Larry Grohn
City Councilman Larry Grohn said Tuesday he plans to make a race for mayor of Chattanooga.
Mr. Grohn, who will be giving up his District 4 seat on the council, said he has been "extremely frustrated" with the administration of Mayor Andy Berke.
It is not yet known whether Mayor Berke, the former state senator, will seek a second term.
City Councilman Ken Smith from District 3 is also expected to be a candidate.
Other names tossed out include aide to Senator Bob Corker Todd Womack, former Congressman Zach Wamp, state Senator Bo Watson, former candidate Guy Satterfield, and former Chamber of Commerce president Ron Harr.
Councilman Grohn said, "In all my years on the council I have had only one back and forth conversation with Mayor Berke. This was in April 2013 when he was calling in the council members one by one.
"To totally exclude a council member is a disservice to the councilman, the district and to the constituents he represents. A great leader should speak to everyone who is involved in making decision for the city."
He said there have been "constant complaints about this mayor being so inaccessible. This administration promised open government with transparency and accountability, but we have not seen that."
Councilman Grohn said the city sank $7.4 million into the Harriet Tubman property "and what have we got to show for it?"
He questioned whether $60 million should be spent on the Wilcox Tunnel and said the city should look instead to other connections to areas past Missionary Ridge.
The councilman said the city "has done great with downtown and the suburbs, but there is an albatross around the rest of the city in between."
He said many people in those sections running "from the east side to the south side" lack the education and training to take advantage of opportunities in the thriving sections.
Councilman Grohn also said there is a woeful shortage of affordable housing, saying, "We need to triple what CNE and Habitat are able to do."
He said city firefighters only have one set of turnout gear and need a second set. He said he would set aside $200,000 per year toward giving each one a second set.
Councilman Grohn spent the first 38 years of his life in San Antonio, Tex. His parents were Anton Charles Grohn and Addie Shaw Grohn, both native Texans. He was the the younger of two sons. Both of his parents and his brother are deceased. Councilman Grohn has two sons, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, who live in Texas and Oklahoma. After spending 10 years as a single parent. Councilman Grohn met and married Army Major Carol Werschky Grohn (retired) in 1986. He followed her career until she retired in 1996 to take on other opportunities.
He worked for Sears, Roebuck and Co. from 1970 to 1985. He ended that career as a divisional sales manager responsible for a $3.8 million sales budget and managing 24-40 employees in his departments. In 1986 he returned to college full-time to pursue a second career as a secondary school teacher. He began teaching at the age of 42 after completing his undergraduate degree in History (University of Texas) and Master's Degree in Education (University of Kansas). He was certified in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado, receiving umbrella certifications in science and social studies. During his career he has taught the following courses at the middle and high school levels: life science, mathematics, geography, U.S. history, world history, A.P. U.S. history, A.P. world history, economics, psychology, civics, chemistry, physics, earth science and geology.
In addition, he coached freshman high school basketball, high school junior varsity basketball, and 8th grade girls and boys basketball. He continues to play baseball and until recently played and managed in the Chattanooga area adult baseball league. He also sponsored and coached chess teams at the middle and high school levels, taking teams to the city, region, state and national tournaments. He recently resigned his position of tournament coordinator for the Tennessee Chess Association due to the pressing demands of his council position. He is a member of the Tennessee Chess Association and the U.S. Chess Federation and serves as a teacher, mentor and resource for instructional chess materials in the Chattanooga area.
The Grohns are active members of Woodland Park Baptist Church, the Chattanooga Tea Party, the Tennessee Republican Party, the local Pachyderm Club and other related clubs. He is a member of the Brainerd Kiwanis Club.
He unseated 12-year incumbent Jack Benson in 2013 in his first political try.
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