A bill moving through the Tennessee General Assembly is about to force a conversation Jackson should have been having on its own. House Bill 1497 would require every city in Tennessee to move its municipal elections to even-numbered years, aligning them with state and federal cycles. It is likely to pass. And when it does, Jackson will have no choice but to amend its charter to comply.

That is frustrating. The heavy-handed approach from Nashville is wrong, and the legislation raises serious legal and democratic concerns for cities like Jackson that operate under private act charters. But I have also spent enough time in public service to know that sometimes the most important question is not what happened, but what you choose to do next.

Here is what I believe: the moment HB1497 creates, as unwelcome as it is, may be the best opportunity Jackson has had in a generation to take a serious look at its governing document and ask whether it still serves us well.

A charter built for another era

Jackson’s charter has roots stretching back to the Private Acts of 1909. It has been amended many times since then, each change reflecting the needs and values of the community at that moment. The last major structural update came in 1988, when Jackson adopted a new form of government. The 1993 consolidation then pulled all prior amendments together into a single governing document. That was more than thirty years ago. Since then, the world has changed considerably, and Jackson has changed with it.

Our city today is a regional economic hub, a healthcare center, a growing community navigating 21st century challenges in infrastructure, housing, economic development, and public safety. Our charter, however, still reads in places like a document written for a much simpler time. It is silent on issues that matter deeply to how modern cities operate. It contains provisions that are outdated, ambiguous, or simply no longer reflective of who we are and how we want to govern ourselves.

The fact that HB1497 will require us to amend our charter to change our election dates is not a reason to panic. It is a reason to open the document and, as long as we have it open, ask the larger question: what else needs updating? 

What a real charter review could look like

Our charter contains no standing provision for a formal charter review process, which is common for private act cities in Tennessee. But it does not mean the council cannot act. The Jackson City Council has the authority to create a charter review committee by ordinance or resolution, and it has done exactly that before. The last such committee was established in 2018. The institutional memory of how to do this exists. The framework is familiar. What is needed now is the will to do it again, and to do it comprehensively.

A charter review committee draws from across the community: citizens, civic leaders, legal experts, business voices, and neighborhood representatives. It is not a political exercise. The best charter reviews are nonpartisan and deliberate. They ask practical questions: Are our election processes fair and accessible? Does the structure of our government reflect how a city of our size and complexity actually operates? Are there provisions that create confusion or inefficiency? Are there important protections or powers that we are missing entirely?

A well-run charter review process need not be a lengthy one. With Jackson’s next election currently scheduled for May 2027, and HB1497 likely pushing that to November 2028, the clock is already running. Charter amendments must be drafted, passed by the council, introduced through our state legislative delegation, enacted by the General Assembly, and ratified locally before the new election calendar takes effect. A focused committee working diligently over the next six to nine months could accomplish this - provided the will is there to start now. It involves public forums, expert input, and broad community participation. It produces recommendations that the council can then take to the state legislature for private act amendments, which must be ratified locally. At every step, the people of Jackson should remain in control of the outcome.

The opportunity in front of us

Jackson has a community that cares deeply about this city’s future. We have universities and professional organizations that could contribute expertise to a serious charter review effort. What we have lacked, frankly, is both a catalyst and a willingness to take on something that requires sustained effort and occasional political discomfort. Charter review is not easy work. It forces difficult conversations about power, structure, and accountability. But it is exactly the kind of work that distinguishes a city serious about its future from one that simply drifts along.

HB1497, for all its faults, could be that catalyst.

If the council were to announce a comprehensive charter review process now, two things would happen. First, it would signal to Jackson’s citizens and to Nashville that this community intends to govern itself thoughtfully, on its own terms, rather than simply waiting for the state to dictate the terms. Second, it would ensure that when our delegation introduces the private act amendments needed to comply with HB1497, and that those amendments are part of a broader, locally-driven package of improvements, not a narrow patch job forced on us from outside.

That is the difference between being reactive and being deliberate. Between letting Nashville write our story and writing it ourselves.

What I am asking

I am asking the mayor and council to consider launching a charter review process without delay. Appoint a broadly representative committee. Set a timeline. Hold public meetings across all nine districts. Bring in legal expertise. And commit to the principle that whatever changes come out of that process will reflect the will of Jackson’s citizens, not the preferences of legislators who have never sat in our council chambers.

And I am asking the citizens of Jackson to engage. Attend the meetings. Share your views. Push your council representatives to take this seriously. The charter is your document. The city it governs is your city.

Nashville may be forcing our hand on the timing of our elections. But what we do with the rest of our charter, and how we shape the city into what we want it to be, that is still entirely up to us.

That is the opportunity in front of Jackson right now. I hope we take it.

Paul Taylor served on the Jackson City Council from 2019 to 2023. The views expressed are his own. Letters to the editor and guest columns are encouraged as a venue for readers to voice their opinions on local matters or the occasional state or national matter. Letters can be e-mailed to brandon@jacksonpost.news.