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Oviedo council schedules four charter amendment hearings, sending term lengths and election changes to voters
Summary
The council scheduled June 15 hearings to place four Charter Review Committee–recommended amendments on the November ballot: switching council terms to four years, removing a roll-call vote requirement, lengthening special-election timelines, and moving qualifying from August to June.
Oviedo’s City Council voted June 1 to schedule public hearings on four proposed charter amendments and prepare them for a referendum on the November ballot.
The Charter Review Committee recommended four changes, and staff summarized each for council. The measures include: extending council terms from two years to four years with a phased transition; removing a charter clause that requires roll-call votes while keeping the requirement that each member’s vote be recorded in the minutes; lengthening the time frames for special elections to ease administrative burdens for the supervisor of elections; and moving the qualifying period for council races from August to June while keeping the election itself in November.
Why it matters: Each measure would change how Oviedo residents elect and hold local office. Council members emphasized that, regardless of their personal views, they were sending the committee’s recommendations to the voters so residents can decide at the ballot box.
Council action: The council read each ordinance by title (Ordinances 1768–1771) and voted to schedule public hearings on all four for June 15, 2026. Votes were recorded on the record. The ordinance to change council terms (Ordinance 1768) passed scheduling by a 4–1 margin; the roll-call-vote amendment (Ordinance 1769) and the special-election timing amendment (Ordinance 1770) passed unanimously; the qualifying-period change (Ordinance 1771) passed scheduling 4–1.
Council commentary: Several members said the topics are significant—one councilor called charter changes "the constitution for the city"—and some members expressed reservations about whether ballot language and the public’s understanding of technical terms (for example, "qualifying period") are sufficient. Council directed staff to coordinate with the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections to prepare ballot summaries and administrative steps.
What happens next: Each ordinance will be heard at a public hearing on June 15; if adopted, the items will be placed on the November referendum for Oviedo voters.
