Dark gray background with foreground text that says Private Acts Compilations


Administration - Historical Notes

County Clerk

The following acts once affected the office of County Clerk in Van Buren County. They are included herein for historical purposes. Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Private Acts of 1917, Chapter 745, provided that the County Court Clerk and the Sheriff of Van Buren County both be allowed $50 a year as ex officio fees to be appropriated and paid out of the county treasury on the first Monday in July, 1917 and on the first Monday in January, 1918 and semi-annually on the same dates thereafter.
  2. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 546, made it mandatory to pay the County Court Clerks in Van Buren County a maximum ex officio fee of $100 per year, payable quarterly. All conflicting laws were repealed.

County Mayor

The references below are of acts which once applied to the office of County Judge, or County Executive in Van Buren County. They are included herein for historical purposes only. Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 253, created the office of County Judge for every County in the state. He would be learned in the law and elected by the people for a four year term. The Quorum Court of the County was abolished and all its authority and duties were given to the County Judge. The jurisdiction of the Judge was established by items in Section 6, and his powers were enumerated in Section 8. The salary was placed at a $5.00 per day minimum which could be increased by the County Court. The Circuit Court Clerk would keep the dockets. This Act was specifically and entirely repealed by Acts of 1857-58, Chapter 5.
  2. Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 19, provided that the people of Van Buren County may on the first Saturday in March next elect a County Judge whose duty it shall be to hold the Quorum Courts and make all settlements required to be made with other county officers. He would be elected for a four year term at a salary of $100 per year.
  3. Private Acts of 1959, Chapter 218, as amended by Private Acts of 1972, Chapters 267 and 505, and Private Acts of 1973, Chapter 36, created and established the office of county judge in Van Buren County.

County Legislative Body

The following acts once applied to the Quarterly Court or the county legislative body of Van Buren County and are included herein for historical purposes. Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Private Acts of 1963, Chapter 35, set the per diem allowance for Justices' attendance at the meetings of the Quarterly County Court at $10.00 per day and mileage was also made payable at the rate of ten cents per mile one way between residence and the court meeting place.
  2. Private Acts of 1976, Chapter 208, created a special committee of the Van Buren quarterly county court for emergency interim appointments. The committee consisted of the county judge and four (4) members of the quarterly court recommended by the county judge for membership on such committee and elected by the quarterly court to serve on the committee.

County Register

The following acts once affected the office of County Register in Van Buren County, but are no longer operative. Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Acts of 1867-68, Chapter 89, permitted the Register for Van Buren County to keep his office at his residence or that of a deputy Register.
  2. Acts of 1897, Chapter 124, included the Register among those county officers whose compensation was fixed in different population classes. The Register in counties under 20,000 population would be paid $800 yearly but would sacrifice fees, commissions, etc., received by virtue of their office.

General Reference

The following private or local acts constitute part of the administrative and political history of Van Buren County but are today no longer operative because they have either been superseded, repealed, or failed to receive local approval. Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

  1. Acts of 1859-60, Chapter 117, released and discharged John Stewart, of Van Buren County, from the payment of any balance of principal and interest remaining on the judgment against him as surety bail for Nicholas G. Gillentine, but the relief provided herein will apply only after the costs are paid.
  2. Acts of 1868-69, Chapter 25, established a Board of County Commissioners for Van Buren County consisting of the County Judge and two Associates whose duty it would be to perform all the duties and obligations of the Quarterly County Court; the two associates would be elected for two year terms at the regular election time; the Governor would appoint them to serve until the regular election; the Justices' Court was abolished and they were relieved of all authority and responsibility and the same were vested in the County Commissioners who would be paid a salary of $75 yearly.
  3. Acts of 1868-69, Chapter 40, (which made Section 1 of this chapter applicable to Van Buren County), provided that the Surveyor of Van Buren County would perform all the duties and functions of the Entry Taker in addition to the duties of his office and he would be allowed all the fees then incidental to the office of Entry Taker, which office was abolished.
  4. Acts of 1869-70, Chapter 15, provided that so much of Acts of 1868-69, Chapter 25, which abolished the Quarterly County Court and established a Board of County Commissioners for Van Buren County is repealed and the County Court will be held under the laws which were in force at the time of the passage of the repealed Act. This Act was cited in McCulley v. State, 102 Tenn. 555, 43 S.W. 145 (1899).
  5. Acts of 1869-70, Chapter 49, repeals the act which created the Board of County Commissioners for Madison County and for all other counties, and all laws, or parts of laws, which may have been repealed by those acts, are revived, restored, and reenacted.
  6. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 386, authorized the Quarterly County Court to elect for a period of 4 years three Commissioners from the citizens of the county, the businessmen, or the farmers, to be known as the Auditing Commission. it would be their duty to plan, supervise, and direct the monthly auditing and examination of all books, papers, and records kept by all county officers, boards, institutions, and commissions, and report its findings to the Chairman of the Quarterly County Court. The commission could recommend better methods of record keeping, receive and consider reports from all departments of the county government, and employ an auditor to assist them. The Commission would meet once a month, or oftener, if needed, for which they would be paid $5.00 daily maximum, the actual sum to be fixed by the county court. All records would be public records. This Act was repealed by the act below.
  7. Private Acts of 1951, Chapter 36, repealed Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 386, which created an Auditing Commission for Van Buren County.
  8. Private Acts of 1975, Chapter 158, created the office of County Administrator in Van Buren County who would be the chief executive officer of the county exercising all the powers of the county judge except judicial powers. The Administrator had to be a resident of the county, a good businessman, at least thirty years old, and of good moral character. The Administrator would be elected by popular vote to a four year term with vacancies being filled by the Quarterly County Court until the next general election. The duties and responsibilities of the position were enumerated in the law, and the salary would be the same as that of the county judge. The act repealed Private Acts of 1959, Chapter 218, and Private Acts of 1973, Chapter 36, thus abolishing the office of county judge. Our information is that this act was never acted upon by the Quarterly Court and therefore, did not become a law.
  9. Private Acts of 1986, Chapter 111, the county’s purchasing law, was repealed by the Private Acts of 2024, Chapter 38.