Dear Reader:
The following document was created from the MTAS electronic library known as MORe (www.mtas.tennessee.edu/more). This online library is maintained daily by MTAS staff and seeks to represent the most current information regarding issues relative to Tennessee municipal government.
We hope this information will be useful to you; reference to it will assist you with many of the questions that will arise in your tenure with municipal government. However, the Tennessee Code Annotated and other relevant laws or regulations should always be consulted before any action is taken based upon the contents of this document.
Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or comments regarding this information or any other MORe material.
Sincerely,
The University of Tennessee
Municipal Technical Advisory Service
1610 University Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37921-6741
865-974-0411 phone
865-974-0423 fax
www.mtas.tennessee.edu
Local health services are primarily state and county functions. Any city in a county with an established health department may cooperate in the maintenance of that department and levy taxes to pay its proportionate share. T.C.A. § 68-2-605. Cities also may participate in a multi-county district. T.C.A. § 68-2-701. T.C.A. § 68-9-201 requires city and other health officers involved in tuberculosis control to notify appropriate health authorities in other jurisdictions when an infected individual relocates from Tennessee.
Regulating local hospitals and other health care centers is a state function. T.C.A. §§ 68-11-501, et seq. A hospital built with private funds may be maintained with public funds for up to five years, provided the contract specifically states that the facility is for public use. Cities also may contribute land or money for public welfare hospitals. T.C.A. §§ 68-11-501–507.
Within the limits of state appropriations, the commissioner of mental health and mental retardation, with approval from the commissioner of finance and administration and the state comptroller’s office, is empowered to make grants to cities, counties, non-profit corporations, or combinations thereof for constructing, maintaining, or operating mental health or mental retardation facilities, programs, or services. T.C.A. § 33-1-302.
DISCLAIMER: The letters and publications written by the MTAS consultants were written based upon the law at the time and/or a specific sets of facts. The laws referenced in the letters and publications may have changed and/or the technical advice provided may not be applicable to your city or circumstances. Always consult with your city attorney or an MTAS consultant before taking any action based on information contained in this website.
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