# Chattanooga City Council Strategic Planning Meeting - 10/06/2026

Chattanooga City Council strategic planning meeting, October 6, 2026: Workforce Development Director Andrew Hudson presented a citywide strategy to connect training and support services to local employer demand, replacing scattered, often RFP-funded programs with a coordinated system. The city typically distributes about $600,000 annually through workforce RFPs. The Industrial Development Board had approved moving funds from existing innovation and tech workforce accounts into a registered-apprenticeship employer incentive fund, totaling about $333,000. The proposed incentive would provide up to $50,000 per employer: $25,000 after hiring the first four apprentices over four quarters and the remaining $25,000 when the fourth apprentice completes the program. No City Council vote on the incentive was recorded in this meeting; members requested follow-up on fund details, eligible employers, and the treatment of union-sponsored programs.

Economic and Workforce Development staff also gave a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) update and said they expect to return this fall with proposed policy revisions. Current city policy directs TIF revenue to public infrastructure and prohibits using it for vertical construction, though staff confirmed that this is a local restriction that Council could amend. The Bend discussion cited roughly $52,000 in property-tax increment and an estimated $8.7 million need for utility infrastructure work. East Chattanooga Rising is a $4 million city-backed TIF that has generated about $243,000 in increment and is underperforming; staff is beginning a process that could include clawback and unwinding the arrangement. Northgate Mall has completed community engagement and begun utility-plan submissions. No new contract award or procurement vote was identified.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure, Education
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** October 06, 2026

### Sources
- [Chattanooga City Council Strategic Planning Meeting - 10/06/2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hybbiEirUhY) - Chattanooga City Council & City Boards