Why do we have separate city and county governments?

Every resident of Chattanooga is a resident of Hamilton County —with two separate governing bodies, two mayors, and two election cycles. 

By Trista Ridge, Contributor

Ever wonder why we have a city mayor and a county mayor? And a city council, as well as a county commission? 

Cities and counties are two fundamentally different types of governing bodies, with different sets of responsibilities. Here’s what you need to know.

What’s the difference between a city and a county in Tennessee?

Counties are a subdivision of the state. County governments give the state of Tennessee a way to deliver state services at a local level, with some degree of local control as to how those services are delivered. Counties typically cannot pass laws. 

Cities, on the other hand, can pass local ordinances. Cities are chartered municipalities; effectively their own governments. The City of Chattanooga has a unique set of laws that forms the legal foundation of our local system of government— a local constitution. 

How do cities and counties work together? 

Both city and county governments have designated powers within their own sphere of influence, and certain spheres in which they overlap. Both city and county mayors derive power from the state, and the two mayors have to work together to keep their separate spheres in harmony.

The court and jailing systems are under county jurisdiction; the health department is a county service. The city is focused more heavily on the nitty-gritty details—think public utilities, like water and sewage, the city’s budget, and the upkeep of city parks and playgrounds.

County government responsibilities

The county government administers and supervises services including:

• Public school system

• Elections

• Public health (the Hamilton County Health Department)

• Domestic, health, and highway safety

• Correctional facilities (jails)

• Recordkeeping

• Courts

And that’s not all—check out this full list of Hamilton County Government services.

City government responsibilities

The City of Chattanooga is responsible for:

• Planning + zoning

• Fire and police departments

• Recycling and trash

• Public utilities

• Public works, streets, and sewers

• The Chattanooga Airport

• Parks and outdoors

For a full list of departments managed by the City, visit the Chattanooga.gov website.

Cities can pass laws, but most counties cannot

As a chartered municipality, the City of Chattanooga can also pass local ordinances, as long as they aren't in conflict with state law. For example, a local ordinance can look like a controlled sound law or whether or not citizens can have goats or chickens in their backyard.

Hamilton County cannot pass ordinances because it does not have a county charter, unlike Tennessee’s Shelby and Knox Counties—the only two of Tennessee’s 95 counties that have one. Hamilton County follows Tennessee Code (state laws) and the state constitution in terms of how it functions. In order to become a chartered county, residents would have to vote to adopt a charter.

Hamilton County's 10 municipalities

In all, there are 10 chartered municipalities in Hamilton County:

1. Chattanooga

2. Collegedale

3. East Ridge

4. Lakesite

5. Lookout Mountain

6. Red Bank

7. Ridgeside

8. Signal Mountain

9. Soddy Daisy

10. Walden

How can I learn more?

One way to understand where county and city powers fall is to get involved in local government. Voting is a great start, but you can also join a board or commission, take advantage of Mayor Kelly’s open office hours, attend weekly city council meetings (in-person or virtually!) or bi-weekly county commission meetings, or simply bookmark the city’s “ordinances & resolutions” page to keep up with any new or changing local decrees.