Administration - Historical Notes

The following acts once applied to the quarterly court or the county legislative body of Cheatham County and are included herein for historical purposes.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

1. Private Acts of 1945, Chapter 42, set the meeting dates of the Quarterly County Court on the second Mondays in January, April, July and October.  This is now regulated by general law found in Tennessee Code Annotated 5-5-104.
2. Private Acts of 1947, Chapter 266, set the per diem of Cheatham County Justices of the Peace at $5.00 plus mileage.  This was repealed by Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 815.
3. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 815, set the salary of Justices of the Peace at $4.00 per day plus mileage for each regular or special session of the Quarterly County Court.
4. Private Acts of 1955, Chapter 308, set the per diem to be paid Justices of the Peace at $6.00, with no provision for mileage.
5. Private Acts of 1965, Chapter 88, set the salary to be paid Justices of the Peace at $15 per day, but this act was repealed by the current law, Private Acts of 1974, Chapter 328.
6. Private Acts of 1974, Chapter 328, set the per diem to be paid Justices of Peace at $25 and mileage at five cents per mile.  Justices of the Peace residing within five miles of the courthouse were not entitled to receive mileage compensation.

The references below are of acts which once applied to the office of county judge, or county executive in Cheatham 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. Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 30, created the office of county executive for Cheatham County, with the first judge to take office on the first Saturday in March, 1868, for a term of eight years.  This act was abolished by Acts of 1869-70 (First Session), Chapter 113.
2. Private Acts of 1943, Chapter 69, was an amendment to the act which created the office of Cheatham County Judge, Private Acts of 1939, Chapter 236.  This amendatory act provided a certain amount of money for the travel expenses of the county judge, but it was repealed by Private Acts of 1945, Chapter 46.
3. Private Acts of 1939, Chapter 236, as amended by Private Acts of 1977, Chapter 133, created the office of county judge.   J. Fred Murff was named to fill the position until a successor was elected in the regular August election in 1940.

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

1. Acts of 1857-58, Chapter 133, attached Cheatham County to the Clarksville Bank District and provided that Cheatham County was entitled to have one director in the branch bank.
2. Acts of 1857-58, Chapter 171, was an act for the relief of Cheatham County, since the creation act did not give the County Court the authority to levy any taxes in 1856.  This act provided that the state treasurer was to pay over certain school monies to Cheatham, while Davidson and Robertson Counties were to pay certain other expenses incurred by Cheatham County in its first year of existence.
3. This act, Acts of 1857-58, Chapter 171, also provided that the name of the county seat could, by the majority vote of the county court, be changed to Cheathamville.
4. Acts of 1875, Chapter 56, was an early example of the state trying to provide some sort of public assistance for the poor and needy.
5. Acts of 1887, Chapter 116, made it the duty of the County Surveyors in Cheatham, Montgomery and Dickson Counties to survey the boundaries of those counties which were south of the Cumberland River.  This act also required that they make a map from their surveys and deposit it with their County Court Clerk by the first Monday in October, 1887.
6. Private Acts of 1915, Chapter 603, provided that the county court could by resolution contract with banks for the payment of interest on the monthly balances deposited to the credit of the Cheatham County Trustee.
7. Private Acts of 1919, Chapter 173, gave the Cheatham County Court the power to fix the amount of commutation money to be paid by men who were by law required to work the roads in Cheatham County.  This sum could be set at an amount not less than $1 per day nor more than $2.50 per day.
8. Private Acts of 1971, Chapter 103, attempted to place a midnight to 5:00 A.M. curfew on all minors in Cheatham County, who were not accompanied by a parent, guardian or similar adult charged with responsibility for them.  This act never became operative law, since it failed to win local ratification.
9. Private Acts of 1975, Chapter 15, made the same amendments to Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 250, as Private Acts of 1972, Chapter 317, did, except that the per diem rate of pay was increased from $5 to $15 for the third member of the Purchasing Commission and the limitation of 20 days in each year was removed.  Private Acts of 1972, Chapter 317, was not acted on by local authorities and never really took effect.  Hence, it was necessary that the amendments be reenacted.
10. Private Acts of 1980, Chapter 326, amended Private Acts of 1968, Chapter 132, the Ashland City Charter to increase the salary of the Mayor to $400 per month and of the Council to $25 per meeting, plus a change was made in Section 16 of the Charter.  This Act was approved by the Legislative Body of Ashland City on May 13, 1980.
11. Private Acts of 1981, Chapter 134, approved locally on June 9, 1981, amended Private Acts of 1968, Chapter 132, the Charter of Ashland City, by raising the amount which could be purchased without bid from $50 to $100.