Tennessee Senate Bill SB2710

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/2/26
• Chaptered: 5/1/26
• Passed: 5/1/26

Caption

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.

Summary

SB2710 is a local/private act for the City of Kingsport that revises several provisions of the city charter. It updates the process for selecting a vice-mayor, clarifying that the board of mayor and aldermen will choose one of its members after each general city election to serve in the mayor’s absence and to succeed to the office if a vacancy occurs. 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 measure further changes Kingsport’s budget and appropriation process by requiring a tentative appropriation ordinance, public publication, and a hearing where voters and taxpayers may be heard before final adoption. It also updates the election and vacancy procedures for the city board of education, including at-large election of members, four-year terms, nomination procedures, and how vacancies are filled. The act includes standard severability language, protects current officeholders from being removed or having their terms shortened, and is contingent on approval by a two-thirds vote of Kingsport’s legislative body.

Impact

The bill amends Kingsport-specific private acts rather than general state law, so its legal effect is confined to the City of Kingsport and its governing structure. It changes charter provisions governing municipal succession, tax administration, budgeting, and school board elections, and it authorizes local procedures for collecting delinquent taxes and adopting appropriations. The act does not take full effect unless approved by a two-thirds vote of the city legislative body, making local ratification a condition precedent to implementation.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong support, with a 31-0 floor vote to adopt, suggesting broad legislative approval and little opposition. No committee transcripts are available, but the unanimous vote and the absence of recorded dissent indicate the bill was likely viewed as a routine local government charter update rather than a controversial policy change. The bill’s approval language also suggests it was intended to reflect local consensus in Kingsport.

Contention

No major points of contention are reflected in the available record. The main substantive changes involve municipal governance details—especially the vice-mayor succession rule, tax collection enforcement, and school board election/vacancy procedures—which could have been sensitive locally, but there is no evidence of disagreement in the legislative history provided. The requirement that Kingsport’s governing body approve the act by a two-thirds vote is the clearest safeguard and potential point of local scrutiny.