Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Review topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council sets timeline for Charter Review Commission; ordinance for first reading set for Aug. 28
Summary
Council voted to direct staff to prepare an ordinance to establish a Charter Review Commission with appointments expected in November and the commission to begin early next year; staff and legal were asked for structural recommendations by Oct. 9.
Tampa City Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance for first reading on Aug. 28 to establish the next Charter Review Commission and set a provisional timeline for appointments and work that would feed into the 2027 ballot cycle.
Council members cited section 10.10 of the city charter, which requires that a charter review commission be established beginning in 2025 and thereafter every eight years. Council asked staff and the legal department to provide suggestions on structural housekeeping changes to the charter and requested written staff reports by Oct. 9 that include recommended structural changes and a strike-through copy of the edits from the prior 2019 charter revision.
Council discussed the commission’s composition, meeting cadence and budget. Staff noted an earmark of approximately $150,000 in the 2026 budget for facilitator and legal counsel; council asked the legal department to submit proposed structural changes and clarified that council will determine appointment and vetting processes. Council members debated quorum and voting thresholds for the commission’s recommendations, with multiple members saying the commission should be a recommending body and that council retains final approval and responsibility to put charter questions on the ballot.
Councilman Metascarpo moved (motion recorded on the dais) that city attorney Shelby bring back an ordinance for first reading Aug. 28 to establish the commission; the motion passed unanimously. Additional council directions included asking legal counsel to propose structural edits to the charter by Oct. 9, to provide a strike-through of the 2019 charter edits by Oct. 9, and to return to council on Oct. 23 for a discussion of recommended issues and scope for the commission’s review.
Ending: Council expects to appoint members by November, have the commission begin work in January, and to return any recommended charter amendments to council with sufficient time to prepare ballot ordinances and translations for the supervisor of elections’ deadlines.
