Voter's Guide to the Johnson City Ballot Questions
This August, four ballot questions will appear on the ballot for all voters in Johnson City, Tennessee. All four aim to change the Charter of Johnson City. We believe these changes take the city in the wrong direction, favoring developers and business interests over the people of Johnson City.
Here are the Questions That Will Appear On Your Ballot:
This ballot question seeks to amend the city Charter to reduce the required number of advertisements for the budget from two to one.
We oppose this change because it diminishes transparency and limits the public's ability to fully understand and engage with the budgetary process.
The proposed amendment aims to reduce the number of readings required to pass an ordinance from three to two and move the public hearing from the second reading to the first.
We oppose this change because it could rush legislative decisions without adequate public input, potentially leading to hasty or ill-considered outcomes.
This ballot question seeks to remove the 90-day limit for temporary employee appointments.
We oppose this amendment as it opens the door to potential abuse of temporary employment.
The proposed amendment would move city general elections from November to August, along with granting a one-time 21-month term extension to City Commissioners and eliminating the 2026 election.
We oppose this amendment because it has the potential to reduce voter turnout, and it hands Commissioners extra time in office without a special election.
As residents of Johnson City, we need to stand together to protect our democratic rights and ensure that decisions made in our city reflect the will and best interests of its citizens.
If you don’t normally vote on the August ballot, which is where the federal and state Republican and Democratic primaries and our county general elections appear, make a plan to vote this time. You can vote at your normal polling place on August 1st, or you can vote during early voting (July 12 to July 27) at Freedom Hall in Johnson City or at Johnson City Fire Station #8 in Gray.
If you need to register to vote, or if you need to update the address on your voter registration, you can do either of those online–be sure to take care of it by July 1st! Register or update your registration here.
Let’s Defeat These Proposals Together!
- Vote NO on all four ballot questions
- Talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about these ballot questions
- Help get the word out in Johnson City by volunteering with the Protect the People’s Voice campaign
- Are you part of an organization that wants to join the Protect the People’s Voice coalition? Contact us here
- Are you press? Reach out to us here
