Tennessee Code Title 6. Cities and Towns § 6-33-102

(a) The city judge shall be a person licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and shall be elected by popular vote at the same time as provided for election of the governing body of such corporation, and in the same manner as provided for election to the board of education.

(b) Such judge shall be elected for a term of four (4) years.

(c) The city council shall by ordinance provide for the compensation of the city judge and other employees of the court, except that the judge shall be authorized to appoint, promote, suspend, remove or to take any other established personnel action with respect to the court clerk and other court employees consistent with this charter. The compensation fixed for the judge and court employees shall in no way be related to the amount of moneys collected by the court, and the compensation so fixed shall be in lieu of all fees, fines, penalties, forfeitures, or other moneys collected by the court.

(d) A vacancy shall exist if the city judge resigns, dies, or has been continuously disabled for a period of three (3) months so as to prevent the city judge from discharging the duties of office; and such vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the city council, the appointee to serve until the next regular city or county election, whichever is first held, at which election a duly qualified person shall be elected to fill the unexpired term of the office.

(e) Whenever the city judge finds it necessary to be absent from holding court, the city judge may designate in writing, to be filed with the clerk of the city court, a name of a special judge to hold court in the city judge's place and stead. The special judge shall be a person who has the qualifications of city judge and the special judge shall take the same oath and have the same authority as the regular city judge to hold court for the occasion.