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Coffee County commission rejects resolution to abolish constable offices
Summary
After public comment and testimony from the Tennessee Constables Association, commissioners voted 8–10 on a resolution that would have abolished the elected office of constable; the measure failed because it did not meet the two‑thirds threshold required for passage.
At a Coffee County Commission meeting in Manchester, commissioners voted 8–10 against Resolution 2025‑09, a proposal to abolish the elected offices of constable in the county. The resolution required a two‑thirds majority (12 votes) to pass and therefore failed.
The issue drew extended public comment from elected constables and from the Tennessee Constables Association, who urged commissioners to retain the offices. "Yes, maybe you'll save a little bit of liability by getting rid of the constables," said Milton Stanley, constable for districts 13 and 4, "but you're also gonna do a little bit to kill something very precious and good in this county." Randall Breaker, constable for districts 4 and 9, told commissioners he carries a $10,000 bond at his own expense and said constables do not impose a payroll cost on the county.
Steve Mangrum, executive director of the Tennessee Constables Association, described training and accountability structures for constables, saying the state has increased training requirements and that constables have acted in some cases to save lives. "I think you should think hard tonight before you vote to abolish this office," Mangrum said, citing examples of lifesaving responses by constables.
Coffee County Sheriff Chad Parton told the commission he does not routinely interface with all constables and said he was able to contact some by phone when asked; he said his dispatch and 911 center could help locate constables if needed.
Commissioner Jerry Hirschman made the motion to adopt Resolution 2025‑09; Commissioner Laura Nettles seconded. During debate, Commissioner Tim Brown asked for expert commentary and suggested the question might be best decided by a referendum. Commissioner Nettles pointed to a recent out‑of‑county case where a constable was involved in a fatal crash and said liability concerns weighed on her.
The formal action failed on the roll call tally: 8 yes, 10 no. Because the resolution required a two‑thirds supermajority, the commission did not abolish the constable positions; the incumbents will remain in office under existing terms absent future formal action.
The vote ended a multi‑part discussion that included public comments from three constables—Milton Stanley, Randall Breaker and James Sanders—testimony from the Tennessee Constables Association, questions from the sheriff about operational contact and records, and concerns from several commissioners about liability, training and community impact.
No ordinance or policy change to implement abolition was adopted; the commission recorded the failed vote and moved on to other agenda items.
