Tennessee House Bill HB1425

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/10/25
• Refer: 3/17/25
• Refer: 3/24/25
• Refer: 4/8/25
• Engrossed: 4/14/25
• Enrolled: 4/23/25
• Passed: 5/21/25
• Chaptered: 6/4/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Chapter 120 of the Private Acts of 1953; as amended and rewritten by Chapter 29 of the Private Acts of 2009; as amended by Chapter 18 of the Private Acts of 2015; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative to the City of Red Boiling Springs.

Summary

HB1425 is a private act affecting the City of Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee. It revises the city’s charter provisions on compensation for elected officials by setting a minimum annual salary of $18,200 for the mayor and a minimum annual salary of $1,800 for each council member. The bill also authorizes the city council to set council salary and fringe benefits by ordinance, so long as any change complies with the Tennessee Constitution’s limits on mid-term compensation changes for elected officials. The act preserves reimbursement for official expenses under the city’s travel and reimbursement policy and makes clear that it does not alter the salary of any incumbent official until the end of the term for which that official was elected. It is a local option measure: the act will not take effect unless approved by a two-thirds vote of the Red Boiling Springs legislative body, and the city must certify that approval or rejection to the secretary of state. The bill becomes effective immediately for the purpose of local approval, but otherwise only upon that local ratification.

Impact

HB1425 amends a private act governing municipal organization and compensation in Red Boiling Springs, changing the minimum pay structure for the mayor and council and preserving the city council’s authority to adjust compensation by ordinance within constitutional constraints. It affects local government law rather than statewide general law, and its practical impact depends on approval by the city’s governing body. If approved locally, it would set baseline compensation requirements and continue existing reimbursement practices for city officials.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the legislative process. It advanced through committee with strong favorable votes, passed the House on the consent calendar, and was adopted in the Senate without opposition. The absence of recorded committee testimony suggests little public dispute or debate around the measure, and the voting history indicates consensus support for the local charter amendment.

Contention

The main substantive issue is compensation for local elected officials, particularly the mayor and council members of Red Boiling Springs. Any potential concern would likely center on whether the salary floors are appropriate for the size of the municipality and on the constitutional rule preventing changes to an incumbent’s compensation during a term. Another point of procedural significance is that the act is contingent on approval by the city’s legislative body, meaning local officials—not the General Assembly alone—ultimately control whether the charter change takes effect.