(a) The participating counties, Decatur, Hardin, Perry and Wayne, and the board of commissioners are not required to obtain any certificate of convenience or necessity, franchise, license, permit or other authorization from any bureau, board, commission or other like instrumentality of the state or any political subdivision thereof, in order to acquire, construct, purchase, operate or maintain any of the facilities authorized by this chapter.

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 64-4-107

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) Neither the Tennessee public utility commission nor any other board or commission of like character hereafter created has jurisdiction over the port authority with respect to the management and control of the facilities authorized by this chapter, including the establishment of rates, fees and charges or otherwise.
(c)

(1) The property and revenues of the authority or any interest therein is exempt from all state, county and municipal taxation.
(2) Bonds issued pursuant to this chapter and the income therefrom are exempt from all state, county and municipal taxation, except inheritance, transfer and estate taxes.
(3)

(A) The exemption from taxation shall not extend to any leasehold or other interest in property of the authority that may be held by any private person or private corporation.
(B) The port authority has the power to negotiate and accept from the authority’s lessees payments in lieu of ad valorem taxes. Any such power shall be granted only upon a finding that such payments are deemed to be in furtherance of the authority’s public purpose as established by this chapter. The amount of such payments shall not be fixed below the lesser of:

(i) Ad valorem taxes otherwise due and payable by a taxpaying entity upon the current fair market value of the leased properties; or
(ii) Ad valorem taxes that were or would have been due and payable on the leased properties for the period immediately preceding the date of their acquisition by the authority.