Government consolidation resolution passes committee

Resolution sponsor Rep. Randy Rinks, D-Savannah, said consolidating governments would be more efficient and save taxpayers money.

“When I was mayor (of Savannah) I saw a lot of overlap,” Rinks said. “There’s just a lot of duplication of services.”

There are currently three consolidated governments in Tennessee: in Davidson, Moore and Trousdale counties. Votes have been taken on whether to consolidate numerous other city and county governments over the years, but all have failed.

Memphis and Shelby County voted on consolidation in 1962 and again in 1971. The question failed in both the city and the county the first time. It later passed in the city but failed in the county.

Currently, separate majority votes in both the city and county are needed to consolidate governments.

Voters in Chattanooga and Hamilton County three times have voted against consolidation — in 1964, 1970 and again in 1984.

Knoxville and Knox County have held referendums at least twice, most recently in 1996, when it passed in the city and failed in the county.

There also have been consolidation votes in several smaller counties. As a general rule, the measures have passed in the cities and failed in surrounding counties. There have been several instances when the measure would have passed had a majority of all the votes been sufficient.

Rinks’ resolution would have to pass three readings this year in both the House and Senate, and it still has a long journey before getting to the floor of either body.

It then would have to pass with a two-thirds vote in both houses in the next two-year General Assembly, which begins in January, to get on the 2006 general election ballot.

If adopted by voters in that election, it would become the law.