(a) The first election of council members in any city incorporating under chapters 30-36 of this title shall be had on the fourth Tuesday following the election at which chapters 30-36 of this title have been adopted, and a regular municipal election shall be held biennially thereafter.
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 6-31-102
City: means any city or territory to be incorporated that may adopt chapters 30-36 of this title. See Tennessee Code 6-30-102
United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b)(1) Any city operating under this charter may change the date of holding its regular biennial municipal election from the date provided in subsection (a) to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, to coincide with the election of members of the general assembly and representatives in the congress of the United States, as provided in § 2-3-203 or to coincide with the August general election. This option may be exercised by ordinance duly adopted in accordance with § 6-32-202. The ordinance changing the election date shall provide for the extension of the terms of council members necessary to meet the election date, but no term may be extended for more than two (2) years beyond its regular expiration date.(2) Nothing in subdivision (b)(1) shall be construed to remove any incumbent from office or abridge the term of any incumbent prior to the end of the term for which an elected official was selected.(3) If the council changes the date of municipal elections pursuant to subdivision (b)(1), the council may at a later date change the election date back to what such date was prior to moving the election date to coincide with the August or November general election. The council may only make an election date change under this subdivision (b)(3) one (1) time. Terms of incumbent council members shall not be abridged to accomplish an election date change under this subsection (b); however, council members elected at a date change pursuant to this subsection (b) may take office at a later date so as to not abridge terms of incumbent council members. If such council members take office at a later date, their term may be abridged due to such members having to take office at the later date.
