Advisory board adds supermajority removal rule, adopts 6‑month residency for Panama City manager

An advisory board revising Panama City’s charter voted on Feb. 26 to require a supermajority of the City Commission to remove the city manager and approved language requiring the city manager to establish residence in Panama City within six months of appointment.

During a lengthy debate about the balance between elected oversight and employment-contract protections, a board member moved to replace the existing Section 102 with this sentence: “The city manager shall be removable by the City Commission by a super majority vote.” The board defined supermajority in discussion as four of five commissioners. The motion carried on a recorded voice vote; the board announced the motion passed (four yes, one no).

Board members and staff also discussed whether to place delegation language — for designating an acting city manager when the manager is unavailable — in the charter or leave it to contract or ordinance. Staff said current practice relies on written memos and contract provisions, but recommended adding charter text to avoid ambiguity. A member summarized that approach as “it’s always good to be very safe” and urged clarity in the charter.

The board separately approved language calling for the city manager to become a qualified elector and establish residence within Panama City “no more than 6 months after his or her appointment,” language read into the record by staff and motioned by a board member.

Supporters of the supermajority argued the change would help protect against abrupt or politically motivated dismissals and provide a public process if removal were sought; opponents warned that contractual severance costs and practical reality mean contracts and budgets still play a central role in any termination. One participant said charter language and contracts can interact in complex ways, noting that termination payouts are often substantial and that charter drafting should avoid unintentionally creating contradictions with existing manager contracts.

What happens next: staff will incorporate the board’s agreed language into the next redline for the charter and return at a future meeting for review. The advisory board noted the charter provision could constrain future contracts and requested staff to consider cross‑references so the charter and any manager contract align.

Quotes (selection): "The city manager shall be removable by the City Commission by a super majority vote," a board member proposed during debate on Section 102. "I think it's excellent to put it [delegation/acting manager language] in the charter," staff counsel said when discussing delegation and clarity.

Ending: The board passed the removal‑and‑residency language and asked staff to draft the exact redline to be reviewed at an upcoming meeting before any final adoption steps by the commission.