Panama City advisory board debates moving municipal elections to November; proposal fails

PANAMA CITY — The Panama City Charter Review Advisory Board spent much of its meeting weighing whether to move municipal elections into the November general-election calendar and to change how nominations and runoffs are handled.

The board heard staff research comparing Panama City—s current nominating primary (April) and general election (May) system with alternatives used elsewhere, including Tallahassee—s model (a late primary that advances two candidates to November regardless of whether a candidate wins a majority). Staff said it reviewed charters and election practices from about 21 municipalities as background for the discussion.

Supporters of moving the final election to November told the board that general-election turnout is higher and that putting municipal races on the…