(1) “Charter” means a document containing a unified government structure, pursuant to this chapter, that constitutes the fundamental law of the unified government;

(2) “Charter commission” means a commission established to propose the charter to the voters for adoption as provided in this chapter;

(3) “Chief executive officer of the county” means the officer vested by either the county charter or general law with the executive powers of the county government;

(4) “City legislative body” means the city council, board of mayor and aldermen or other body possessing the legislative power and authority of the government of a municipality;

(5) “County” means any county whose voters have adopted a county charter government;

(6) “County legislative body” means that body vested by either the county charter or general law with the legislative powers of the county government;

(7) “Mayor” means such officer vested by either the city charter or general law with the executive powers of a municipality;

(8) “Municipality” means an incorporated city or town located within the boundaries of a county whose voters have adopted a county charter government;

(9) “Participating governmental unit” means a county whose voters have adopted a county charter government or a municipality located within that county's boundaries that has elected to participate in the preparation of a charter pursuant to this chapter;

(10) “Principal city” means that municipality having the largest population of any municipality in a particular county;

(11) “Smaller city” means any municipality within a county other than the principal city;

(12) “Unification” or “unified” means consolidation or consolidated pursuant to this chapter and that power granted by the Constitution of Tennessee, Article XI, § 9 to consolidate any or all of the governmental and corporate functions now, or hereafter, vested in a county government with one (1) or more municipalities located within that county's boundaries;

(13) “Unified government” means the governmental entity created by the unification of the governmental and corporate functions of a charter county government with the governmental and corporate functions of one (1) or more municipalities within that county's boundaries; and

(14) “Unified municipality” means a former municipality that has merged into a unified government pursuant to this chapter.