CHARTER

   Section

   1.   Abolishment of present municipality

ARTICLE I: INCORPORATION: FORM OF GOVERNMENT: POWERS

   2.   Incorporation

   3.   Voting districts

   4.   Form of government

   5.   General powers

ARTICLE II: THE COMMISSION

   6.   Office of Commissioner and Mayor-at-large

   7.   Qualifications and disqualifications

   8.   Salary

   9.   Mayor as Presiding Officer; selection of Vice-Mayor by City Commission; vacancies

   10.   Powers

   11.   Appointment of City Manager

   12.   Removal of City Manager

   13.   Commission not to interfere in appointments or removals

   14.   Vacancies in the City Commission

   15.   Employment

   16.   Induction of Commission into office; meeting of Commission

   17.   Special meetings; how called

   18.   (Reserved)

   19.   Legislative procedure

   20.   Commission to be judge of qualifications of its members

   21.   Rules of procedure; journal

   22.   Ordinances and resolutions

   23.   Effective date of ordinances and resolutions

   24.   Authentication; publication

   25.   Independent annual audit

   26.   Contracts, materials and supplies with city

ARTICLE III: ADMINISTRATION - CITY MANAGER

   27.   Qualifications

   28.   Powers and duties

   29.   Absence of the City Manager

   30.   Internal Auditor

   31.   Directors of departments

   32.   Active participation in political campaign

   33.   Employees prohibited from holding elected public office; employees seeking public office required to take leave of absence

ARTICLE IV: DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

   34. - 42.   (Reserved)

ARTICLE V: CITY CLERK

   43.   City Clerk

ARTICLE VI: POLICE DEPARTMENT

   44.   Police Department

ARTICLE VII: FIRE DEPARTMENT

   45.   Fire Department

ARTICLE VIII: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

   46. - 51.   (Reserved)

ARTICLE VIII A: DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING

   51.1   Department of Engineering

ARTICLE IX: BUILDING DEPARTMENT

   52.   Building Department

ARTICLE X: DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL

   53.   Civil service merit system

   54.   Pension and retirement plans

ARTICLE XI: MUNICIPAL COURT AND CITY ATTORNEY

   55. - 61. (Reserved)

   62.   City Attorney; appointment and qualifications

   63.   Salary of City Attorney

   64. - 64.1 (Reserved)

ARTICLE XII: ELECTIONS

   65.   Elections

   66.   Electors

   67.   (Reserved)

   68.   Nominations

   69.   (Reserved)

   70.   Elections; general

   70.1    Political affiliation and advertisement

   71.   (Reserved)

   72.   Elections; governed by the state law or ordinance

   73.   Absentee voting

   74.   Elections; canvass of returns

   75.   Elections; special

   76.   Elections; advertising

   76.1.   Early voting

ARTICLE XIII: RECALL

   77.   Recall petition

   78.   Notice

   79.   Recall election

   80.   Ballots

   81.   Filling of vacancies

   82.   Counting the vote

   83.   Effect of resignation

   84.   Miscellaneous provisions

   85.   Offenses relating to petitions

   85.05   Initiative petition of proposed ordinances; required signatures, etc.

ARTICLE XIV: BUDGET

   86.   Fiscal year

   87.   Preparation and submission of budget

   88.   Budget meetings; publication of notice of public hearing

   89.   Public hearing on budget

   90.   Further consideration of budget

   91.   Adoption of the budget

   92.   Date of final adoption; want or invalidity of budget

   93.   Effective date of budget; certification; copies made available

   94.   Budget; establishes appropriations; amendments as to surpluses authorized at certain times

   95.   Budget establishes amount to be raised by property tax; certification to taxing authority

   96.   Budget Message

   97.   Budget

   98.   Anticipated revenues

   99.   Anticipated revenues compared with other years

   100.   Surplus

   101.   Proposed expenditures

   102.   (Reserved)

   103.   Budget summary

   104.   Carry-over of unencumbered appropriations

ARTICLE XV: TAX ADMINISTRATION

   105. - 124. (Reserved)

ARTICLE XVI: PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING TAX DEEDS

   125. - 148. (Reserved)

ARTICLE XVII: FORECLOSURE OF TAX SALE CERTIFICATES

   149. - 157. (Reserved)

ARTICLE XVIII: BONDS

   158.   Authorized to issue

   159.   Vote for bonds

   160.   (Reserved)

