfer of the property to the city cleared the way for Commissioner Boyd to contribute  $50,000 to the effort to build a field house and other ancillary facilities at Raymond James Stadium. Those funds, Commissioner Boyd said, will be going into an account at the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga that is earmarked for the East Ridge Alumni and Supporters Association.

Last fall alumni association officials announced that an “anonymous donor” would match the fundraising efforts by the organization if it raised more than $50,000. The association had an aggressive membership drive, put on a golf tournament, silent auction and other festivities to raise money. The total exceeded $70,000. The “anonymous donor” turned out to be Commissioner Boyd, who was prohibited from contributing money from the county discretionary fund directly to the school.