Powers of Counties

  1. Law
  2. Tennessee Code
  3. Counties
  4. Garbage and Rubbish Collection and Disposal Services
  5. Powers of Counties

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The several counties are empowered to do all things necessary to provide such county-wide or special district garbage and rubbish collection service or garbage and rubbish disposal service, or both, including, but not limited to:

  1. Sue and be sued;
  2. Take or acquire real or personal property of every kind, or any interest therein within the county, by grant, purchase, gift, devise or lease, and hold, manage, occupy, dispose of, convey, and encumber the same and create a leasehold interest in the same for the benefit of the county;
  3. Exercise the right of eminent domain;
  4. Establish, equip, operate and maintain the services, or any of them, authorized by this chapter and establish and enforce regulations including, but not limited to, those for the administration, operation and maintenance thereof;
  5. Appoint and employ necessary employees and define their qualifications, duties and responsibilities, and provide for payment in reasonable sums for such duties;
  6. Employ counsel;
  7. Enter into and perform all necessary contracts, including, but not limited to, contracts with incorporated towns and cities, or with utility districts, within or without the county, or with private contractors, to provide such services within or without their corporate limits, contracts to provide or to be provided training and maintenance, contracts with one (1) or more other counties or with one (1) or more municipalities in other counties for joint provision of such services, contracts for purchasing or leasing necessary equipment, contracts for the performance of any or all operations involved in the provision of such services either on a district, or on a county-wide basis, or on an intergovernmental basis;
  8. Provide and maintain all special service functions necessary to the implementation of this chapter, such as, but not limited to, the services of the county sanitarian in the inspection of all refuse processing or disposing operations within the county;
  9. Make regulations that shall have the force of law governing all collection and disposal operations and practices entered into under the terms of this chapter;
  10. Set the boundaries of special refuse disposal districts established under the terms of this chapter;
  11. Establish schedules of, and collect reasonable charges for, any services rendered in any district or area that are not covered by the special tax levy authorized in § 5-19-108 or § 5-19-109 for garbage and rubbish collection or disposal, or both, in that district or area; and
  12. Make written agreements for the allocation and conveyance to any annexing municipality of any or all public functions, rights, duties, property, assets and liabilities of a county-wide or district system within or without the area annexed, or to be annexed, that justice and reason may require in the circumstances.


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