AN ACT to amend Chapter 32 of the Private Acts of 2009; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative to the charter of the City of Adamsville.
SB2688 is a private act amending the City of Adamsville’s charter. The bill revises the rules for vacancies in the offices of mayor and city commissioner, specifying that a vacancy occurs if an official resigns, dies, moves out of the city, or is removed under state law. It also directs the city commission to declare such vacancies and sets out the process for filling them.
Under the amended charter language, remaining commissioners are to appoint a qualified person to fill a vacancy, and that appointee serves until the next regular city election, when any remaining unexpired term is filled. If the commission does not fill a vacancy within 45 days, the mayor must appoint someone within 15 days. The bill also adds a ten-year prohibition on holding city office for anyone convicted of malfeasance or misfeasance in office, a felony, or a crime involving moral turpitude.
The bill has a local-option structure: it does not take effect unless approved by a two-thirds vote of the Adamsville legislative body, and that approval or rejection must be certified to the secretary of state. This means the act changes state-authorized local charter provisions, but its practical effect depends on action by Adamsville’s governing body.
The available voting history suggests the measure was noncontroversial at the state level, passing the House floor unanimously on a motion to adopt, 31-0. No committee transcripts are available, so there is no recorded debate in the provided materials. The lack of opposition in the vote indicates broad support or at least no visible resistance in the legislature.
The main point of potential contention is local control: the bill alters how Adamsville fills vacancies and imposes a disqualification period for certain convictions, which could affect who may serve in city office and how quickly vacancies are resolved. However, because the act requires approval by Adamsville’s legislative body, any disagreement would likely arise locally rather than in the General Assembly.
The bill amends a private act governing the charter of the City of Adamsville, Tennessee, by replacing the section on vacancies in the offices of mayor and city commissioner. It changes local charter law to define vacancy triggers, establish appointment procedures, require commission action within 45 days, authorize mayoral appointment if the commission fails to act, and impose a ten-year bar on holding city office after certain convictions. Its effect on state law is limited to authorizing and modifying this local charter provision, and it becomes operative only if approved by Adamsville’s legislative body.
The overall sentiment appears positive and routine. The bill passed the House floor unanimously, 31-0, and there are no committee transcripts indicating opposition or concern in the provided record. That suggests the measure was viewed as a straightforward local charter update rather than a controversial statewide policy change.
The primary substantive issue is the allocation of authority for filling vacancies: the bill gives the remaining commissioners first responsibility, but shifts power to the mayor if the commission does not act within 45 days. Another possible point of concern is the new ten-year disqualification for officials convicted of malfeasance, misfeasance, felonies, or crimes involving moral turpitude, which could be seen as strengthening ethics standards but also narrowing eligibility for office. Because the act requires a two-thirds vote of Adamsville’s legislative body, any real dispute would likely center on local acceptance rather than legislative opposition in Nashville.