As most people in this community are already aware, we have begun the process of trying to consolidate city and county governments. There have been many rumors and misconceptions as to what this means, so I would like to take a moment to explain the process and correct some of the misinformation that has been spread.

Currently, we are in the first step of the process. This step is where both the city and the county legislative bodies vote to form a charter commission. If the resolution to form a charter commission passes in both bodies, the county mayor will nominate 10 citizens and the city mayor will nominate five citizens to form a charter commission. This charter commission would be tasked with writing a charter that would, upon completion, be voted on by Montgomery County residents. In order for the charter to pass, it would need a majority vote by both city and non-city residents.

Until a charter is written, I cannot give detailed pros and cons of consolidated government. What I can tell you is, if properly written, consolidated government will benefit all citizens of Montgomery County.

I can also alleviate some concerns that residents have from misinformation they have received. First, non-city residents will never pay the same tax rate as a city resident. Consolidated government in Tennessee requires both an urban tax and a general tax. City residents will pay an urban tax to fund the extra services they receive, while residents outside of the city will pay a general tax that will look like the county taxes they already pay.

Second, state law restricts non-city residents from paying debt incurred by the city. This debt will be paid through the urban tax and will not affect residents living outside of the city.

Finally, non-city residents will not lose representation. In fact, depending on how the charter is written, non-city residents may actually add representation.

My goal is not to persuade people to vote for or against a charter that hasn’t been written yet. Instead, I am asking that citizens of Montgomery County support a charter commission. Once the charter is written, citizens can determine whether it benefits them or not. I also encourage everyone to contact their elected officials with questions about the process or suggestions about what the charter should contain.

Jason Hodges
County Commissioner, District 17