Rosabelle Faircloth Gorman
› Office: Hamilton County Commission, District 3
› Party: Democrat
› Previous public office experience: None
› Why voters should choose me: Voters should choose me because 1) I want to improve things for District 3 residents. I’m not complacent. Our county is wonderful, but politicians who have no vision for how our community can be better don’t belong in office. 2) I reflect my community. I’m a working mother with young children whose future will be impacted by the decisions our commissioners make, just like my constituents. I’m a military brat; my husband is an electrician. I’ve owned a small business, and I put myself through college. I can identify with more than one group of people. And I care.
› Biggest challenge facing the office I seek: The biggest challenge facing the commission is finding a way to adequately fund our public education system without raising property taxes again so soon. The capital projects funded by the last increase are needed, but the general budget also needs to be increased to pay for things like SROs and additional technology and school counselors.
› How I will address this challenge: There are some cost savings to be had in other areas of our general budget, and there may be some alternative methods of increasing revenue that can be discussed. Regardless of the method, our school system has been underfunded for so long that it is not possible to remedy this problem in a short period of time. Careful long-range planning must take place to bring the funding level up to where it is needed over a period of years. By taking the budget only 12 months at a time, our commission is not providing the leadership and vision that is needed to solve this difficult problem. Yes, the education system takes up the largest part of our county budget. But our school system is also one of the largest in the state, and HCDE is our county’s largest employer. We are a first-class county. The sad fact that we don’t have a first-class public education system and that 25 percent of our children are enrolled in private schools as an alternative should be embarrassing to our officials. Our children deserve better. Hamilton County deserves better. We shouldn’t be satisfied with politicians who aren’t actively trying to find solutions to this problem.
› Policy position of mine that may surprise people: I used to own a small business, and that experience has given me a big respect for the contributions our many small business owners make every day to our economy and our tax base. When conservatives hear I am a Democrat, they may think of someone who wants to raise taxes on business, but that is not my position.
› Public servant I most admire: My grandfather, James Hart Long II, is my role model as a public servant. He was city commissioner back in the 1950s and a mayor in Daytona Beach, Florida, where I was born. He fought against corruption and was a man of impeccable integrity his whole life. It would be a privilege to follow in his footsteps.
› Campaign office: 8684 Arbutus Drive, Hixson, TN 37343
› Campaign phone: 423-488-2926
› Campaign email: votegorman@gmail.com
› Campaign website: votegorman.com
› Campaign Facebook:
facebook.com/votegorman
› Campaign Twitter: n/a
› Campaign Instagram: n/a
PERSONAL
› Age: 35
› Occupation: Realtor, caregiver
› Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, organizational management
› Family: Marshall, my husband of 15 years; Marshall, our 3-year-old son, and Daisy, our 2-week-old daughter.
› Residence city: Hixson
› Church/civic involvement: I am involved in a support group for new mothers that I founded three years ago. I’ve volunteered with numerous organizations since I’ve been in Chattanooga. Currently, I serve in the Hamilton County Democratic Party, and I am a member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Hixson and the Greater Chattanooga Democratic Women’s Club.
› Quote or saying I live by: n/a