County Mayor - Disbursement Warrants

The county mayor in most counties has the power to issue a warrant on the county general fund, debt service fund and other special funds.  T.C.A. § 5-6-108. The county mayor shall be the accounting officer and general agent of the county; and, as such, it shall be the county mayor's duty to-

Draw, without seal, all warrants upon the county treasury; T.C.A. § 5-6-108(5)

Enter in a book, to be known as the warrant book, in the order of issuance, the number, date, amount and name of the drawee of each warrant drawn upon the treasury; T.C.A. § 5-6-108(8).

Pursuant to this statute, the county mayor must track and document all county payments, audit all claims for money against the county, draw all warrants on the county treasury, require county officers to settle their accounts, keep a record of all receipts and disbursements, and report to the county legislative body on the county’s financial condition.  See Op. Tenn. Atty. Gen. 99-051 (March 4, 1999) (powers and duties of county mayor as county’s fiscal agent).

Pursuant to T.C.A. § 5-6-110(1), it is the duty of the county mayor to draw the county mayor's warrant on the county trustee for the payment of any judgment recovered against, or debt due from, the county.

Finally, pursuant to T.C.A. § 5-9-307(a), no money shall be drawn out of the treasury of the county except upon the warrant of the county mayor.  The foregoing provisions are general in nature and may be modified or superceded in counties operating under local option general laws, private acts, or charter forms of government.  See, e.g., Shelby County v. Blanton, 595 S.W.2d 72 (Tenn. App. 1978) (the county mayor and director of finance are the proper persons to sign the warrants of Shelby County).