CARL IS THE ONE QUALIFIED TO LEAD

Carl has faithfully served the citizens of Hamilton County as County Trustee for the past 8 years.  He manages more than $2 Billion which comes to the county government each year. Due to Carl’s financial education and experience, Hamilton County has earned millions of dollars from investments and budgetary management. This lessens the burden on the County Commission to raise property taxes.  Prior to his election as County Trustee, Carl served as the Chattanooga City Treasurer.  Threaded through his life is his love of our Country.  Carl is a retired Brigadier General and is a leader in the American Legion and other veteran issues.

In addition to his college education, Carl is a Certified Public Administrator, a Certified Public Finance Administrator, and a Certified Cash Handling Instructor.  Carl actively participates in continuing education and training to ensure that both he and the Trustee’s Office remain current on the latest laws, banking trends, and technological advancements. 

Much of Carl’s focus has been on improving the services provided by the Hamilton County Trustee’s Office. When Carl was elected Hamilton County Trustee, there were only 2 tax payment options. Shortly thereafter, Carl instituted 26 additional options for taxpayers, including credit cards, to pay tax bills.  The result was drastically reduced wait times, even on the busiest days.  Carl has worked to inform our senior citizens of the State Tax Relief Program.  For his efforts, the number of taxpayers who have qualified for Tax Relief has increased 77%.  In 2009, Carl was honored for his innovations as Trustee of the Year by the Tennessee County Trustees Association.

During his tenure, Carl has faced the challenges of managing a financial office in a difficult economy. Bankruptcies, both business and individual, have increased dramatically.  This necessitated an increase in legal fees to protect the County’s financial interests.  The increase in legal fees, due to bankruptcies, has resulted in the collection of taxes which would otherwise have been lost. When the choice is to do nothing or fight to protect the County, Carl will fight to collect the monies owed to the citizens of Hamilton County. While no one likes to pay taxes, Carl believes that each should pay their fair share. As such, he averages a collection rate of 99%.

CARL’S VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Carl believes the Trustee’s Office is most effective when he focuses on improving services by working cooperatively with all segments of the community. In addition to the taxpayers, this includes the municipalities, Department of Education, and other County Offices for which he collects and distributes funds.  While serving as Chattanooga City Treasurer, Carl discussed allowing the County Trustee to collect property taxes for the City of Chattanooga.  While a good idea, it was cost prohibitive at the time.  Over the last few years, Carl has demonstrated his ability to efficiently collect and remit Chattanooga’s hotel-motel occupancy taxes.  He is now in negotiation with the City of Chattanooga to collect its property taxes in a manner that would benefit both City and County taxpayers. 

Carl firmly believes in education.  He encourages all the Trustee staff to complete the credit hours required by the University of Tennessee to become a Certified Public Administrator, and then maintain their continuing education requirements.  This knowledge allows the Trustee staff to serve the citizens of Hamilton County more effectively.