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Bartlett board ratifies charter changes that set 12-year term limit for mayor, aldermen
Summary
The Bartlett Board of Mayor and Aldermen ratified a state-approved charter amendment that sets three four-year terms (12 years) for the mayor and aldermen, clarifies at-will employment language and updates personnel rules; the measure passed 6–1.
The Bartlett Board of Mayor and Aldermen ratified a state-approved change to the city charter that creates three four-year terms — a 12-year cap — for the mayor and aldermen and clarifies several administrative provisions.
City Attorney Ed McKinney told the board the changes are contained in private Chapter 23 of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly and, once ratified by the board, become effective immediately after the city notifies the secretary of state. McKinney said the chapter also clarifies the city’s personnel rules (changing the nomenclature to “personnel regulations”), makes employment at-will explicit, and restates the city’s nondiscrimination policies.
McKinney said the legislature adopted the chapter earlier in the year and the board now had to ratify or decline it by a two-thirds vote. He noted that prior, partial appointments to fill an unexpired term would not count as a full term for term-limit purposes. “If in fact somebody gets appointed to fill out someone's term… that does not count as a term,” McKinney said.
Alderman Young said the change will affect him personally but voiced support. After a brief exchange about the mechanics of running for different seats, a motion to ratify the resolution carried 6–1.
The board’s action was procedural ratification of the state-adopted chapter; it does not itself alter the text beyond approving the legislature’s changes. The mayor is authorized under the resolution to notify the secretary of state of the vote; McKinney said the notice must be sent by Dec. 1.
What’s next: The update takes effect upon ratification and the city will file notice with the state; procedural steps for implementing the new personnel nomenclature and adjustments to election filings will follow.
