County Monument (Veterans Memorial) Commission

Under a law enacted in 1919, counties are authorized to appropriate up to $30,000 to erect monuments, buildings, libraries, and other evidence or appreciation of veterans of wars in which Tennesseans have fought, and in such event the county legislative body is required to select five reputable citizens of the county over 18 years of age to serve as the county monument commission. It is the duty of the county monument commission to oversee the erection of the monument or memorial and when completed to report this in a detailed writing to the county legislative body. T.C.A. §§ 58-4-201 -- 58-4-205.

Another law was enacted in 1945 to authorize both cities and counties to appropriate money to erect memorials to veterans of the various wars in which Tennesseans have fought, which was codified as T.C.A. §§ 58-4-206 -- 58-4-208.  This act did not reference the 1919 act, and it contains no limitation on the amount of the appropriations and no requirement for a monument commission.