DUANE SHERRILLEditor

The city of Tullahoma Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously placed the hearing of matters of city code with the city judge, moving away from using independent hearing officers.

The board passed the plan on first reading last month but a second reading is required for it to go into effect. The gist of the change in policy is that using an independent hearing officer to hear codes cases was not working smoothly. The city had tried hearing officers to see how well it would work but decided the oversight should be placed back with the city judge as it had been in years prior.

City Administrator Jason Quick said that since the first vote of the board to change the city’s policy from hearing officers to the city judge, he has reached out to Judge James F. Conley concerning the change.

“He is more than amenable in going that,” Quick revealed, adding that the city judge will be up for election this year. “City judge is an elected position and it will be part of the general election on Aug. 6, 2026.”

Quick went on to tell the board that during 2024-25 the hearing officer heard 22 cases at a cost of $11,000. With that in mind, Quick said he will submit a request to increase the city judge’s salary since he will be now taking on the city codes load. That increase has been set for the next BoMA agenda.