Mayor Mike Ragsdale has announced he will issue a proclamation nominating a Charter Review Committee to review the nine proposed Charter amendments brought forward by the citizen group, Knox Charter Petition. County Commissioner Richard Briggs raised the possibility of a review committee at this week’s Finance Committee meeting. The Mayor met with Commissioner Briggs on Monday to discuss the proposal.
Mayor Ragsdale views a Charter Review Committee as a chance to bring both advocates and critics of the proposed charter amendments together for additional discussions without an imminent deadline. Current discussions have been based on the amendments being placed on the August ballot by either commission action or by petition. The appointment of a Charter Review Committee will permit the items to be presented to the voters in November.
Under what authority is the Charter Review Committee appointed?
- The Charter Review Committee is authorized under Article VIII, Section 8.05 of the Knox County Charter and exists for purposes of reviewing the existing Charter and "determining the desirability of amendments thereto." A Charter Review Committee differs significantly from a Charter Commission. A Charter Commission is authorized under the Tennessee Code Annotated and is created for the purpose of developing a brand new Charter.
What will happen next?
- The Knox County Commission will consider the Mayor's nominees and must act within five (5) business days. Commission may confirm or reject the Mayor's nominees only as group, and may not confirm or reject individual selections. Once ratified by the County Commission, the Charter Review Committee can begin working on amendments to the Charter that would be placed before the voters for approval in November.
The Mayor hopes to issue the proclamation, which will include the names of the nominees, by the end of this week.
