Tampa council outlines scope, timeline for Charter Review Advisory Commission; agrees public comment and disclosure rules

The City of Tampa City Council met in workshop to direct staff to prepare a resolution establishing the City of Tampa Charter Review Advisory Commission and to set the scope, membership rules and schedule for the commission’s work.

Council Chair (Speaker 1) opened the session by saying the purpose was to ensure the city attorney has “the scope and the details to create a final resolution,” and added, “we're not leaving this meeting until we give him all the information he needs to create that resolution.” The council instructed staff to return a draft resolution for review on or after Nov. 20 with a separate ‘scope’ section and a target to compile council-supplied questions by Jan. 8.

Why it matters: The resolution will set the commission’s authority, membership, eligibility and the timeline for any charter changes pushed to voters. Council members emphasized clarity on what the commission may and may not do, how recommendations will reach the council and how ballot questions are drafted and reviewed.

Key decisions and draft directions

- Start point and drafting: Staff and legal counsel circulated a memorandum and a draft resolution built from the city’s prior 2017 resolution (referenced in the…