AI-assisted research summary: A metropolitan government may take over public functions and related assets of certain districts within its area, but it cannot do so for a special school district if the charter did not allow consolidation of school systems.
Any metropolitan government created and established pursuant to chapters 1-3 of this title may at any time: Assume and take over all public functions, rights, duties, property, assets and liabilities of any utility district, sanitary district, school district or other public service district, all of whose public functions, services or duties are performed within the geographical jurisdiction of the metropolitan government, notwithstanding § 7-82-301, or any other statute; except, that if the metropolitan charter did not provide for the consolidation of the existing school systems, then the metropolitan government shall not have the power or authority to assume any public function, right, duty, property, asset or liability of any special school district that was not included in the consolidation of the local governments; and Notify any utility district, sanitary district, school district or other public service district that performs some part of its public functions, services or duties within the geographical jurisdiction of such metropolitan government of its desire to assume responsibility for all or any part of such functions, services or duties. It shall then be the duty of such district and the metropolitan government to attempt to reach agreement in writing for the allocation to the metropolitan government of any such public functions, services or duties as the metropolitan government may desire to assume and all related rights, duties, property, assets and liabilities of such district that justice and reason may require in the circumstances. Such metropolitan government, if and to the extent that it may choose, shall have the exclusive right to perform or provide municipal and utility functions and services within its geographic jurisdiction, notwithstanding § 7-82-301, or any other statute. Subject to such exclusive right, any such matters upon which the respective parties are not in agreement in writing within sixty (60) days after a metropolitan government gives such notice shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the laws of arbitration of the state of Tennessee effective at the time of submission to the arbitrators, except that § 29-5-101(2) shall not apply to any arbitration under this subdivision (2). The award so rendered shall be transmitted to the chancery court of the county in which the parties are situated, and then shall be subject to review in accordance with §§ 29-5-113, 29-5-115, and 29-5-118.