Tennessee Code Title 5. Counties § 5-3-103

(a) The state consolidation committee and the county consolidation committee shall act as a joint committee to consider the request for consolidation and shall hold hearings thereon within the petitioning county.

(b) The hearings shall be public and representatives of the governing bodies of the counties concerned in the proposed consolidation shall be invited to attend.

(c) Within ninety (90) days of the receipt of the petition by the state consolidation committee, the joint committee shall report its findings and recommendations on the feasibility of consolidation of the petitioning county with another county or counties.

(d) If such consolidation should be found desirable, the report shall recommend, among other things, the county or counties with which the petitioning county should be consolidated, and shall set the boundaries thereof.

(e) The findings of the report shall be published in a newspaper or newspapers or a periodical of general distribution within the counties so affected.