RULES OF PROCEDURE AND REGULATIONS OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION OF ROBERTSON COUNTY, STATE OF TENNESSEE

(amended October 1999, February 2001, October 2002, March 2004 October 2007, September 20, 2010, September 19, 2011, September 17, 2012, November 20, 2023)  

RULE 1  

The Commission shall meet at 7:00 P.M. on the third (3rd) Monday of each month with the exception of the months of January and February at which time the meeting will be held on the fourth (4th) Monday. The agenda, including the subject matter of each resolution dealing with appropriations, shall be prepared and made available to each member not less than (7) calendar days prior to said meeting, along with minutes of previous meetings, other called and regular. 

No resolution dealing with appropriations shall be considered unless it is on the agenda. There shall be three (3) types of appropriations resolutions: 

  1. resolutions which make line item increases within any office or department budget category for the current fiscal year, offset by line item deductions, which do not result in any increased net expenditure for that office budget; 
  2. resolutions which appropriate additional revenues, such as governmental grants; and 
  3. resolutions which cause a net increase in the overall budget of a department or office for the current fiscal year, and such increased expenditure does not have a source of funding other than by reducing the fund balance for the County in the current fiscal year. 

For those appropriations resolutions falling in either category 1 or 2 above, those resolutions may become effective upon passage at any called or regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners.  For those appropriations resolutions in category 3 herein, such resolution must pass readings at two (2) consecutive meetings, called or regular, of the Board of Commissioners before becoming effective. 

RULE 2 

The Budget Committee shall furnish the Commission with a statement as to the availability of funds in connection with any resolution involving an appropriation of County monies.  On all appropriation matters, the Clerk shall call the roll electronically and record the vote of each member on the official minutes.  

RULE 3 

All resolutions dealing with appropriations must be filed in duplicate, both copies dated when received by the Clerk and signed by two members of the Commission. 

RULE 4 

Upon the filing of an appropriation resolution, the Clerk will forward the duplicate to the County Mayor for referral to the Budget Committee, whose function involves the subject matter of the resolution. 

RULE 5 

No resolution looking to the payment of claims against the Robertson County Government, upon being filed, shall be placed upon the agenda by the County Mayor until the same shall first have been sent to the Budget Committee and by the Committee returned to the County Mayor together with an opinion as to the liability of the Robertson County Government for the payment of such claims. 

RULE 6 

The regular order of business shall be as follows:

  1. Meeting called to order
  2. Roll Call
  3. Invocation
  4. Pledge to flag
  5. Reading of the minutes of previous meetings, but may be omitted unless there is an objection
  6. Communications and messages from County Mayor
  7. Public Comments
  8. Report of County Officials,  standing and special Committees
  9. Elections and appointments
  10. Public hearings and reports on zoning matters
  11. Resolutions
  12. Old business
  13. New business
  14. Adjournment

RULE 7 

The Chairman shall preserve decorum and order, may speak to points of order in preference to a member of the Commission, and shall decide all questions of order, subject to an appeal to the Commission.  Such an appeal would require a simple majority vote to override the question of order.   

RULE 8 

Any member wishing to address the Commission, speak in a debate, or present any matter shall respectfully, address the Chairman and await notice to speak.  The Chairman shall designate such member by name and no member shall proceed to speak until so recognized.   

RULE 9 

A recess may be called for any important business, either by decree of the Chairman or a motion and second from the Commission and a simple majority vote. 

RULE 10 

A member of the audience may address the Commission only with the approval of the majority of the Commissioners present other than the designated period for public comment.

RULE 11 

No persons except members of the Commission and officials of the County shall be admitted within the bar during sessions of the Commission unless invited by the Chairman. 

RULE 12 

No member who has spoken upon any subject before the Commission shall be allowed to call for the question until all members desiring to speak upon the subject under debate have had an opportunity to do so. 

RULE 13 

No motion or resolution can be rescinded except by a majority vote of the legal membership. 

RULE 14 

No motion to reconsider a vote on any motion or resolution shall be entertained unless the following have been complied with: 

  1. The maker of the motion to reconsider must have voted with the prevailing side.
  2. Any member may second the motion to reconsider.
  3. The motion to reconsider must be made before the next order of business.  

RULE 15 

On all questions not requiring a roll call vote, the Chairman shall take a voice vote or show of hands, and if doubt exists as to the vote, the roll shall be taken. 

RULE 16 

A roll call shall be taken when called for by one or more Commission members. 

RULE 17 

Each member of the Commission shall have the right to have his vote recorded on any resolution. 

RULE 18 

A roll call vote is required for all zoning matters. 

