The phrase “build it and they will come,” comes to mind. I hope East Ridge city officials saw the movie Field of Dreams because we seem to be groping in the dark when it comes to having some vision and leadership. What we’re talking about here is Bob Martino’s $150 million investment in a project […]

Had a meeting with the mayor last Monday morning to talk about the Border Region Act and liquor stores. Mayor Brian Williams had a nine-page power point presentation waiting for me to explain how it all works. He said it is his intention to take this presentation to the citizens and educate them on the […]

EDITOR’S NOTE: On Monday of last week, the East Ridge Industrial Development Board voted unanimously to allow millions of dollars of future state sales tax money to be pocketed by the owners of a liquor store that is under construction. The following Thursday, the City Council approved an agreement under the Border Region Act that […]

I never dreamed that a dustup over paying officials at rec league games at Camp Jordan would lead to the resignation of the director and two city employees. Are you kidding me? We don’t get rid of employees over minor stuff like that around here, do we? Last time I looked the city manager was […]

I was talking on the phone with a buddy the other day about last Thursday’s council meeting and the city awarding a multi-million dollar contract to pave and beautify a portion of Ringgold Road. I told him that the city is going to spend more than $6 million to add a 10-foot wide sidewalk on […]

To the city workers at the Sanitation Department … I am about to embark on a constant tirade about the city stopping the bagged leaf pickup. I just wanted to let the workers know that I appreciate all the work that they do. I especially want to thank the guys that picked up my bagged […]

Last week’s East Ridge City Council meeting was puzzling.  First, it lasted less than 20 minutes, which must be some kind of record for brevity in the modern era. What was really puzzling was that nobody _  not the city manager, not the mayor, not any of the four council members _  mentioned one word […]

I’d like to thank Councilman Mike Chauncey for his work to bring a dog park to the City Hall complex. Four years after a parks study showed that “dog park” was a top request in East Ridge, the project can finally start. Mr. Chauncey was the driving force the whole way. When the city was willing […]

Well, they did it, just as predicted. Just in time for the city’s extravagant, over-the-top Centennial birthday party, the East Ridge City Council done gone and raised property taxes by 25 percent. We’ve really got something to celebrate now, don’t we? I, along with probably the majority of my neighbors, don’t begrudge paying our fare […]

One opinion I’d like to share is this: I read the police reports and it seems to me that the police department and the East Ridge court system is way too lenient with drug users and dealers. Same goes with repeat offenders, or whatever. _ Gary Woody

We at East Ridge News Online welcome the opinions of the citizens of East Ridge and surrounding area.  Contrary to what some may believe, the “opinion” section of ERNO is not solely the domain of the publisher and editor of East Ridge News Online. It was conceived as a potential forum for readers of this […]

I almost didn’t write this opinion for several reasons. Mainly, due to the fact the employees in East Ridge definitely need a raise above the city’s annual small percentage. But, had administration and the governing body been doing their jobs this wouldn’t be necessary. The pay plan and pay scale adjustments based on performance evaluations […]

In the 1939 movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” Jimmy Stewart’s character, Jefferson Smith, gives up on his fight before the U.S. Senate to establish a national boys’ camp and calls it “just another lost cause.” He then goes on to say that his colleague Joseph Paine knew all about lost causes and that Paine […]

In 1790 Benjamin Franklin said nothing is certain except death and taxes. In the East Ridge of 2021 that statement certainly holds true. After a recent reappraisal of property in our fair city, the value of homes rose on average about 30 percent. By state law, municipalities cannot reap a windfall profit from higher property […]

We have all heard, many times, that Camp Jordan is the Crown Jewel of East Ridge. We have been told that investments in Camp Jordan pay off in the long run by keeping taxes low, that “Camp Jordan is a gold mine” – a direct quote from Vice Mayor Vince Dean, way back in the […]