Tennessee Code Title 41. Correctional Institutions and Inmates § 41-12-104

(1) “Authority” means a regional jail authority created pursuant to this chapter;

(2) “Board” means the board of commissioners of an authority;

(3) “Bonds” includes notes, interim certificates or other obligations of an authority;

(4) “Creating governmental entity” means a county, including a county that has a metropolitan form of government, or a municipality that by resolution or ordinance of its governing body elects to join together with one (1) or more counties or one (1) or more municipalities to create an authority pursuant to this chapter;

(5) “Executive officer” means the county mayor or other chief executive officer of any creating or participating governmental entity;

(6) “Governing body” means the chief legislative body of any local governmental entity;

(7) “Jail” includes workhouses in accordance with chapter 2 of this title;

(8) “Local governmental entity” means any county, including a county having a metropolitan form of government, and may include a municipality;

(9) “Municipality” means a municipality that has a municipal jail and has concurrent jurisdiction with the general sessions court over state misdemeanors or that, pursuant to § 16-18-311, builds a jail and obtains approval to acquire such concurrent jurisdiction, to create or participate in an authority pursuant to this chapter;

(10) “Participating governmental entity” means a local governmental entity, that, pursuant to a resolution, or in the case of a municipality, an ordinance, of its governing body, elects to participate in a regional jail authority; and

(11) “State” means the state of Tennessee.