In 2002, the General Assembly amended a part of the County Powers Act to authorize counties without zoning to exercise the certain regulatory powers granted to municipalities under T.C.A. § 6-2-201(22) and (23). T.C.A. § 5-1-118. The powers are described in the law as the ability to:
The next year, the General Assembly revisited the statute and expanded its application to allow all counties the ability to use these powers after adoption of a local resolution by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the county legislative body.
Limitations on the Exercise of Regulatory Authority. While this new authority is a broad expansion of county regulatory power, the grant of authority came with several restrictions. The exercise of these powers by counties is limited in a number of ways by both the statute itself and the state and federal constitutions.