Title 5, Counties

(a) The state funding board is authorized to issue at one (1) time or from time to time bonds of the state in an amount not to exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000). (b) These bonds shall be issued under the authority of title 9, chapter 9, according to the conditions and limit…

(a) The proceeds derived from the sale of bonds issued under the authority of §§ 5-3-122 — 5-3-125 shall be deposited in a special fund to be used by the state consolidation committee for use as described in subsection (b). (b) (1) Within sixty (60) days after an entire county ha…

Any money granted by the state consolidation committee to any county or counties shall be used by the counties in the payment of the outstanding indebtedness of the county receiving the grant, and this grant shall have as its purpose the equalization of the burden of bonded indeb…

(a) All state moneys now being distributed to both the absorbed and absorbing county or counties shall continue to be distributed to the absorbing county or counties after consolidation on a pro rata basis according to the plan of consolidation approved by the state consolidation…

Where an old county is reduced for the purpose of forming a new one, the seat of justice in the old county shall not be removed without the concurrence of two thirds (⅔) of both branches of the general assembly, nor shall the seat of justice of any county be removed without the c…

The county legislative body may at any regular meeting, a majority of the members concurring, order an election to ascertain if the people desire the county seat to be removed.

Each voter shall put on such voter's ballot the name of the place to which such voter desires the county seat removed or mark the words “no removal.”

(a) The county election commission shall make its return to the county mayor, and at the next regular meeting of the county legislative body after the election, the vote shall be counted and the result declared. (b) If the proposition to remove the county seat received the requis…

When a county seat is removed, the members of the county legislative body shall order a sale of the old courthouse and ground belonging to it, upon such terms as they think most for the interest of the county, and shall apply the proceeds of the sale to the payment for a new cour…

(a) The county legislative body is established as a basic legislative unit of each county of this state; provided, that this subsection (a) shall not apply to counties that have already adopted the metropolitan form of government. (b) Effective September 1, 1978, except in any co…

(a) (1) The county legislative body shall be composed of not less than nine (9) nor more than twenty-five (25) members.(2) There shall be at least nine (9) districts in the county legislative body in any county designated as a Class 2 county before January 1, 1999, as established…

(a) In counties electing a county mayor as provided in § 5-6-102(1) and (2), there shall be a chair and chair pro tempore. (b) (1) The legislative body, at its first session on or after September 1 of each year, shall elect from its membership a chair and a chair pro tempore; pro…

(a) Regular meetings of each county legislative body shall be held at the time, day and place set by resolution of each legislative body. (b) There shall be at least four (4) regular meetings of the county legislative body each year. (c) Special meetings of the county legislative…

(a) (1) The county mayor has the power to convene the legislative body in special session when, in the county mayor's opinion, the public necessities require it.(2) Upon written application to the chair of the legislative body by the county mayor or by a majority of the members o…

(a) Each member of a county legislative body must attend each and every session of the body, and be allowed to vote and draw pay for attendance. (b) (1) Notwithstanding subsection (a) and title 8, chapter 44, part 1, and upon the adoption of this subsection (b) by the county legi…

(a) The several county legislative bodies are authorized to fix the compensation of their membership in attending sessions of the county legislative body and duly authorized committees thereof. (b) (1) The counties are hereby classified in accordance with § 8-24-101, and the comp…

A majority of the members of the county legislative body of each county shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business by the bodies in regular or special sessions.

(a) A majority of all the members constituting the county legislative body, and not merely a majority of the quorum, shall be required to:(1) Elect county officials required by law to be elected by the body;(2) Fix salaries;(3) Appropriate money; and(4) Transact all other busines…

(a) All business for the action of the county legislative body shall be presented to the chair, who shall announce the same to the county legislative body and take the vote thereon. (b) No business shall be acted on by the body unless presented as required in subsection (a), exce…

(a) (1) Whenever an office is required to be filled, or a vacancy occurs in any office required to be filled, by the county legislative body, the county clerk shall provide notice to every member of the county legislative body of the need to fill the office or vacancy. If the off…

(a) (1) No member of the legislative body of a county who is also an employee of the same county or whose spouse is an employee of the same county may vote on matters in which such member has a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is created under this section when a memb…

(a) Each member of a county legislative body shall:(1) No later than one hundred twenty (120) days after election or appointment, complete orientation training provided by the University of Tennessee's county technical assistance service (CTAS). This subdivision (a)(1) applies on…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a county legislative body shall not adopt or enforce a resolution or ordinance that prohibits or restricts, or has the effect of prohibiting or restricting, a property owner from displaying a flag of the United States of America, a flag o…

Notwithstanding a charter, resolution, or another law to the contrary, a county legislative body may, by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the legislative body, remove any member of an appointed board or commission, if such removal is recommended by the appointing authority and the member…

The county legislative bodies have the power, and it is their duty, through an agent or proxy, to vote the stock of the county in any railroad, in all elections of officers and directors in such railroad.

