AN ACT to amend Chapter 76 of the Private Acts of 1917; as amended by Chapter 345 of the Private Acts of 1974; Chapter 292 of the Private Acts of 1978; Chapter 244 of the Private Acts of 1980; and Chapter 30 of the Private Acts of 2001; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative to the city of Kingsport.
HB2648 is a local private act for the City of Kingsport that revises several provisions of the city charter. It updates the rules for selecting a vice-mayor, providing that the board of mayor and aldermen will choose one of its members after each general city election to serve as mayor in the mayor’s temporary absence or, if a vacancy occurs, to become mayor for the remainder of the term. The bill also revises the city’s tax collection procedures, including the due date for most city taxes, the treasurer’s role as tax collector, and the authority to use distress warrants to collect delinquent taxes.
The act further changes Kingsport’s budget process by requiring the board of mayor and aldermen to prepare and publish a tentative appropriation ordinance, hold a hearing where voters and taxpayers may be heard, and adopt the annual appropriation ordinance before the fiscal year begins. It also allows the budget ordinance to be amended by ordinance and provides that additional appropriations and expenditures during the fiscal year be made by ordinance as needed. In addition, the bill updates the structure and election process for the city’s board of education, including at-large election, four-year terms, nomination procedures, vacancy filling, and the timing of when elected members assume office.
The bill’s impact is limited to Kingsport and does not change general state law for other municipalities. It amends multiple sections of Kingsport’s private charter and related private acts, affecting city governance, tax administration, budgeting, and school board elections. It also includes standard provisions preserving current officeholders, severability, and a local approval requirement, meaning it takes effect only if approved by a two-thirds vote of Kingsport’s legislative body.
The overall sentiment appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial. The bill advanced through committee and floor action with overwhelming support, including unanimous committee recommendations and near-unanimous floor votes. The voting history suggests broad agreement that the charter updates were routine and administrative in nature.
There is little evidence of substantive opposition in the available record. The main point of contention, if any, would be the local control mechanism itself: the act does not become effective unless Kingsport’s legislative body approves it by a two-thirds vote. Beyond that, the bill’s changes appear to have been treated as technical charter revisions rather than a contested policy shift.
HB2648 amends Kingsport’s private charter and related private acts to change municipal governance procedures, city tax collection rules, budget adoption requirements, and board of education election and vacancy provisions. It affects the City of Kingsport, its board of mayor and aldermen, city treasurer/recorder/police enforcement of delinquent taxes, and the city board of education, but does not alter statewide law for other jurisdictions. The act is contingent on local approval by a two-thirds vote of the city’s legislative body.
The bill appears to have been received positively and without meaningful opposition. Committee votes were unanimous, and the House floor vote was overwhelmingly in favor, indicating broad support for the charter revisions. The available record suggests the measure was viewed as a routine local government update rather than a controversial policy proposal.
No major policy dispute is evident in the available materials. The only notable procedural issue is that the act requires approval by a two-thirds vote of Kingsport’s legislative body before it takes effect, reflecting local control over the charter changes. Otherwise, the bill’s provisions—especially those on tax collection, budgeting, and school board elections—appear to have been accepted as administrative and structural updates.