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Residents urge City Council to put backyard chickens on 2026 ballot; city attorney outlines referendum steps
Summary
Multiple residents asked the Port St. Lucie City Council to allow backyard hens and urged a citizen referendum in 2026. City staff described the charter process for voter-initiated referendums and council agreed to share the charter section with petition organizers.
Dozens of Port St. Lucie residents asked the City Council on April 28 to allow backyard hens inside city limits and urged officials to place the question on the 2026 general election ballot.
Supporters said backyard chickens would provide fresh eggs, reduce food waste, offer pest control and add educational opportunities for children. Several speakers said they had organized petitions: one speaker said the petition had 2,649 signatures. "Putting this on the ballot is the best path forward and it aligns with the city's record of listening to its residents," said Katie Whalen, who identified herself as a Port St. Lucie resident.
The petitioners also asked the council to provide guidance on how a citizen-led referendum would reach the ballot. City Attorney Berrios told the chamber that the city charter contains the procedure for voter-initiated referendums. "Article 7 of the City Charter lays out the process by which the citizens of the city of Port St. Lucie can trigger a voter-initiated referendum that goes on at the general election," he said, and he warned petitioners that the clerk, the supervisor of elections and precise timing all matter for meeting ballot deadlines. Mayor Shannon Martin and other council members agreed staff would provide the petitioners with the relevant charter sections and contact points.
Speakers described various regulatory approaches used elsewhere in Florida and Saint Lucie County, including one-time registration fees, coop-screening requirements and 6-foot vegetative or fence buffering. Residents also said county programs had not required additional code-enforcement staff and that setbacks had addressed many neighbor concerns. Several callers asked that if hens are allowed the city adopt setback, screening and registration rules similar to neighboring jurisdictions.
Council discussion stayed at a procedural level. Vice Mayor Caraballo and other members said the question should be decided by voters if petitioners gather the required signatures; several council members said they would sign a petition supporting placement on the ballot. Council directed staff to send the relevant charter sections to the organizers and did not take a formal vote on changing the code at the meeting.
A timeline for a referendum depends on the petitioners' ability to meet the charter's signature and timing requirements and the supervisor of elections' calendar; the next general election in Port St. Lucie is in 2026.
About this coverage: This article summarizes testimony and the legal guidance contained in the April 28 council meeting. It reports speakers' claims as stated; where the transcript did not include specific figures, the article says so.
