Fort Myers Beach council advances six charter amendment questions to referendum after detailed debate

The Fort Myers Beach Town Council voted unanimously May 18 to move Ordinance 26-08 to a second reading on June 1, sending six proposed charter amendments to the voters.

The ordinance packages proposed changes into six referendum questions, including requiring disclosure in quasi-judicial hearings and prohibiting unlawful gifts; creating a five-member compensation committee to recommend council pay; extending the term for seats filled by appointment to the remainder of the vacated term; clarifying service of an interim mayor; giving the Lee County canvassing board responsibility for certain referendum functions; and setting candidate qualifying periods in coordination with the Lee County Supervisor of Elections. Town attorney Nancy (S9) said the packet includes statutory-required ballot titles and 75-word summaries and that staff will provide Spanish translations before second reading.

Councilors spent the bulk of the discussion on question No. 2, which would change the process used to review and recommend council compensation. One council member (S6) said she opposed the current draft because it delegates recommendation authority to a committee the council would appoint and worried the change could erode public trust; she urged keeping a baseline dollar amount in the charter and applying a COLA or holding referendum votes for any increases beyond inflation adjustments. The mayor (S1) and other council members responded that the committee would only make nonbinding recommendations for the council to adopt or reject, and that language could be clarified before second reading. Human resources director Talisa Olivera (S18) told the council that an annual COLA process already exists (effective Oct. 1, 2024) and that the proposed change is meant to provide flexibility rather than remove a baseline amount.

Councilors also questioned the proposal to allow an appointee to serve the remainder of a vacated term rather than serving only until the next regular election. Several members sought clearer language to avoid unintentionally allowing an appointed official to serve an extended period before facing voters and asked staff to add wording limiting interim appointment length so it cannot exceed two years or otherwise preserve the 3-2 election staggering the council uses.

Nancy said staff would clarify whether the charter's existing term-limit language (section 5.03) already constrains consecutive terms for appointees and would edit the ballot summary and question wording to reduce voter confusion.

The motion to move Ordinance 26-08 to second reading was made, seconded and carried unanimously; the council scheduled a second reading and final adoption hearing for June 1, 2026, at 9 a.m., subject to any changes members want to propose before that date.

What's next: staff will refine ballot titles and summaries (including Spanish translation), clarify term-limit language and the compensation committee mechanics, and return with revised language at the June 1 meeting.