Norris mayor outlines ‘strategic vision’
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Norris Mayor Chris Mitchell presents his “strategic vision” for the city prior to the start of the City Council meeting on Monday night. - G. Chambers Williams III
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Mike Dobrogosz walks his dog on a sidewalk along Dairy Pond Road in Norris on Tuesday, Feb. 10. Dairy Pond is one of the many Norris roads that already have sidewalks. - G. Chambers Williams III
Norris should be a safe, livable community for its residents, with leadership that helps promote a good quality of life, Mayor Chris Mitchell told City Council members and residents during a presentation preceding Monday night’s council meeting.
He noted up front that he was presenting a “vision,” rather than a plan, and that plans to implement his vision would be rolled out in stages, beginning soon.
Mitchell, who has been mayor for nearly 18 years, spoke at length about Norris’ sidewalks, saying that “We want a walkable community,” and suggesting that a top priority of a strategic plan should be to make sidewalks available throughout the city, and that those already in place should be better maintained.
“I will be calling for a formal plan for sidewalks,” he said.
Residents “should not have to drive home and dodge people in the road,” Mitchell said. “We should provide a safe usage of public lands.”
The mayor also said that Norris does not need to be an “elite” city.
“It needs [to be a place] where anybody can live,” he said.
“We need a non-discriminatory community, making people feel welcome and accepted. It does not need to be elite.”
He also stressed keeping the city affordable in regard to taxes and utilities.
In his printed vision statement, Mitchell said the city should “maintain levels of property tax, utility rates and debt to support city budgets without overburdening citizens and businesses.”
In his presentation, he told those in attendance at the meeting:
“I will support a property-tax rate increase when I see a need for it.
“At this time, I don’t see it.”
He also said that the city should embrace its history while moving forward.
Norris was founded by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the early 1930s, originally meant to house engineers and workers building the nearby Norris Dam.
It was incorporated as a city in 1949, and celebrated its 75th anniversary as a city in 2024.
“We need to respect the past, but we need to evolve,” the mayor said.
Businesses and business development should also be prioritized, he said.
“We have a variety of businesses, and we need to support them.”
The mayor emphasized providing recreational opportunities for residents, which would “evolve as culture changes.”
