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Powers of Authority

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An authority shall be deemed to be an instrumentality exercising public and essential governmental functions to provide for the public safety and welfare, and each such authority is authorized and empowered and has all powers necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter, excluding the power to levy and collect taxes. The powers include, but are not limited to, the following:

To have perpetual succession, sue and be sued, and adopt a corporate seal;
To acquire by gift, purchase, lease, or otherwise, and to hold, to sell, at public or private sale, or exchange, lease, mortgage, pledge, subordinate interest in, or otherwise dispose of real and personal property of every kind and character for its purposes;
To enter into agreements with the creating or participating governmental entities to acquire by lease, gift, purchase or otherwise, any jail, or portion of a jail, owned by any creating or participating governmental entity and for the operation of the jail as part of the authority;
To enter into, by contract with the creating or participating governmental entities or otherwise, a plan for pension, disability, hospitalization and death benefits for the officers and employees of the authority which may include participation in the Tennessee consolidated retirement system as provided in title 8, chapter 35, part 2, or the group insurance for local governments as provided in title 8, chapter 27, part 4; and for such purposes the authority is deemed to be a quasi-governmental organization pursuant to § 8-27-207 [repealed and reenacted; See Compiler's Notes];
To appoint, select, and employ an executive director or such other officers, agents, and employees, including a superintendent of the regional jail facility as provided in § 41-12-114, and necessary jail officers and employees for the regional jail facility, and also including engineering and construction experts, fiscal agents and attorneys, and to fix their respective compensations;
To enter into agreements with the creating or participating governmental entities with respect to the manner of transfer of jail or correctional employees of the governmental entities to the authority, and with respect to the retention by those employees of accrued pension, disability, hospitalization and death benefits;
To use in the performance of its functions the officers, agents, employees, services, property, facilities, records, equipment, rights and powers of the creating or participating governmental entities, with the consent of any such governmental entity, and subject to any terms and conditions that may be agreed upon;
To make contracts and leases and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient, including contracts for construction and financing of projects and leases of projects or contracts with respect to the use of projects that it causes to be erected or acquired, and to dispose by conveyance of its title in fee simple of real and personal property of every kind and character, and any and all governmental entities, departments, institutions, or agencies of the state are authorized to enter into contracts, leases, or agreements with the authority upon such terms and for such purposes as they deem advisable and to establish and charge fees, rates and other charges, as set out in this chapter or other law, and collect revenues from the fees, rates and other charges, not inconsistent with the rights of the holders of its bonds;
To construct, erect, acquire, own, repair, remodel, maintain, add to, extend, improve, equip, furnish, operate, and manage projects, the cost of any such project to be paid in whole or in part from the proceeds or other funds made available to the authority;
To accept loans and grants of money or materials or property of any kind from the United States or any agency or instrumentality of the United States, upon such terms and conditions as the United States or such agency or instrumentality may impose;
To accept loans and grants of money or materials or property of any kind from this state or any agency or instrumentality or governmental entity of the state, upon such terms and conditions as the state or the agency or instrumentality or governmental entity may impose;
To enter into contracts to house state prisoners in accordance with chapter 8 of this title;
To borrow money for any of its corporate purposes and to execute evidences of such indebtedness and to secure the indebtedness and, in accordance with title 9, chapter 21, to issue negotiable general obligation notes or bonds or revenue bonds payable solely from funds pledged for that purpose and to provide for the payment of the notes or bonds or revenue bonds and for the rights of the holders of the notes or bonds or revenue bonds. Any municipality or county participating in the authority may lend, advance, or give money or materials or property of any kind to the authority;
To exercise any power usually possessed by private corporations or counties performing similar functions that is not in conflict with the constitution and laws of this state;
An authority created pursuant to this chapter and any trustee acting under any trust indenture are specifically authorized from time to time to sell, lease, grant, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any surplus property, both real and personal, or interest in any surplus property not required in the normal operation of and usable in the furtherance of the purpose for which the authority was created in the manner provided by law;
To adopt, amend or repeal bylaws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with this chapter, the general laws of this state or the standards of the Tennessee corrections institute in accordance with § 41-4-140, for the regulation of its affairs, the conduct of its business, the operation of any jail or other project constructed or maintained and to carry into effect its powers and purposes;
To designate an independent certified public accountant firm to do an annual post audit of all books, accounts and records of the authority and issue a public report on the audit. In addition, the authority shall be subject to audit by the comptroller of the treasury;
To adopt by majority vote of the board purchasing procedures consistent with the requirements of the County Purchasing Law of 1983, compiled in title 5, chapter 14, part 2; and
To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly given in this chapter.

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