Image Credit: Eminent domain by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free & Jefferson County Commission
The Tennessee Conservative [By David Seal] –
Jefferson County Commission has a history of standing strong when it comes to protecting property rights. In recent years, the county has made numerous resolutions successfully calling for reform of Tennessee’s eminent domain laws.
Their most recent resolution encourages other counties to do the same.
In 2013, the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce proposed an industrial megasite that would have required eminent domain to be used against property owners that were unwilling to sign purchase options on nearly 100 farms and homes to assemble 2000+ acres for a speculative industrial complex. At the time, Tennessee law authorized the use of eminent domain for industrial parks. Under immense pressure from a public uprising, Jefferson County Commission properly voted to reject any use of eminent domain for the megasite.
Public Act 422 eliminated condemnation of land for industrial parks. (Jefferson County Resolution 2016-43)
In 2023, the city government of Jefferson City took action to forcefully take 95 acres of land from the parent company of Tennova Hospital for a proposed “recreation facility.” This tract of land was the only real estate that Tennova Jefferson Memorial Hospital had to expand its services for the regional hospital. Public Acts 748 and 1034 placed barriers to property takings, created a cause of action for property owners ask a court to make a determination of “public use” and eliminated eminent domain as a means of acquiring land for “recreation facilities.” (Jefferson County Resolution 2023-53)
Eminent Domain, Jefferson City Council Vs. Local Mythbusters | Tennessee Conservative
In January 2025, Jefferson County Commission made a formal resolution to support the Tennessee Property Rights Protection Act HB444/SB480, a proposed bill that would eliminate the so-called “Blight Loophole” that facilitates the forceful taking of code-compliant non-blighted property that lies within a loosely defined “blighted area.” Under current Tennessee Law, private property can be forcefully taken by a housing authority or community development agency for redevelopment in a “blighted area” and then turned over to private developers, essentially a form of socialism in which private property is taken from private owner A and turned over to private owner B.
The most difficult to understand, and most unbelievable, aspect of Tennessee’s “Blight Loophole” is that a “blighted area” can contain both blighted properties along with good code-compliant non-blighted properties which can be grouped together in the aggregate and condemned for redevelopment. This creates a convenient and easy way for cities and county governments to condemn private property for private development.
Jefferson County Commission’s most recent property rights resolution, 2025-11, calls for the legislature to delete the “blighted area” definition and replace it with a property-by-property definition of blight and to provide certain due process provisions for property owners.
SECTION 2 of the resolution calls on other Tennessee counties to consider the resolution in support of the Tennessee Property Rights Protection Act.
A WORD FILE blight resolution template for other county governments, political parties, and grassroots organizations to adapt is linked here.
About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and past Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level. David is also a 2024 winner of The Tennessee Conservative Flame Award & has received an accolade from the Institute For Justice for successfully lobbing the TN legislature to protect property rights. David can be reached at david@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
