MURFREESBORO – A sharp divide has emerged between Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr and the County Commission following the Mayor’s decision to veto a resolution aimed at restructuring the county’s Ethics Committee…
Mayor Carr officially issued the veto on February 20, 2026, characterizing the measure as an “unlawful” attempt by the Commission to bypass state law and appoint its own members to the committee. What may become a significant legal and political tug-of-war in Rutherford County revolves around the boundaries of appointment power and the interpretation of state law versus local “home rule.” Evidently, the conflict between the Steering Committee and the County Mayor was created in early February 2026. The disagreement centers on who has the authority to appoint members to the Ethics Committee and who is allowed to serve.
The conflict stems from a resolution first approved by the Steering, Legislative, and Governmental Committee on February 2, which sought to add two alternate members to the Ethics Committee. Under the proposal, these alternates would be selected by the Commission and could include sitting County Commissioners or Constitutional Officers. The full Commission subsequently passed the resolution with a unanimous 21-0 vote on February 12…