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SB2715 • 2026

Oakland

AN ACT to amend Chapter 167 of the Private Acts of 1994; as amended by Chapter 39 of the Private Acts of 2020; Chapter 30 of the Private Acts of 2023; Chapter 26 of the Private Acts of 2025; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative to the charter of the Town of Oakland.

Labor
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Walley, Gant
Last action
2026-04-02
Official status
Companion House Bill substituted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how many directors and department heads are currently appointed by the board of mayor and aldermen, making this information uncertain.

Changes to Oakland's Town Charter

This act changes how directors and department heads are appointed and removed by transferring this authority from the board of mayor and aldermen to the town manager, excluding the town recorder.

What This Bill Does

  • Transfers the power to appoint and remove all directors and department heads, except for the town recorder, from the board of mayor and aldermen to the town manager.
  • Requires that these changes take effect only if approved by a two-thirds vote in the Town of Oakland's legislative body.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Board of Mayor and Aldermen in Oakland
  • The Town Manager in Oakland
  • Directors and department heads in Oakland

Terms To Know

Town Recorder
A position appointed by the board of mayor and aldermen that is not affected by this act.
At-will employees
Employees who can be removed at any time without a specific reason, as described in the bill for directors and department heads.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The changes will only take effect if approved by two-thirds of Oakland's legislative body.
  • It is unclear how many directors and department heads are currently appointed by the board of mayor and aldermen.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  2. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  3. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  4. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  5. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  6. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  7. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  8. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  9. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Local Calendar for 4/2/2026

  10. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  11. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 82, Nays 1, PNV 10

  12. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/30/2026

  13. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  14. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  15. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026

  16. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to State & Local Government Committee

  17. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Private Acts Committee for 3/16/2026

  18. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, held on desk. Local Bill

  19. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Private Acts Committee - State & Local Government Committee

  20. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  21. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  22. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  23. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 2652
By Gant

SENATE BILL 2715
By Walley
SB2715
010651
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Chapter 167 of the Private Acts of 1994; as
amended by Chapter 39 of the Private Acts of 2020;
Chapter 30 of the Private Acts of 2023; Chapter 26 of the
Private Acts of 2025; and any other acts amendatory
thereto, relative to the charter of the Town of Oakland.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Chapter 167 of the Private Acts of 1994, as amended by Chapter 39 of the
Private Acts of 2020, Chapter 30 of the Private Acts of 2023, Chapter 26 of the Private Acts of
2025, and any other acts amendatory thereto, is amended in SECTION 7 by deleting subsection
5 and substituting the following:
(5) The Board of Mayor and Aldermen by majority vote of the full Board
shall have the power and authority to appoint and remove the Town Recorder
who shall serve at the pleasure of the Board, and may be removed by it at any
time.
SECTION 2. Chapter 167 of the Private Acts of 1994, as amended by Chapter 39 of the
Private Acts of 2020, Chapter 30 of the Private Acts of 2023, and any other acts amendatory
thereto, is amended by deleting SECTION 14 and substituting the following:
SECTION 14. Be it further enacted, that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen shall
appoint and fix the salary of the Town Manager, who shall serve at the will of the Board
of Mayor and Aldermen.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen shall designate an administrative officer of the
town as acting Town Manager to serve during any temporary absence or disability of the
manager.
The Town Manager shall be the chief administrative officer of the Town;
responsible to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for the direction and administration of

- 2 - 010651

all offices, departments, and activities placed in his or her charge by this Charter or the
Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen and its members
shall deal with the administrative services of the Town solely through the Town Manager,
and neither the Board of Mayor and Aldermen nor any member thereof shall give orders
to any of the subordinates of the Town Manager, either publicly or privately. The powers
and duties of the Town Manager shall be:
1. To discipline all directors and/or department heads and to appoint and
remove all subordinate officers and employees, in accordance with any
personnel rules and regulations adopted by ordinance or resolution of the Board.
He or she may authorize any administrative officer who is subject to his direction
and supervision to exercise these powers with respect to subordinates in that
officer's department or office;
2. To appoint and remove all directors and/or department heads, excluding
the Town Recorder. Department heads shall be considered at-will employees
with no expectation of a property right in their positions of employment and may
be removed at any time;
3. To see that all laws and ordinances, subject to enforcement by him or her
or by officers subject to his direction, are enforced, and upon knowledge or
information of any violation thereof, to see that prosecutions are instituted;
4. To attend all Board of Mayor and Aldermen meetings and to have the
right to take part in any discussions, but not to vote;
5. To prepare and submit an annual operating budget and an annual capital
budget update to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen at the appropriate time;
6. To submit to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen a complete report on the
financial condition of each department of the town at the end of each month;
7. To make such other reports on the activities of the Town as the Board of
Mayor and Aldermen may require or as he or she sees the need for and to make

- 3 - 010651

such recommendations as in his opinion, are necessary to improve the
effectiveness and efficiency of the Town's operations or as needed for the overall
good of the Town;
8. To make all purchases for the Town, consistent with Section 19 of this
charter; and
9. To perform other duties required by this Charter or the Board of
Mayor and Aldermen.
SECTION 3. This act shall have no effect unless it is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote
of the legislative body of the Town of Oakland. Its approval or nonapproval shall be proclaimed
by the presiding officer of the legislative body and certified to the Secretary of State.
SECTION 4. For the purpose of approving or rejecting the provisions of this act, it shall
be effective upon becoming law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, it shall
become effective upon being approved as provided in Section 3.