Mayor asks commission to consider making police and fire chiefs charter officers

The Fort Lauderdale mayor asked the City Commission on Tuesday to consider a charter amendment that would elevate the police chief and fire chief to charter-officer status, allowing them to report directly to the elected commission rather than through the city manager.

"I think it would work better if the police chief and the fire chief were charter officers," the mayor said, arguing the change would strengthen objectivity and direct accountability to the public. Supporters on the dais said the arrangement could give the chiefs more autonomy to act on public-safety priorities and produce a clearer line of responsibility for two large budget functions.

Several commissioners pressed for additional analysis before changing the charter. Questions focused on whether the change would create parallel reporting lines for other department heads, how budgets and personnel rules would be affected, and what the practical implementation timeline would be if voters approved the amendment. The city attorney told the commission that drafting an ordinance and a first-reading resolution for the charter amendment would be necessary, and staff could prepare a draft for the evening meeting.

Commissioners cited examples of other municipalities with similar arrangements and said the commission's charter-revision process and public engagement should be followed; others urged broad public input before placing substantive governance changes on the ballot.

By the end of the discussion the commission asked the city attorney to prepare draft language for first reading so public hearings and the charter process can proceed. No charter change was finalized Tuesday; the matter will return for further consideration and is proposed for the ballot only if the commission moves it through required charter steps.