News that an International Rally Race is headed for Polk County has county commissioners and citizens banding together to stop the event.
A town hall meeting will be hosted by the commissioners Tuesday, March 28, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Polk County High School cafeteria.
The rally was first discussed at the county commission meeting last Thursday night when Commissioner Greg Brooks said he did not appreciate learning of the possible event from the Hamilton County Chamber of Commerce.
A statement by Chattanooga Tourism Company President Barry White, said a local test rally will be held April 7-8, followed by a demonstration in September. If those events go well, White said a regional rally could occur as early as 2024.
White told the Hamilton County commission the event would have a $34 million economic impact.
He also said it would be held in the Cherokee National Forest in Polk and Bradley counties.
Whites statement appeared on CHATTANOOGAN.com, and Commissioner Mush Davis said he heard the news on a Chattanooga television station.
Brooks said he had been in contact with United States Forest Service District Ranger Phillip Earhart and a permit has not been issued for a rally race, but one has been issued for the April 7-8 event.
CareMed ambulance service director Chris Boggs said he had been contacted and asked to dedicate two ambulances to the April 7-8 event, but scoffed at the offer they would be paid $50 hour.
Several commissioners expressed their objections to a race, citing no financial benefit to Polk County, a strain on Polk’s emergency services, the destruction of Forest Service roads and land, and the idea an event would be held in Polk County and all the financial benefit would go elsewhere.
Brooks remembered a similar race some 20 years ago. A Forest Service road was closed for the event, forcing a funeral procession to wait an hour and a half to get to a remote cemetery.
Commissioner Shane Bowman noted all the land involved would be in Polk County since there “is not an inch” of the Cherokee National Forest in Bradley County.
Brian McCord, representing a group of residents from the Cookson Creek area, said those residents wanted to express their opposition and asked what could be done to stop the event.
After his comments, Bowman said he had heard “nothing but negativity from the public.”
Brooks said the only result would be “a mess and a bunch of tore up roads.”
Commissioners encouraged all those with an opinion about the event to attend the March 28 meeting.