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City Council Seeks Applications to Serve on the Charter Review Commission

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City Council Seeks Applications to Serve on the Charter Review Commission

The members of the City Council of the City of Tampa and the Mayor are seeking citizens to serve on the Charter Review Commission.

Citizens interested in seeking appointment must be residents and registered electors of the City of Tampa.  These positions are voluntary.  Individuals being appointed to serve on the Charter Review Commission serve without compensation.  Individuals being appointed will be required to file financial disclosure.

The deadline for submission of applications has been extended to 5:00 p.m. on Monday-April 17, 2017 in the Office of the City Clerk, Old City Hall, 315 East Kennedy Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Tampa, Florida.

If you are not selected as a full member of the Charter Review Commission, will you be willing to serve as an alternate member?  If yes, please also include “Charter Review Commission/Alternate member” as your Board/Committee of Interest on the application.

Applications are available in the Office of the City Clerk, Old City Hall, 315 E. Kennedy Blvd., Third Floor, Tampa, Florida and are also available on the City of Tampa’s website at:

http://www.tampagov.net/city-clerk/info/boards-and-commissions

The application can be filled out on-line and can be submitted via U.S. Mail, fax, or e-mail.  Directions for submission are listed on the application. 

CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION:

OBJECTIVES OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION:

  • The Charter Review Commission (“CRC”) shall review the Tampa Home Rule Charter of 1975, as amended, and propose any amendments or revisions, which may be advisable to placement on the special election ballot on November 6, 2018.
  • Scope of Review may include but is not limited to:
    1. Resolving conflicts with state law.
    2. Resolving any internal conflicts.
    3. Removing gender bias language.]
    4. Replacing antiquated terms.
    5. Removing references to obsolete departments.
    6. Issues of ethics codes that govern departments.
    7. Enhancing the role of the City Council chair.
    8. Whether to create a vice mayor position.
    9. Whether the Charter should include a provision for regular charter review everyten to fifteen years.
    10. Clarification of the City Council’s authority to hire its own staff.
    11. Department reports to Council in the event of departure from anticipated expenditures.
    12. Clarification of the degree to which the administration is obligated to spend allocated funds.
    13. Clarification of the Mayor’s power to reallocate unspent funds.
    14. Mayor and Council roles in the budget process.
    15. Mayor and Council roles generally.
    16. Improved communications between the Mayor and City Council relating to contracts and franchises, leases, deeds, sales of property.
    17. Adequacy of compensation and per diem of elected officials
  • The CRC is encouraged to conduct a timely and efficient review of the Home Rule Charter and complete its objective within one calendar year of its appointment.
  • The CRC shall provide a report with recommendations to the City Council regarding amendments and revisions to the Home Rule Charter. If each proposal is approved by a two-thirds vote of the City Council, City Council shall present to the Mayor an ordinance passed by a two-thirds vote placing the proposed amendments or revisions on the November 6, 2018, ballot for consideration, pursuant to Section 166.031, Florida Statutes. If enacted and a majority of the electors voting on the amendments or revisions to the Charter favor adoption, such amendments or revisions shall take effect on April 1, 2019, the start of the new term of office for the Mayor and City Council.

MEMBERSHIP:

  • Consists of nine members appointed by resolution, with each member of City Council nominating one member, and the Mayor nominating two members.  Members are not required to reside in the district of the City Council member who nominates them.
  • The City Council shall appoint two additional individuals to serve as first and second alternate members. The designated first and second alternates shall meet the  attendance requirements in order to be knowledgeable of the issues before the CRC in the event that a vacancy occurs; however, during their tenure as alternates, the alternates shall not have any vote on the Charter Review Commission, nor be actively involved in those deliberations.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP:

  • All  members  of the  Charter  Review  Commission  must  be  residents  and  registered electors of the City of Tampa for at least one year prior to the time of their appointment to the CRC, and shall remain so during the entirety of the CRC’s existence.
  • No member of the State Legislature, the Board of County Commissioners, any member of the City Council or employee of the City of Tampa, or any relative of the above as defined by the Cityof Tampa Code of Ethics, shall be eligible for appointment.
  • Members  shall serve without compensation,  and may be reimbursed  for any necessary expenses  incurred  in  the  conduct  of  the  business  of the  Commission  as  previously approved by the City  Council.
  • Nominees for CRC membership shall file Form 1, Statement of Financial Interests, with the City Clerk prior to appointment.
  • The City Clerk shall administer the oath or affirmation of office to the CRC membership after they have been appointed by resolution of City Council and prior to the start of their initial meeting.

TERM OF MEMBERS:

  • Each Charter Review Commission member’s term of office will be from the date of appointment until the Commission’s dissolution. Upon acceptance or rejection by the City Council of the proposed amendments or revisions, the CRC shall be automatically  dissolved. If no amendments or revisions are recommended to the City Council, the Charter Review Commission shall be dissolved upon its final report being received and filed by City Council.
  • Any member who experiences a change of status as a resident of the City during the tenure of the CRC shall forfeit his or her membership on the CRC and shall be replaced by appointment of the designated alternate.
  • If a member of the CRC resigns, the designated alternate shall be appointed to replace the resigning member.
  • All CRC appointees are expected to attend all meetings. Any member who misses more than two meetings consecutively, or more than four meetings cumulatively, shall be removed from membership on the CRC and shall be replaced by the designated alternate.

DUTIES OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION

  • The CRC shall meet for the purpose of organization within thirty days after the appointments have been made. The Charter Review Commission shall select from its own membership a Chairperson to conduct the business of the meetings, and a Vice-chairperson who will serve in the absence of the Chairperson.
  • The CRC, its members, and all of its proceedings shall comply with all applicable requirements of Florida Statutes governing ethics, open meetings and public records, and the City of Tampa Code of Ethics. The organizational meeting shall include an overview of the Sunshine Law, the Public Records Law and the State and City Codes of Ethics.
  • A majority of the members of the CRC, excluding alternates, shall constitute a quorum necessary to conduct official business.
  • The Charter Review Commission shall meet no less frequently than once each month and shall meet more often at its discretion.
  • The CRC shall provide an opportunity for public comment at each of its meetings and may adopt rules governing such public comment, consistent with Section 286.0114,Florida Statutes. The CRC is encouraged to establish meeting times that will allow maximum opportunity for community participation.
  • The CRC may, by majority vote, establish additional rules to assist in the efficient and effective conduct of its meetings, provided there is no conflict with state or municipal law, so as to permit the open expression and examination of positions on issues under consideration.
  • No charter amendment or revision shall be submitted to the City Council for consideration unless favorably voted upon by six or more members of the CRC, excluding alternates. The recommendations of the CRC shall be submitted to the City Council in written form not later than the first regular City Council meeting in May 2018.

For more information, contact the Office of the City Clerk at (813) 274-7077 or contact Martin Shelby, Council Attorney, at (813) 274-8131.

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Published at Fri, 07 Apr 2017 19:16:00 +0000

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