06-26-14 Attachment A (minutes) ATTACHMENT A
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ATLANTIC BEACH : CITY CHARTER Lynn Tipton
REVIEW MEETING Florida League of Cities, Inc.
June 26,2014
MUNICIPAL CHARTERS IN FLORIDA
•All charters are unique; haven't found any two identical
■410 cities, towns and villages— all have a charter
•Goal for tonight: discuss municipal characteristics in Florida and compare Atlantic
Beach using peer statistics
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ATTACHMENT A
COMPARABLE CHARTER CHARACTERISTICS
•Size of Council or Commission: five (5) members is most common; some seven (7) and
some (6) where mayor is non-voting
•Length of term: two, three and four year terms are fairly evenly spread across 410
•Type of election per council seat: at-large; single-member district (SMD); elected
seat with at-large voting; some councils are mix of at-large and SMD
•Selection of mayor: elected at large; elected from within the council; rotational
•Form of government: see next slide
FORMS OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT IN FLORIDA
•Council-weak mayor: original form brought over from England; about 100 Florida
cities with populations less than 25,000
•Council-strong mayor: an elected executive implements council actions and
administers the city; about 30 Florida cities in all populations
•Commission: each elected official oversees one or more departments autonomously;
come together as legislative body. Less than 5 Florida cities have this
•Council-Manager or Commission-Manager: professional manager appointed by
mayor & council to administer city, prepare agenda and recommend actions to
council, and present a budget each year; about 275 Florida cities of all populations
•Hybrid: elements of the above; about 5 Florida cities
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ATTACHMENT A
ATLANTIC BEACH: PEER COMPARISONS
Using population 1 2,000 to 15,000: 25 cities meet that factor
Using coastal location (ocean, gulf and intercoastal) —Callaway, Oldsmar, Niceville,
St.Augustine, Destin, Key Biscayne, South Daytona, North Palm Beach, Panama City
Beach, Wilton Manors, Gulfport (11 total)
One of the 25 is council-strong mayor, but not coastal: Palmetto (Manatee County)
24 of 25 are council-manager or commission-manager
Of the 11 coastal: all 5 seats except Niceville (6); Destin (8); Key Biscayne (7)
Should also compare scope of services if any charter elements are compared more
deeply
BEST PRACTICES IN CHARTER REVIEWS
•Holding several public forums for discussion (especially if referendum is scheduled)
•Use of website for display of current and proposed language, as well as minutes
from CRC meetings
•If referendum is being held, develop "FAQ" for website
•Utilize League of Women Voters and other civic organizations to help with forums,
public discussions— proactive role of elected officials and city staff to reach out and
include these groups
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ATTACHMENT A
CHARTER TRENDS IN FLORIDA
Form of government: trend since 1950s toward the council-manager and commission-
manager form of government (including new incorporations)
Charter reviews: seven to ten (7 to 10) years is widely seen
CHARTER REVIEW: QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
From the 2008 eighth edition of the Model City Charter:
Is the charter reflective of the city's current population?
Is the council representative of the population, both resident and business?
Does the charter address responsible professionalism, and do it adequately?
Has the city provided opportunities for citizen participation in the process?
Is the city engaged in civic education about the charter (web site, for example)?
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ATTACHMENT A
QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION
Thank you for including the Florida League of Cities in your process!
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