Tennessee Senate Bill SB2699

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/12/26
• Chaptered: 5/1/26
• Passed: 5/1/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Chapter 455 of the Private Acts of 1953; as amended by Chapter 136 of the Private Acts of 1971; Chapter 121 of the Private Acts of 1986; Chapter 164 of the Private Acts of 1998 and Chapter 60 of the Private Acts of 2024; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative to the City of Athens.

Summary

SB2699 is a local private act affecting the City of Athens, Tennessee. It amends the city’s existing private charter provisions to change how the compensation of the mayor and city council members is set. Under the bill, compensation would be established by ordinance adopted by the city council, but only within any limits imposed by Tennessee law. The bill also provides that any change in compensation cannot take effect during the current elected term of the mayor or council member whose pay is being changed. Instead, compensation changes may only apply to subsequent terms of office. The act is structured as a local option measure, meaning it does not take effect unless approved by a two-thirds vote of the Athens legislative body, with approval or rejection certified to the secretary of state.

Impact

If approved locally, the bill would amend the private acts governing Athens by replacing the current charter language on mayoral and council compensation with a more flexible ordinance-based process. It would shift authority over pay decisions to the city council while preserving state-law limits and preventing mid-term pay changes. The bill affects the City of Athens and its elected officials, rather than the general public or statewide statutes.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests strong support, with a 31-0 floor vote to adopt. No committee transcripts are available, but the unanimous vote indicates little visible opposition at the state legislative level. Because the act requires local approval by a two-thirds vote of the Athens legislative body, final sentiment in the city government is not shown in the record provided.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is compensation for elected city officials, especially whether the city council should have discretion to set its own and the mayor’s pay and when those changes should take effect. The bill addresses that concern by prohibiting compensation changes during an official’s current term, which may reduce concerns about self-dealing or immediate pay increases. Any remaining disagreement would likely center on local control versus charter restrictions and whether Athens should adopt the amendment at all.