§ 7-2-101 — Metropolitan government charter commission - Creation - Methods of selecting members

The initial step in a consolidation under this chapter shall be the creation of a metropolitan government charter commission, sometimes called "charter commission" in this chapter, by one (1) of the following methods: (1) The commission may be created by the adoption of a consolidation resolution by the governing body of a county and by the adoption of a substantially similar resolution by the governing body of the principal city in the county; (A) The resolution may be adopted by a majority vote of the members of such governing body present and voting, a quorum being present, at any regular meeting or at any meeting specially called to consider the resolution. The resolution shall provide that a metropolitan government charter commission is established to propose to the people the consolidation of all, or substantially all, of the governmental and corporate functions of the county and its principal city and the creation of a metropolitan government for the administration of the consolidated functions; (B) The resolution shall either: (i) Authorize the county mayor to appoint ten (10) commissioners, subject to confirmation by the county governing body, and authorize the mayor of the principal city to appoint five (5) commissioners, subject to confirmation by the city governing body; or (ii) Provide that an election shall be held to select members of the metropolitan government charter commission; (C) It is the legislative intent that the persons appointed to the charter commission shall be broadly representative of all areas of the county and principal city and that every effort shall be made to include representatives from various political, social, and economic groups within the county and principal municipality; (D) Promptly after the adoption of the consolidation resolution by the governing body of a county, its clerk shall certify the fact of such adoption with a copy of the resolution to the clerk of the governing body of the principal city, and promptly after the adoption of a consolidation resolution by the governing body of the principal city, its clerk shall certify the fact of such adoption to the clerk of the governing body of the county; (E) When the resolutions of the governing bodies of the county and of the principal city shall provide for the appointment of commissioners of the county and city, the metropolitan government charter commission shall be created and duly constituted after appointments have been made and confirmed; (F) When the resolutions provide for an election to select members of the metropolitan government charter commission, copies of the resolution shall be certified by the clerks of the governing bodies to the county election commission, together with certificates as to the fact and date of adoption, and then an election shall be held as provided in § 7-2-102 ; (G) In any county having a metropolitan form of government in existence on January 1, 1977, the metropolitan mayor or county mayor is authorized to appoint five (5) commissioners, subject to confirmation by the county governing body, and the mayor of the principal city is authorized to appoint five (5) commissioners, subject to confirmation by the city governing body; (H) When the consolidation resolutions provide for the appointment of members of the metropolitan government charter commission, such appointments shall be made within thirty (30) days after the adoption of the resolution by the last governing body to do so, whether of the county or the principal city; (2) In counties having a board of county commissioners, a charter commission may be created by the adoption of a consolidation resolution by either the governing body of the county or the board of county commissioners and by the adoption of a substantially similar resolution by the governing body of the principal city in the county; (A) The resolution may be adopted by majority vote of the total number of members to which such governing body is entitled, or by a majority of the members of the board of county commissioners, at any regular or called meeting of such county governing body or board of county commissioners; (B) The resolution and the procedures concerning its adoption and certification and the appointment or election of members of the charter commission pursuant thereto shall be governed by subdivision (1), except that if members of the charter commission are to be appointed, the resolution shall authorize the county mayor to appoint six (6) commissioners, and the board of county commissioners to appoint six (6) commissioners, and the mayor of the principal city to appoint eight (8) commissioners; (i) The commissioners appointed by the mayor of the principal city shall be made subject to confirmation by the city governing body, and the commissioners appointed by the county mayor and by the board of county commissioners shall be made subject to confirmation by whichever of the county bodies first adopts a consolidation resolution, unless both bodies adopt a consolidation resolution on the same day, in which case, the commissioners appointed by the county mayor shall be confirmed by the county governing body and the commissioners appointed by the board of county commissioners shall not be subject to confirmation; (ii) It is the legislative intent that the persons appointed shall be broadly representative of all areas of the county and principal city and that every effort shall be made to include representatives from various political, social and economic groups within the county and principal municipality; (3) The charter commission may be created in any county in the manner prescribed by private act of the general assembly; or (4) The commission may be created upon receipt of a petition, signed by qualified voters of the county, equal to at least ten percent (10%) of the number of votes cast in the county for governor in the last gubernatorial election; (A) The petition shall be delivered to the county election commission for certification. After the petition is certified, the county election commission shall deliver the petition to the governing body of the county and the governing body of the principal city in the county. The petition shall become the consolidation resolution of the county and the principal city in the county. The resolution shall provide that a metropolitan government charter commission is established to propose to the people the consolidation of all, or substantially all, of the government and corporate functions of the county and its principal city, and the creation of a metropolitan government for the administration of the consolidated functions; (B) The resolution shall either: (i) Authorize the county mayor to appoint ten (10) commissioners, subject to confirmation by the county governing body, and authorize the mayor of the principal city to appoint five (5) commissioners, subject to confirmation by the city governing body; or (ii) Provide that an election shall be held to select members of the metropolitan government charter commission; provided, that if the governing body of the county and the governing body of the principal city cannot agree on the method of selecting members of the metropolitan government charter commission within sixty (60) days of certification, then an election shall be held to select members of the metropolitan government charter commission as provided in § 7-2-102 ; (C) It is the legislative intent that the persons appointed to the charter commission shall be broadly representative of all areas of the county and principal city and that every effort shall be made to include representatives from various political, social, and economic groups within the county and principal municipality; (D) When such resolution provides for the appointment of commissioners of the county and city, the metropolitan government charter commission shall be created and duly constituted after appointments have been made and confirmed; (E) When the resolution provides for an election to select members of the metropolitan government charter commission, copies of the resolution shall be certified by the clerks of the governing bodies to the county election commission, and then an election shall be held as provided in § 7-2-102 ; (F) When the consolidation resolution provides for the appointment of members of the metropolitan government charter commission, the appointments shall be made within thirty (30) days after the resolution is submitted to the governing bodies of the county and the principal city; and (G) If the referendum to approve consolidation fails, another commission may not be created by petition for three (3) years.

Legislative History

Acts 1957, ch. 120, § 4; 1961, ch. 199, § 1; modified; 1977, ch. 481, §§ 1-6; modified; T.C.A., § 6-3704; Acts 1989, ch. 576, §§ 1, 2, 7; 1998, ch. 1101, § 18; 2003, ch. 90, § 2.