Board of Commissioners

County Government is a creation of the State of Tennessee, and is established in the State Constitution. For those elements not spelled out in the Constitution, the Tennessee Code builds upon the framework set out in the Constitution. In addition to the Tennessee Constitution and the Tennessee Code, there are other acts of the Tennessee General Assembly called “private acts” which are adopted by the State Legislature and ratified locally by either the voters or the county legislative body.

These private acts cannot conflict with general state law, but can provide additional details in areas where the state laws are silent. Private Acts may establish the structure of certain departments (such as a highway department) or set forth county procedures for budgeting or purchasing. Operating out of this basic legal structure, the 95 counties serve every resident of the State and provide citizens some of the most basic governmental services.

opens in a new windowClick here to get a better understanding of how County governments are set up in Tennessee.