The establishment and general supervision of roads and ferries, watercourses and local improvements, are entrusted to the county legislative body, as provided in title 54, chapters 7 and 9-14.

The county legislative bodies have power to appoint commissioners for towns, toll bridges and other public improvements, and to fill all vacancies that may at any time occur among the commissioners, as prescribed.

The county legislative bodies have power to erect or control, and dispose of public county buildings, as provided in chapter 7 of this title.

The county legislative bodies have full power to lay any tax, from time to time, and, at any time that they may think proper, to build, extend or repair, any courthouse, jail or public office for county purposes.

The county legislative body is required, at the first term in every year, to impose, and provide for the collection of, the tax for county purposes, and fix the rate thereof; but if it omits such duty at the first session, it shall be performed at the next regular session.

The county legislative bodies may release from double taxes, when they have been incurred, and correct errors in the tax list.

The county legislative bodies may exempt any indigent, decrepit, or other persons unable by manual labor or physical exertion to obtain a living, from working on the public roads as provided in § 71-5-2302, or allow persons to hawk and peddle, without license, as provided in § 67…

Power is given to members of the county legislative body to administer an oath or affirmation, as provided by law for witnesses appearing in a court of record of this state to give testimony in such court, when a witness is called to give testimony before the county legislative b…

(a) A county may by resolution of its county legislative body prohibit or restrict the consumption of any alcoholic beverage or beer in public parks or recreation areas that are not within the corporate boundaries of a municipality. Such areas shall be prominently posted by the c…

(a) It is the intent of the general assembly to preserve the rights and privileges of holders of outstanding county bonds and other indebtedness. The respective counties shall continue to be liable upon all outstanding bonds and other indebtedness for which they were liable prior…

(a) Any law, private act or general act of local application in conflict with any provision of this chapter and chapters 1 and 6 of this title is hereby repealed. (b) Any law, private act or general law of local application not in conflict with this chapter and chapters 1 and 6 o…

(a) Except in counties organized under the consolidated government provisions of the Constitution of Tennessee, article XI, § 9, the chief executive officer of each county shall be a county mayor elected in accordance with § 5-6-102 by the qualified voters of the county for a ter…

(1) Election of the county mayor shall be in accordance with the following provisions:(1) In counties of Class 1 and counties of Class 2 having a county council form of county government as established by § 8-24-101, in counties having a population of not less than twelve thousan…

(a) The county mayor shall be:(1) A qualified voter of the county;(2) At least twenty-five (25) years of age; and(3) A resident of the county for one (1) full year prior to the date of filing a nominating petition for election to such office. (1) A qualified voter of the county; …

(a) The county mayor shall devote full time to the duties and demands of the office unless the voters of the county, by means of a referendum authorized by Acts 1979, chapter 145, § 2, determine that such duties and demands are insufficient to require full-time action. (b) (1) Th…

(a) The county mayor shall be the chief executive officer of the county and shall have all the powers and duties formerly exercised by the county judge, county chair, or elected official exercising general supervision of the county government as provided by this chapter, other ge…

(a) (1) The county mayor has the power of veto with respect to resolutions of the county legislative body.(2) Such veto shall apply only to legislative resolutions and shall not apply to resolutions in which the legislative body is exercising administrative or appellate authority…

(1) The county mayor shall be the accounting officer and general agent of the county; and, as such, the county mayor shall have power, and it shall be the county mayor's duty to:(1) Have the care and custody of all the county property, except such as is by law placed in the custo…

All county mayors shall, before entering upon the discharge of their duties, enter into an official bond prepared, executed, filed, and recorded in accordance with title 8, chapter 19, in the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or in a greater sum as the county legisl…

(1) It is the duty of the county mayor to:(1) Draw the county mayor's warrant on the county trustee for the payment of any judgment recovered against, or debt due from, the county;(2) Reduce to writing the testimony of any witness examined by the county mayor touching any settlem…

(1) The county mayor has the power to:(1) If there is no county attorney, employ or retain counsel, or both, to advise the county mayor and the members of the county legislative body as to their legal rights as such members, to prepare and draft resolutions for passage by the bod…