County mayor: means and includes "county executive" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
Governing body: means the body in which the general legislative powers of a municipality are vested, and in the case of counties means the legislative body of any county. See Tennessee Code 7-67-103
Metropolitan government: means the political entity created by consolidation of all, or substantially all, of the political and corporate functions of a county and a city or cities. See Tennessee Code 7-1-101
Municipality: means any county, metropolitan government or incorporated city or town in this state with respect to which an authority may be organized. See Tennessee Code 7-67-103
Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
sports authority: means any public corporation organized pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 7-67-103
State: means the state of Tennessee and, unless otherwise indicated by the context, any agency, authority, branch, bureau, commission, corporation, department or instrumentality of the state, now or hereafter existing. See Tennessee Code 7-67-103
(1) The authority shall have a board of directors in which all corporate powers of the authority shall be vested. The board shall consist of no fewer than seven (7) directors, all of whom shall be duly qualified voters of the municipality. A director shall serve without compensation, except that the authority may reimburse a director for actual expenses incurred in the performance of a director’s duties. A director may not be an elected official or employee of the municipality. The governing body of the municipality shall appoint the directors. The directors shall have staggered terms.(2) When the initial board of directors is appointed, the governing body of the municipality shall divide the directors into three (3) groups containing substantially equal numbers. The initial term of the directors included in the first group shall be two (2) years; the initial term of the directors included in the second group shall be four (4) years; the initial term of the directors included in the third group shall be six (6) years. All subsequent terms of directors shall be six (6) years; provided, that if at the expiration of any term of office of any director a successor has not been appointed, the director whose term of office has expired shall continue to hold office until the director’s successor is appointed.(3) In the case of authorities created pursuant to the approval of two (2) or more municipalities acting jointly, as provided in § 7-67-120, the number of directors appointed by the governing body of each municipality shall be as nearly equal as practicable.(4)(A) In counties having a metropolitan form of government, there shall be no more than thirteen (13) directors. Nine (9) of such members of the board of directors shall be appointed based on residency, with at least one (1) director being appointed from each metropolitan public school district. Of the remaining four (4) members, one (1) director shall be a resident of each of the four (4) state senatorial districts. This subdivision (a)(4)(A) shall not affect the terms of the current members of the sports authority board of directors, but appointments shall be made for the new positions created by this subdivision (a)(4)(A), so as to meet the residency requirements established in this subdivision (a)(4)(A), as terms expire and vacancies occur.(B) In counties having a metropolitan form of government and in municipalities having a population of more than six hundred thousand (600,000) or not less than forty-seven thousand three hundred (47,300) nor more than fifty thousand (50,000), according to the 1990 federal census or any subsequent federal census, the chief executive officer shall appoint the directors. The governing body of the metropolitan government or of such municipality shall by resolution confirm the appointments of the chief executive officer. When the chief executive officer makes the initial appointments, the chief executive officer shall designate which directors serve an initial term of two (2), four (4) and six (6) years, respectively. At least one (1) director shall be a female and at least one (1) director shall be of a racial minority.(C) Notwithstanding this section to the contrary:
(i) Effective January 1, 2024, the membership of a board of directors in a county having a metropolitan form of government with a population of more than five hundred thousand (500,000), according to the 2020 federal census or any subsequent federal census, is vacated and reconstituted to consist of thirteen (13) directors as follows:
(a) The seven (7) longest standing board members as of June 30, 2023, shall be reappointed as members of the board and are to serve for the remainder of their existing terms. The county mayor may reappoint such members for subsequent terms; provided, that the members meet the qualifications for membership and no more than one (1) appointee is appointed from the same metropolitan school district in the county. The mayor shall make all subsequent appointments under this subdivision (a)(4)(C)(i)(a);(b) The governor shall appoint two (2) directors, with no more than one (1) appointee being a resident of the same grand division of this state;(c) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint two (2) directors, with no more than one (1) appointee being a resident of the same house district; and(d) The speaker of the senate shall appoint two (2) directors, with no more than one (1) appointee being a resident of the same senatorial district;(ii) In order to stagger the terms of the newly appointed directors, initial appointments are made as follows:
(a) The directors reappointed as members under subdivision (a)(4)(C)(i)(a) shall serve for the remainder of their terms that existed as of June 30, 2023;(b) The directors appointed under subdivision (a)(4)(C)(i)(b) serve initial terms that expire on June 30, 2025;(c) The directors appointed under subdivision (a)(4)(C)(i)(c) serve initial terms that expire on June 30, 2027; and(d) The directors appointed under subdivision (a)(4)(C)(i)(d) serve initial terms that expire on June 30, 2029;(iii) Following the expiration of directors’ terms as prescribed in subdivision (a)(4)(C)(ii), all subsequent terms are for six (6) years, to begin on July 1 and terminate on June 30, six (6) years thereafter; and(iv) The appointing authorities shall strive to ensure that at least one (1) director is a female and at least one (1) director is of a racial minority.(5) If a vacancy occurs in the position of director, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original term for the remainder of the unexpired term.(b) The directors shall meet and organize as a board and shall elect one (1) of its members as chair, one (1) as vice chair, one (1) as secretary, and one (1) as treasurer, and such offices shall annually be filled in like manner. The duties of secretary and treasurer may be performed by the same director. In the event of the resignation or death of the chair, vice chair, secretary or treasurer, another member may be elected to fill the vacancy for the anticipated term of the chair, vice chair, secretary or treasurer.(c) Any meeting of the board of directors for any purpose whatsoever shall be open to the public. Any action taken by the directors under this chapter may be authorized by resolution at any regular or special meeting. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The concurring vote of a majority of the directors voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be necessary for the exercise of any of the powers granted by this chapter.
