Cookeville City Council approved a resolution Thursday night to encourage state representatives to reauthorize annexation laws that would allow majority property owner consent.
The law would bypass referendums if the two/thirds of the property owners in the proposed area provided written consent for annexation. City Manager James Mills said the law would reduce delays and costs that come with the annexation. Mills said the current annexation process has not helped the city.
“That and it has in the past cost us the loss of industry, because it can’t wait for 18 months about a decision,” Mills said. “You know, can you annex me so I can get sewer, so I can get fire protection, so I can get police protection. They are not gonna wait around.”
The current annexation process requires 51 percent approval of property owners and residents through a referendum to pass an annexation. Resident Trenton Strode said he feels that changing the process would privatize democracy.
“It takes away the power from the voters that are all within that area,” Strode said. “It gives it all to the property owners, which are in that area. For a conversation I had earlier with some more educated folks, of course, that the property owners do have more stake in the annexation versus the residents that are there. However, we do have voting rights here in this country, here in this state, here in this county, here in this city. They all should have an equal share in what goes on in their communities as well. I feel like this is an easier way to buy votes, possibly from property owners. The less people that you have to vote, the easier it is to influence outside people who may or may not want that actual area to come to the city or stay in the county. And it really just makes me flash back to the civil rights era, where property owners who were white were the only people to vote.”
Council Member Eric Walker said the proposed law does a better job of representing a lot of properties that are in the county.
“If you are looking at several properties in a county and one property has an apartment complex, they could singlehandedly outvote all of the other property owners under the current system because there’s more people voting to reach 50 percent. In this way, you have to have two/thirds of the property owners actually sign off for an annexation. So in some regards, it can help in both ways, you know. It’s better at capturing those people who want to come into the city and get city services and get a vote in the city. You know, if you are not in the city limits, you can’t vote. So the biggest thing here is making sure that those areas are represented as they are. The best way to do that is by property owners.”
Someone from the public voiced concerns about how the change could impact farmland that currently surrounds city limits. A farm owner voiced opposition against annexation as he and others did not want to lose their family’s farmland. The farm owner also asked if the city has plans to annex property that does not border the current city limits. Mills addressed both of the concerns.
“We don’t do leapfrog development,” Mills said. “It needs to be continuous with the city for us to extend sewer. We are not going outside the city to another piece of property to extend sewer. By municipal code we don’t extend sewer outside of the city, so that would be a violation of that. Regarding the farmland, we have no intention of, this whole goal to do that, but let me point out on that. Just because you are in the city doesn’t mean it can’t stay farmland. That has nothing to do with the use of your property, whether you are inside or outside of it. You can keep it farming for the rest of your life. And we have annexed at the property owner’s request, several properties in the past that are still agricultural. We have not changed that.”
Mills said the law was in effect for a bout a decade, so the law is not something new. All council members voted in favor of the resolution.
In other business, the council approved changes to the municipal code regarding hotel/motel tax on second and final reading.
The council set the dates for public hearings regarding proposed amendments to the city’s urban growth boundary. The dates are December 12, 2025, and December 18, 2025.
Council approved a bid for catering services for the 2026 Father/Daughter Date Night. The bid was an estimated $46,725.
Council approved to surplus scrap water meters. A purchase was approved for three 2026 Chevrolet Silverado trucks for the Water Quality Control department. The three vehicles will cost an estimated $125,500.
Council approved a resolution to encourage state representatives to include Putnam County in a state code that would allow Cookeville to enforce more restrictions on sober living homes in the city’s ordinance.
Council approved the early termination of its current postage meter agreement and the execution of a new postage lease agreement. The new agreement will save the city an estimated $10.45 a month throughout a 60-month lease.
Amendments to the city’s personnel policies and procedures manual. One change includes the addition of allowing the city manager to have the final approval for the hiring and appointing all city employees except the city judge and city attorney. Changes also include clarifying language on longevity pay and retirement pay. The drug and alcohol policy will be updated to meet the requirements of the Tennessee Drug-Free Workplace program.