Hamilton County commission to get final say on term limits

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The topic of whether or not Hamilton County elected officials should have term limits was up for a vote at Wednesday afternoon’s commission meeting.

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp had proposed this to be done through a referendum, as both the county mayor and commissioners would be term limited to three four year terms.

However, the path for term limits to be approved has changed.

The County Commission did vote to approve a resolution that would send the request for a resolution approving term limits in Hamilton County to the Tennessee General Assembly.

Commissioner David Sharpe proposed, and got passed, an amendment that changed how the final approval of those terms will be done.

Sharpe said, “There’s no material change in the resolution for term limits. The only difference that occurred today is that as opposed to this measure going on the ballot in November, the Hamilton County Commission will have the opportunity to affirm this private act into law prior to November.”

He says that the amendment gives in his view two positives to the resolution.

Sharpe said, “What we achieve with this is yes, potentially this moves faster, and to the commission can ensure that the intentions that we sent to Nashville return as we sent them to Nashville. The legislature technically has the ability to change that private act without any input from the commission.”

If the resolution was passed without the amendment, the referendum in November would have been the final say on the matter without any further vote from the county commission.

Commissioner Warren Mackey said, “I feel like we ought to make our own decisions I supposed of waiting for somebody else to make those decisions for us.”

Some commissioners such as Joe Graham say they wanted to see that referendum come to pass.

Graham said, “So many people that I’ve talked to are looking forward to this on a referendum. So many people say they wanna vote on it.”

Mayor Wamp says while he wanted the referendum, he hopes that the term limits are eventually approved.

The mayor said, “I do think it’s an active deference and respect to the people across party lines, who want to see new blood on a regular basis come into county government.”

The Hamilton County commission will make their final decision on the term limits once the state legislature acts.