RULE 19 

The standing Committees of the Robertson County Commission shall be: 

  1. Beverage
  2. Buildings and Grounds
  3. Delinquent Tax
  4. Ambulance
  5. Nominating
  6. Fire Services
  7. Legislative and Rules
  8. Solid Waste and Disposal
  9. Law Enforcement
  10. Education
  11. Personnel
  12. Animal Control
  13. Ethics (July 2006)
  14. Health and Safety (October 2007)

Other Committees under the direction of the Tennessee Code Annotated, Private Acts of Robertson County, the County Mayor and Nominating Committee shall be elected in January or at the appropriate time designated by law, i.e.: 

Budget, Mental Health, Chair Pro Tem, Zoning Board of Appeals, and others   

RULE 20 

All standing Committees shall be elected by the Commission.  The Chairman may appoint such special Committees at his discretion, may appoint persons who are not members of the Commission to serve as advisory members of such Committees.  The life of any standing Committee shall be for two years, and the membership of such Committees shall be elected at the September term of the Commission during even numbered years.  All standing Committees shall consist of five members. 

RULE 21 

Each Committee shall elect a chairman and secretary at its first meeting.  A majority of the members of the Committee may call together the Committee if the Chairman be absent or declines to specify a meeting.  The County Mayor shall be an ex-officio member of all standing Committees.

RULE 22 

All County officials subject to election or confirmation by the Commission shall be elected or confirmed by a majority of the Commission membership (13).  

RULE 23 

Procedure for selecting a successor to fill a vacancy in any office which by law is to be selected by the Robertson County Commission: 

  1. When a vacancy occurs, each member of the Commission shall be notified to said vacancy at least seven days prior to the meeting at which a successor is to be elected.
  2. Nominations:  All members of the Commission are eligible to nominate persons to fill certain vacancies in office.  To ensure the candidate is qualified to serve, the Commission member shall state the name of candidate, his or her place of residence, and the length of time the person has lived in Robertson County.  No second shall be required to place the name in nomination.  The candidate shall either in writing or orally give assurance to the Commission that he or she will serve if elected.
  3. Upon the close of nominations, voting for the candidates shall begin.  A majority vote  (13) of the Commission shall be required to re-open nominations. 
  4. If any one candidate receives a majority vote of the legal membership he or she shall be declared the winner. 
  • If there are three (3) candidates for the position and none receive a majority vote, the candidate receiving the fewest votes shall be dropped from the ballot and a vote shall be taken on the remaining two candidates. 
  • If there are four (4) or more candidates and no single candidate receives a majority vote, any candidate who received less than ten percent of the total votes cast shall be dropped from the ballot.
  • If on a subsequent ballot there is still no candidate receiving a majority vote, any candidate who receives less than twenty percent of the vote shall be dropped from the ballot. 
  • If on the next ballot there is still no candidate receiving a majority vote, then forty percent would apply and that candidate would be dropped from the ballot. 

  1. The County Mayor shall vote only in case of a tie when there are two candidates.  

RULE 24 

In the absence of a rule upon any subject not specifically provided for in these rules, the Commission will be governed by  Roberts Revised Rules of Order. 

RULE 25 

None of the foregoing rules of order shall be amended or repealed except by the affirmative action of the majority of the members of the Commission (13). 

RULE 26 

In consideration of any matter, any and all of these rules may be suspended by two-thirds consent of the Commission (16). 

Definitions 

  1. The legal membership of the Commission shall be determined to be the legally seated members. 
  2. A quorum of the Commission shall be determined to be 13.
  3. A simple majority of the Commission’s legal membership shall be determined to be 13.
  4. A two-thirds majority of the Commission’s legal membership shall be determined to be 16. 

RULE 27 

All rules and regulations for the operation of the Commission of this State as set forth in Tennessee Code Annotated shall be incorporated as a part of the rules and regulations.  If any of the foregoing rules and regulations appear to be in conflict with State Law, the interpretation of the State Law shall prevail. 

RULE 28

  1. Subject to the restrictions and procedures set forth herein, any member of the public will have the opportunity to speak at a County Commission meeting to address any item on the County Commission agenda for that meeting, with said public comment to be limited to items on the established agenda for that meeting, and such public comment to be made during the designated time for such comment as set forth in the County Rules.
  2. To properly exercise such comment right, any person that desires to speak must sign a registration pad made available by the Commission before the beginning of each meeting, indicating the item on the agenda for which they desire to comment. A notice requiring such advance "sign up registration" shall be prominently displayed at the entrance to the County Commission meeting room before the meeting. 
  3. Each speaker will be allowed 3 minutes to address the County Commission regarding such agenda item. 
  4. When it appears to the County Mayor and/or the Chairman of the meeting that there are several persons with similar comment, the County Mayor and/or Chairman may ask such persons to designate representative parties to speak on their behalf, but such request shall not deny the right of any person present to speak in compliance with these Rules. 
  5. The total public comment time allowed is 30 minutes for all agenda items. However, upon Motion and approval by the County Commission at such meeting, said time may be extended as determined by the County Commission.