---

Voters chose to amend the city charter. What’s changed?

More than two-thirds of voters in the city election opted to delete a section of the City Charter — basically Chattanooga’s constitution — that required city employees to be residents of Tennessee.

Effective May 3, any city employee can now live beyond the state line. Officials in the Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments introduced the proposed amendment as part of their efforts to help with recruitment, as both departments struggle with staffing. City Council approved adding the referendum to the ballot in November 2024.

Editor’s note: A previous version of the page incorrectly stated that the charter change will be effective immediately. Approved amendments take effect 60 days following the election, May 3.

Here’s the exact wording of the referendum:

Shall Ordinance No. 14168 to amend the Charter of the City of Chattanooga be approved so that city employees are no longer required to be residents of the State of Tennessee, and by deleting Section 3.1.1 in its entirety which section now states:

“All employees of the city shall be residents of the State of Tennessee. This section 3.1.1 shall only apply to those employees working in general government of the city. Those employees who were hired on or before January 18, 1990, and who have lived outside the State of Tennessee continuously since said date, shall be exempted from this section 3.1.1.”

FOR THE AMENDMENT ( )
AGAINST THE AMENDMENT ( )

Check out the video below for an in-depth explainer of the referendum:

---