   161.   State law

   162.   Form of bonds

   163.   Registered or coupon bonds

   164.   Recital of compliance

   165.   More than one improvement may be included

   166.   Advertising for bids

   167.   Other requirements

   167.1.   Fiscal agent

   168.   Refunding bonds

   169.   Terms of refunding bonds

   170.   Validity of refunding bonds

   171.   Sale or exchange of refunding bonds

ARTICLE XIX: REVENUE BONDS OR CERTIFICATES AND EXCISE TAX BONDS OR CERTIFICATES

   172.   Revenue bonds or certificates; how issued

   172.1.   Excise tax bonds or certificates; how issued

   173.   Sale of revenue bonds or certificates

   174.   Security of revenue bonds or certificates

   175.   Not general obligations

   176.   Fiscal agent

   177.   Duties of the municipality and officers

   178.   Additional powers and duties

   179.   Right to receivership upon default

   180.   Construction of article

   181.   Debt limit

   182.   Anticipation time warrants

ARTICLE XX: SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS FOR LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS

   183.   Improvements authorized

   183.1.   Areas outside municipal limits

   184.   Certificates of indebtedness or revenue certificates

   185.   Resolution of necessity

   186.   Objections to improvements

   187.   Claims arising out of improvements

   188.   Resolution determining to proceed

   189.   Bids on public improvements

   190.   Cost of the improvement

   191.   Method of making special assessments

   192.   Assessment roll and notice

   193.   Assessments against United States or political subdivisions

   194.   Hearing; confirmation of assessment list

   195.   Setting aside special assessments

   196.   Suits, actions, writs, or special proceedings

   197.   Method of collection

   198.   Lien docket

   199.   Special assessment revolving fund

   200.   Assignment of assessment liens

   201.   Foreclosure by city

   202.   Foreclosure when liens assigned

ARTICLE XXI: (RESERVED)

ARTICLE XXII: (RESERVED)

ARTICLE XXIII: (RESERVED)

ARTICLE XXIV: FRANCHISE AND PUBLIC UTILITIES

   228.   Granting of franchises

   229.   Franchise notice and public hearing

   230.   Franchise, general provisions

   231.   Purchasing of public utilities

   232.   Financial provisions

   233.   Establishment of municipally owned and operated utilities

   233.01   Transfer of funds from the water fund or sewer fund prohibited

ARTICLE XXIV A: ANNEXATION

   233.1-233.5 (Reserved)

ARTICLE XXIV B: CONTRACTION OF TERRITORIAL LIMITS

   233.6   Procedure

ARTICLE XXIV C: EXTENSION OF CORPORATE LIMITS

   233.7-233.13 (Reserved)

ARTICLE XXV: GENERAL PROVISIONS

   234.   (Reserved)

   235.   Compensation of officers and employees

   235(a).   Travel expenses

   236.   Oath of office

   237.   Official bonds

   238.   Checks and warrants

   239.   Contracts

   240.   Fees and monies collected

   240.1   Records retention and destruction

   241.   Independent annual audit

   242.   Trustees of sinking fund

   243.   City depositories

   244.   Insurance reserve fund

   244.1   Disaster reserve fund

   245.   (Reserved)

   246.   Continuity of offices, boards, commission or agencies

   247.   Continuance of contracts and public improvements

   248.   Pending actions and proceedings

   249.   Continuity of ordinances

   250.   Leases

   251.   Contracts

   252.   Investigations

   253.   Sale of public property

   254.   Suits for damages

   255.   Effect of this charter on existing laws

   256.   Rights of officers and employees preserved

   257.   Continuance of present officers

   258.   Transfer of records and property

   259.   Title to property reserved to new municipality

   260.   Separability clause

   261.   Procedure for charter changes

   262.   This act to take effect upon its passage and approval by the governor or by its becoming a law without such approval

   263.   Rule of construction; gender

   264.-267. (Reserved)

Editor's note:

   This Charter is derived from Chapter 57-1754, Special Acts 1957, as amended. All amendments are indicated by historical citations enclosed in parentheses following each amended section, and unless so indicated, the Charter remains unchanged from Ch. 57-1754. The official section numbers of the Charter Act have been retained and run from 1 through 262. However, where charter amendments have not maintained the numbering sequence, the editors have assigned point numbers, e.g., section 233.1, 233.2, and the like. Section catchlines have been changed or added where necessary. Sections 1-17 of Ch. 59-1763, specifically amended designated sections of the Charter and are set out herein. Under sections 18 and 20 of the Act, the severability and repealing clauses have been omitted; section 19 providing for amendments to “this Act” reads as follows: “Section 19. This Act, having been approved by referendum of the electors, may be amended, changed or added to at any time by a resolution passed by an affirmative vote of a majority of the City Commission, and ratified by a majority of the votes cast by the qualified electors of this City at a general or special election held for that purpose, after being advertised for at least thirty (30) days previously thereto. Said referendum may be held prior to enactment of the amendment by the State Legislature or ratified subsequent to enactment of the amendment by the State Legislature.”