NASHVILLE - An effort by Sen. Todd Gardenhire to move dates of municipal elections in Hamilton and Tennessee's three other largest counties to August primary and general election ballots stalled Wednesday in a state Senate panel.
The Chattanooga Republican's proposal came in the form of amendments to a bill that opened up state election laws.
His first amendment would supersede current law and cities' private acts setting election dates in all 95 counties. A second amendment then restricted its impact to counties with populations of at least 336,400 people, effectively limiting it to Hamilton, Knox and Shelby counties and Metro Nashville.
Its practical effect locally would be to move Chattanooga's city election, which is held in odd-numbered years, to even-year elections every four years or to mid-term elections in August, where county general as well as state and federal primary elections are held, or to the November general election ballot.
Gardenhire told State and Local Government Committee members his purpose is "just trying to encourage larger voter participation and cut down on expenses."
Holding elections on dates outside of August and November elections are "extremely expensive," the senator said, arguing his legislation would lead to "greater voter participation because there's already an election going on."
In Tennessee's four largest cities, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Metro Nashville and Memphis, elections for mayor or council are nonpartisan. But the mayors, including Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, a former state Democratic senator, have Democratic backgrounds.
Berke declined to comment. Former Chattanooga mayor Ron Littlefield said he had supported such a change for years.
"It should fall at the same time as one of the national elections," Littlefield said.
"Former mayor Gene Roberts and others always argued the city election would get lost in a national election, but it's such a pitiful turnout [for municipal races]. That's the issue, it's easy to manipulate the city election" because so few voters cast ballots.
Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, raised concerns about the change, saying city leaders in Knoxville are opposed to it.
Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Jeff Yarbro of Nashville said putting the municipal offices on either the August ballot or November ballot in midterm- or presidential-election year contests would lengthen ballots, lead to a fall-off in voting on local candidates and make campaigning harder.
If candidates for municipal office in places like Chattanooga and Nashville are trying to have debates on the future of their communities "in the midst of a presidential campaign, how do you explain to local candidates how to break through the wall-to-wall media ads?
"Frankly, it's going to make the cost of running more expensive," Yarbro argued.
He also said it would make it even harder for Republicans to win in the cities, which generally vote Democratic.
But Gardenhire pointed to a colleague, Sen. Steve Dickerson, R-Nashville, who won in Davidson County.
State and Local Government Committee Chairman Ken Yager, R-Kingston, began voicing his own concerns as well and asked Gardenhire to delay further consideration. Gardenhire agreed.
Following the meeting, Gardenhire chuckled over the bill's reception and said his effort is basically dead for the year. The proposal now heads to the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations for summer and fall study.
As for why he put on an amendment restricting the legislation's impact only to the state's four largest counties, Gardenhire said that had been done at the request of Yager.
"He thought it would pass easier if it applied to the larger counties," Gardenhire said.
The senator defended the proposal, saying, "We had such a low turnout in the Chattanooga city elections. I think we need a higher turnout. Don't know that the results would be any different, but it just costs the city a lot of money and it's a way to save money and get greater voter participation."
Asked whether the bill would have applied to all municipalities in the four counties, Gardenhire said it would.
"If they're in the four counties, it would," he said.
Besides Chattanooga, other municipalities in Hamilton County include Red Bank, East Ridge, Collegedale, Soddy-Daisy, Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Walden, Lakesite and Ridgeside.
Contact staff writer Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550.