Park Commission generally.

Memphis Charter, art. 57, § 579

in effect

Sec. 579. - Park Commission generally. (a) The Board of Commissioners of such City shall have the power to establish, by ordinance, a Park Commission, composed of three members, who shall be elected by said Board of Commissioners. The first Park Commissioners elected shall be elected for the following terms: One for two years, one for four years, and one for six years, and at the expiration of the term of office of each commissioner, his successor shall be elected for a term of six years. Such Park Commissioners shall have the entire control of the parks, park lands and parkways acquired by such City under the provisions of this Act. It shall be their duty to direct the laying out, improvement and maintenance of said parks, engage all superintendents, gardeners and other employees, and no moneys shall be paid out of the proceeds of said park bonds, nor park tax, until the vouchers for the same are approved by at least two of said Park Commissioners. Said Park Commissioners are hereby expressly empowered to open or close up any streets, alleys or roadways running across or in such parks, or park lands, and they shall have this power as well within the limits of such City as without such limits. (b) Section 6 of chapter 142 of the Acts of 1899 [paragraph (a) above], being a part of the Charter of the City of Memphis shall be amended so as to provide that the Board of Commissioners of the City of Memphis shall be authorized to fix the term of office of the members of the Park Commission; the terms of the present commissioners, however, shall remain as now fixed by said Act until the expiration of their respective terms. (c) The Park Commission of the City of Memphis shall be composed of five members instead of three members as presently constituted; and the Board of Commissioners of the City of Memphis are hereby authorized and empowered to elect two additional members to said Park Commission each for a term of three years, and at the expiration of the term of office of each such additional commissioner, his successor shall be elected for a term of six years. (Acts 1899, ch. 142, § 6; Priv. Acts 1941, ch. 44, § 1 (24); Priv. Acts 1947, ch. 712, § 2)

Source: City of Memphis, Code of Ordinances and Charter and Related Laws (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tn/memphis/codes/charter?nodeId=PTICHRELA_ART57PAPACO_S579PACOGEFetched: 10/28/2026