Commission split over requiring referenda for special assessments

Commissioners and staff clashed over a proposed charter amendment that would require citizens to approve special assessments tied to enterprise funds (such as utilities) in a citywide referendum. City staff (speaker 2) cautioned that a referendum "would delay time sensitive projects, utility and infrastructure" and could make the city less competitive for state and federal grant programs: "A referendum that adds months and sometimes year of uncertainty before the city can prove local funding readiness could be detrimental to the very grant funds we've already acquired." The city attorney warned the change could remove important financing tools available under chapter 170 of the Florida Statutes.