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.”