Sunday, August 03, 2003

Nothing like checking the charter

In Johnson City, the mayor got into a tiff with fellow members of city council over who can be on the city's Power Board, but now the advice of counsel after reading the City's Charter (as the Johnson City paper did) is that the city manager, rather than the mayor, gets to put forward names for the Power Board, according to this article in the Johnson City Press, which says:

"Citing Tennessee Code Annotated Section 7-52-108 — which says, “such chief executive officer shall also, with the consent of the governing body of the municipality, designate a member of such governing body,” — McKee [the lawyer] wrote in the letter that the mayor was the CEO of the city and was thus the only person who could bring up names for nomination to the Power Board.

But after an inquiry from the Press with the results revealed to the attorney, McKee said he has changed his opinion over who is actually the CEO of the city.

“I was clearly wrong,” McKee said this week of his declaration that the mayor was the CEO. “I did not review the (City) Charter.”

During a review of the City Code section of the charter outlining administration, the Press found the city manager is actually listed as the city’s CEO.

“The city manager shall be the chief executive officer of the city,” Section 2-60 of the city code reads."

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