To the Editor:
I have known Chuck Hope for seven years, after meeting him at a local networking event. At that time, I had lived in Oak Ridge for three years and not had much interaction with local folks.
Chuck surprised me quickly with his enthusiasm for the good qualities of Oak Ridge. We spoke about the history and the many great attractions that Oak Ridge has, and how it’s not limited to just the great parks and recreation that Oak Ridge has to offer but how the museum (American Museum of Science and Energy) and the rowing association had made an impact on the city. His forthcoming and positivity in a town that at the time seemed stagnant showed me that Chuck Hope cared about Oak Ridge.
We have since worked together on community events such as the Secret City Festival and supporting the Oak Ridge Playhouse, and I have never seen that enthusiasm wane.
Chuck’s willingness to help the city and support many causes such as United Way and the various civic organizations (he is a past chairman of the Chamber) is one of the reasons I urge everyone to support Chuck in his re-election to Oak Ridge City Council. I have followed Chuck’s evolvement in City Council, and I like that he supports our great school system.
The choices that City Council make are not always easy, but Chuck has a deep love for the city and always considers what will be the best for our great city. Chuck is the only small business owner running in 2016 and that brings many qualities. One of the biggest is that he is the only candidate that has experience balancing budgets outside of the home, and has experience in the city and in life making hard decisions when it comes to how money should be spent.
He supports a strong school system for all children in Oak Ridge, including support for a new Pre-K building that has been a recent topic of citywide interest.
Growth of our city in both industrial and retail areas is important, and Chuck has supported the Main Street project all the way.
I appreciate that Chuck has experience and that he brings knowledge of the issues as the city continues to work out one of the biggest concerns facing Oak Ridge, and that is housing.
Chuck Hope is open and honest and approachable; we all know where he is on Fridays during football season (Go ‘Cats!). He is willing to talk about all the issues and is open for input from the public
For all these reasons and many more, I ask everyone to consider supporting Chuck Hope in his re-election to Oak Ridge City Council.
David Kitzmiller
Oak Ridge
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