County mayors must obtain an official bond before taking office duties, with approval and filing requirements.
All county mayors shall, before entering upon the discharge of their duties, enter into an official bond prepared in accordance with title 8, chapter 19, to be approved by the county legislative bodies, in the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or in a greater sum as the county legislative body may determine, payable to the state, for the use of their respective counties, conditioned for the faithful discharge of their duties as accounting officers and general agents of their counties, during their official terms, as set forth in § 5-6-108 . The bond shall be recorded in the office of the county register of deeds and transmitted to the office of the county clerk for safekeeping. Acts 1879, ch. 76, § 1; Shan., § 516; Code 1932, § 768; Acts 1977, ch. 270, § 1; 1978, ch. 934, § 21; impl. am. Acts 1978, ch. 934, §§ 7, 36; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 5-609; Acts 1998, ch. 677, § 2; 2003, ch. 90, § 2; 2013, ch. 315, § 7. Compiler's Notes. Acts 2003, ch. 90, § 2, directed the code commission to change all references from “county executive” to “county mayor” and to include all such changes in supplements and replacement volumes for the Tennessee Code Annotated. Acts 2013, ch. 315, § 31 provided that the act, which amended this section, shall apply to the renewal or obtaining an official bond for any bonding after April 29, 2013. Cross-References. Option to redesignate county mayor as county executive by private act, § 5-6-101 . Law Reviews. The Tennessee Court System — Probate Courts, 8 Mem. St. U.L. Rev. 461 (1978). Attorney General Opinions. County executive's [now county mayor's] authority over sheriff's department purchasing, OAG 99-051, 1999 Tenn. AG LEXIS 48 (3/4/99). NOTES TO DECISIONS 1. Suits on Bond. 1. Suits on Bond. A suit in the name of the state for the use of a county may be prosecuted without the district attorney joining therein, against the county executive (now county mayor) of such county and his surety for the revenue and debts owing the county not accounted for, and for the county's money wrongfully paid out by him as financial agent, requiring him to account and settle as manager and custodian of the public finances and funds of the county. State use of Marion County v. Kelley, 111 Tenn. 583, 82 S.W. 311, 1903 Tenn. LEXIS 47 (1903); State v. Ridley, 114 Tenn. 508, 85 S.W. 891, 1904 Tenn. LEXIS 103 (1904).