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Administration - Historical Notes

Tennessee Code Annotated
Tennessee Attorney General Opinions

Budget System

The following act once created a budgeting system for Cocke County, but it has been specifically repealed or superseded by current law.

  1. Private Acts of 1981, Chapter 164, would have created a county budge committee for Cocke County, however, according to the Cocke County County Executive the act was never ratified locally and therefore never became law.

County Attorney

The following acts once affected the appointment, election, or office of the county attorney in Cocke County.  These acts are included for historical reference only.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Private Acts of 1939, Chapter 179, as amended by Private Acts of 1945, Chapter 579, created the office of county attorney.  The county attorney was elected by the Cocke County quarterly county court for a term of two years and a salary of $360 per annum.  This act was repealed by Private Acts of 2004, Chapter 99.

County Clerk

The following act once affected the office of county clerk in Cocke County.  It is included herein for historical purposes.

  1. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 790, set the maximum salary of the Cocke County Clerk at $2,500 per year.

County Legislative Body

The following acts once applied to the quarterly court or the county legislative body of Cocke County and are included herein for historical purposes.

  1. Acts of 1797, Chapter 6, provided that the court of pleas and quarter sessions in Cocke County would meet on the first Mondays in February, May, August and November.
  2. Acts of 1809, Chapter 93, First Session, changed the meeting dates of the court of pleas and quarter sessions to the first Mondays in March, June, September and December.
  3. Private Acts of 1819, Chapter 160, again changed the meeting dates of the court of pleas and quarter sessions, to the fourth Mondays in February, May, August and November.
  4. Public Acts of 1865-66, Chapter 19, Section 14, removed the county seat of Cocke County from Newport to Mouth of Sweewater.
  5. Public Acts of 1881, Chapter 98, Section 7, provided for the removal of the county seat of Cocke County from Mouth of Sweewater which required a two-thirds vote from the qualified voters of the county.
  6. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 73, provided that registration would not be a prerequisite to voting in any election held in Cocke County.
  7. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 261, set the mileage allowance of justices of the peace for attendance at the quarterly county court meetings.  This act provided that no justice of the peace who lived within five miles of the courthouse could receive a mileage allowance, but those who lived beyond that distance would receive $.05 per mile for each mile traveled to and from the courthouse, for not more than two days each term of court.
  1. Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 208, made it unlawful and a misdemeanor for justices of the peace to associate or share an office with justices from other civil districts for the purpose of transacting business except interchanges authorized by law.  Fines were between $25 and $50 and removal from office.
  1. Private Acts of 1973, Chapter 48, set the compensation for attendance at quarterly county court meetings at $25 with no mileage allowance.

County Mayor

The references below are of acts which once applied to the office of county judge, or county executive in Cocke County.  They are included herein for historical purposes only.  Also referenced below is an act which repeals prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Private Acts of 1967-68, Chapter 265, would have created the office of county judge of Cocke County.  This act was rejected by local authorities and never became operative law.
  2. Private Acts of 1967-68, Chapter 473, was an act to repeal Chapter 265 above.  This act also was rejected and never became operative law.

County Trustee

The following act once affected the office of county trustee in Cocke County, but is no longer operative.

  1. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 787, set $2,500 annually as the maximum compensation which the Cocke County Trustee could receive.

Purchasing

The following acts once affected the purchasing procedures of Cocke County, but are no longer operative.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 780, created a purchasing commission for Cocke County and provided for their duties, powers, election and compensation.
  2. Private Acts of 1981, Chapter 165, would have repealed Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 780 and enacted a new purchasing law for Cocke County, but according to the county executive of Cocke County, the act was never passed by local officials and therefore never became effective.
  3. Private Acts of 1991, Chapter 29, repealed Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 780, relative to the purchasing commission of Cocke County created by said act.

General Reference

The following private or local acts constitute part of the administrative and political history of Cocke County but are today no longer operative because they have either been superseded, repealed, or failed to receive local approval.

  1. Acts of 1805, Chapter 4, appointed Isaac Leonard, Abraham M’Coy and John Inman to call  all persons who were appointed by law to erect a courthouse, prison and stocks for Cocke County.
  2. Acts of 1812, Chapter 6, authorized Edward Conway the proprietor of Knob Creek Lick, in Cocke County, to raise a sum of money through a lottery for the purpose of enabling him to procure salt.
  3. Public Acts of 1833, Chapter 76, provided for the calling of a convention for the purpose of revising, amending the state constitution.  The counties of Cocke and Sevier composed one district and elected one delegate to the convention.
  4. Acts of 1839-40, Chapter 110, authorized Cocke County citizens to build mill dams across the Big Pigeon River at any point above the land of James R. Allen.
  5. Acts of 1853-54, Chapter 143, provided for one director for the branch of the Bank of Tennessee in Cocke County.
  6. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 61, authorized Cocke County to purchase railroad stock in any railroad passing through or near Cocke County.
  7. Public Acts of 1870-71, Chapter 72, appointed a board of commissioners to designate a new county site for Cocke County, provided that any site selected by them would have to be approved by a majority of the Cocke County voters.
  8. Public Acts of 1877, Chapter 2, provided for the relief of Cocke county wherein the courthouse and county records had been burned.
  9. Public Acts of 1891, Chapter 10, made it lawful for Cocke County citizens and corporations to build mill dams and dams for any other machinery or manufacturing establishments across the Big Pigeon River at any point above the War Ford near and opposite the residence of Mrs. Catherine McSween, with the written permission of the landowners on each bank.  This act was apparently superseded by Public Acts of 1899, Chapter 387, which made it "unlawful for any person, company, or corporations to build any dam or obstruction across any stream in Cocke County."
  10. Public Acts of 1919, Chapter 10, appropriated money for the purpose of erecting monuments or buildings or libraries as a memorial to the honor and memory of American soldiers, sailors and marines, who served in World War I.  This act was amended by Private Acts of  1927, Chapter 594 by including veterans from the Spanish-American War and other foreign wars, insofar as it applied to Cocke County.
  11. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 445, removed the disabilities of infancy from Ella Mae Finchum.
  12. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 411, removed the disabilities of infancy from Eunice Elmeda Rains.
  13. Private Acts of 1965, Chapter 123, attempted to authorize Cocke County to contract with other counties, cities, state and federal governments, private industry and individuals for the sale of crushed rock, but the quarterly county court did not approve this act and it never became an operative law.
  14. Private Acts of 1980, Chapter 271, would have established a civil service system and a civil service board for Cocke County, however, according to the Cocke County County Executive the act was never ratified locally and therefore never became law.