Commissioners voted Thursday to bring the County Planning Commission into compliance with Tennessee law by establishing staggered terms for its members. However, questions remained about how those terms would work, whether members could be reappointed, and how long they could continue to serve.
We reached out to County Mayor Larry Potter’s office for clarification. Executive Assistant Amanda Hall provided the following written response, which we are publishing verbatim for clarity.
“The terms discussed at last night’s meeting were specifically for members of the Planning Commission. The staggered Planning Commission terms discussed were:
- Jerry Grindstaff — one year
- Kim Wilson — two years
- Cindy Crestsinger — two years
- Tommy Poore — three years
- Gary Matheson — three years
- Bob Pardue — four years
- Joe Simcox — four years”
We forwarded three follow-up questions to County Attorney Ryan Carroll. His written responses are also reproduced verbatim.
1. How long will the term be, say, for the person who is appointed when Jerry Grindstaff steps down in one year?
“When Mr. Grindstaff’s initial one-year term expires, the individual appointed to the next full term for that position would serve a four-year term. The initial one-year appointment is intended to establish the staggered schedule and does not mean that the position will continue to have one-year terms.”
2. Can members serve consecutive terms? In other words, in three years, when Gary Matheson terms out, can he be reappointed, and if so, what would the length of that term be?
“Yes. Tennessee law does not prohibit an appointed Planning Commission member from being reappointed upon the expiration of their term. For example, when Gary Matheson’s initial three-year term expires, he may be considered for reappointment. If reappointed and confirmed through the appropriate process, his next term would be for four years.
Reappointment is not automatic, however, and remains subject to the applicable appointment and confirmation procedures.”
3. If so, how many consecutive terms can a member serve before making room for new members?
“Tennessee Code Annotated § 13-3-101 does not establish a specific limit on the number of consecutive terms an appointed regional Planning Commission member may serve.
Accordingly, a member could potentially serve multiple consecutive four-year terms if the appropriate appointing authority continues to reappoint that individual.
The purpose of the staggered terms is to provide continuity on the Planning Commission while also allowing appointments to be considered as individual terms expire.”
We appreciate the prompt and thorough responses from Ms. Hall and Mr. Carroll.
