A new form of county government will be in place in a few years, if a local citizen and activist is successful in his attempt.
A petition to form a charter commission is making the rounds, led by the effort of Joe Brooks. Brooks is fresh off a successful grassroots effort to garner enough signatures on a petition to put the Claiborne County Jail expansion on a referendum in this year’s election.
According to Brooks, the purpose of the charter commission will be to reduce the number of county commissioners from 21 to nine, with one from each commission district. Other areas of reform would be outlined by the charter commission for the running and operation of the county moving forward.
“This is much along the lines of what Knox and Shelby counties have done,” he said. “Why do we need 21 commissioners when they don’t have that many?”
Brooks says the cut in number of commissioners would save the county expenses, as they now are paid for each commission or committee meeting they attend.
According to Tennessee Code Annotated §5-1-204, there are three ways a charter commission can be formed: By the adoption of a charter resolution by the legislative body (commission) of a county; by a proclamation of the county mayor; or a petition of voters.
The total number of signatures for this petition is 527, which is based off the total number of residents who voted in the last gubernatorial election, said Brooks.
After the signatures are verified by the state and approved, the resolution would go straight to the November ballot and would not go through the existing commission. The names of those who seek the seat would be on that ballot — not the resolution itself.
According to TCA §5-1-205, the charter members would be the highest vote-getter in each district. “Any qualified voter of the county shall be eligible for election as a member of such charter commission,” it states.
After that election, the charter commission would be charged with preparing the actual charter for the county. The charter would then go on another later ballot to be approved by Claiborne County voters.
“I just want to see our citizens continue to have a voice,” Brooks said. “We had a good response to the other petition and I think Claiborne County is ready for a change.”
The Claiborne Progress is following this story will have more information on www.claiborneprogress.net.
Reach Marisa Anders at 423-254-5588 or on Twitter @newsgirl88.
