Tennessee House Bill HB2647

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/27/26
• Refer: 3/5/26
• Refer: 3/23/26
• Refer: 3/31/26
• Engrossed: 4/6/26
• Enrolled: 4/20/26
• Passed: 5/21/26
• Chaptered: 5/27/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Chapter 135 of the Acts of 1903; as amended by Chapter 35 of the Private Acts of 1993; Chapter 9 of the Private Acts of 1999; Chapter 52 of the Private Acts of 2003; Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 2012; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative to the town of Jonesborough.

Summary

HB2647 is a private act affecting the town of Jonesborough and amends the town’s charter provisions governing municipal leadership, finance administration, and election timing. It revises the role of the vice mayor so that an alderman elected by the board serves as mayor when the mayor is absent or unable to act, and may serve temporarily in the event of a mayoral vacancy until the board selects a replacement from among current aldermen or the next regular municipal election is certified. The bill also updates the office of recorder, making the recorder the Director of the Department of Finance and placing that position under the supervision and at-will removal authority of the town administrator. It specifies that the recorder is appointed by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, sets compensation by board action, and requires bonding or insurance coverage as provided by ordinance. The recorder is also authorized to attest town instruments and administer oaths. A major portion of the act resets Jonesborough’s municipal election schedule. It extends and staggers the terms of the current mayor and aldermen so that future elections align with Washington County’s general election cycle in August. Under the new schedule, the mayor would serve two-year terms beginning in 2028, while aldermen would move to four-year staggered terms beginning in 2030 and 2032, with elections held every two years thereafter for the relevant seats. The act also prohibits a person from running for mayor and alderman in the same election and requires an alderman seeking the mayor’s office in the off-year cycle to resign first. The bill’s impact on state law is limited to the private charter of Jonesborough, but it materially changes local governance, administrative reporting lines, and election administration. It directs Washington County election officials to conduct and certify the municipal elections under county election procedures and makes the act contingent on approval by a two-thirds vote of the town’s legislative body, meaning it does not take effect unless the municipality consents. The overall sentiment around the bill appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial. It advanced unanimously through committee and floor votes, including a consent calendar passage, suggesting broad agreement on the charter updates and election realignment. The main points of potential contention are structural rather than partisan: the shift in authority over the recorder/finance director position to the town administrator, the new staggered election terms, and the requirement that an alderman resign before running for mayor in the off-year cycle. However, the recorded votes show no opposition to those changes.

Impact

HB2647 amends Jonesborough’s private municipal charter rather than the general Tennessee Code. It changes succession rules for the mayor’s office, redefines the recorder as the finance director under the town administrator’s supervision, and restructures municipal election terms and timing to align with Washington County election cycles. The act also requires local approval by a two-thirds vote of the town legislative body before becoming effective for purposes other than approval itself.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have enjoyed unanimous support throughout the legislative process. It received favorable recommendations in committee and passed floor consideration without any recorded nays, including on consent calendar passage. The lack of opposition suggests the measure was viewed as a routine local charter update with limited controversy.

Contention

No formal opposition is reflected in the votes or available discussion, but the bill’s substantive changes could raise local governance questions. The most notable issues are the transfer of the recorder/finance director under the town administrator’s at-will supervision, the shift to staggered mayoral and aldermanic terms tied to county election dates, and the rule requiring an alderman to resign before seeking the mayor’s office in the off-year cycle. These provisions affect office structure, succession, and candidacy rules, but the legislative record shows no recorded dispute over them.