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North Port commissioners spar over whether they may question city staff under charter
Summary
A heated debate over City Charter §5.02 and personnel policy 6.8 dominated the Dec. 9 North Port City Commission meeting, with the commission accepting an outside legal opinion that the policy does not conflict with the charter by a 3–2 vote and later rejecting a motion to send a charter amendment to the ballot.
The North Port City Commission spent the bulk of its Dec. 9 meeting examining whether commissioners may communicate directly with city employees, a dispute that traded legal readings and sharp political rhetoric.
Vice Mayor Langdon moved that the commission accept an outside legal review concluding North Port’s personnel policy 6.8 does not conflict with Charter section 5.02. The motion passed 3–2, with Commissioners Petro and Duvall dissenting. The vote formalized the majority’s view that the city manager’s non‑interference policy — which requires commissioners to route staff requests through the city manager — can be read in harmony with the charter’s non‑interference clause.
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