AN ACT to amend Chapter 402 of the Acts of 1901; as amended and rewritten by Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 2004; Chapter 119 of the Private Acts of 2006; Chapter 36 of the Private Acts of 2007; Chapter 12 of the Private Acts of 2023; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative to the City of Lexington.
SB2724 is a local private act for the City of Lexington that revises the city charter provisions governing the mayor’s powers and duties. The bill restates the mayor as the city’s chief executive officer, gives the mayor supervision over city affairs, authority to require reports, execute authorized contracts, call special meetings, make certain appointments, submit the annual budget, and perform other duties assigned by the board. It also clarifies that the mayor may suspend an employee for misconduct or dereliction of duty, subject to appeal to the board, and confirms that the office of mayor is a full-time position.
The bill also specifies the mayor’s role in city boards and committees, providing that the mayor serves as a member of all such bodies created by the board, may participate with a voice, and votes only to break ties. The measure includes a local approval requirement: it has no effect unless approved by a two-thirds vote of the Lexington legislative body, with certification to the secretary of state. In practical terms, the bill amends the city’s private charter law rather than general state law, affecting the structure and operation of Lexington municipal government and the balance of authority between the mayor and the board.
The bill amends Chapter 402 of the Acts of 1901, as previously revised by later private acts, to update Lexington’s charter on mayoral authority, employee discipline, board participation, and budget and contract administration. Its legal effect is limited to the City of Lexington and depends on local ratification by the city’s legislative body, so it does not broadly change Tennessee municipal law statewide. The affected parties are Lexington city officials, employees, and governing boards/committees, especially regarding executive powers and tie-breaking authority.
The available voting history suggests strong support for the measure, with a 31-0 floor vote to adopt. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous vote indicates little visible opposition in the recorded legislative action. Overall, the bill appears to have been treated as a routine local government charter update rather than a controversial statewide policy change.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. The only built-in procedural condition is local approval by a two-thirds vote of the Lexington legislative body, which could be a point of concern for local officials if there were disagreement over the mayor’s expanded or clarified powers. Substantively, any debate would likely center on the mayor’s authority over city affairs, employee suspensions, appointment powers, and tie-breaking participation on boards and committees, but no recorded objections are included here.