City and County ChartersCITY AND COUNTY CHARTERS: DILKFFING, REVISING AND INTE~G
PRACTICAL I$SUI~S AND A MODRL APPROACH BASED ON T[[I~ ORANGE
COUNIT 2000 CHARTRR RBVlEW COMMISSION
R. Dean Cannon, Ir.
Gray, Harris & Robinson, P.A.
I. Introduction
Drafting, revising, and interpreting local government charters can bca great opportunity
to codify the will of thc people and provide for strong local government. It can also be a political
quasm~rc and a legal headache. Because thc adoption of a charter and t~ clmrter review process
involve a mixture of law, politics, and public opinion, it can he volatile, but it can also be orderly
and effective.
This presentation is not dcsigned to be a comprehensive analysis of specific charter cities
and counties in Florida. Rather, this outline will highlight practical issues which may face local
governments and attorneys who become involved with the charter adoption or charier review/
revision process. Hopefully, these materials will provide a framework for anyone involved in
adopting or revising a local government charter~ Most of thc suggestions and ideas presented
b~low are based on the experience of thc Orange County 2000 C'hartcr Review Commission (the
~Orange County
A. lilstorical B~und
Prior to the 1968 Constitution, neither counties nor municipalities had independent
governing powers becausc they both dcrived their authority from legislative acts. The traditional
rule of statutory construction was that any doubt as to the grant or extent of the powers granted
to counties or municipalities should be resolved against the county or municipality asserting the
power. See, e.g., Amos vs. l~atthews~ 99 Fla. 1, 126 So. 308 (Fla. 1930), ~rilliams vs.
Dunnellon, 125 Fla. 114, 169 So. 631 (Fla. 1936), and Heriot vs. City of Pensacola, 108 Fla.
480, 146 So. 654 (Fla. 1933).
Charier govezmnent was designed to help relieve thc state legislature of the details of local
government and grant the city and county electorate greater control over their own affairs. By
broadening thc power of local governments to deal with their own affairs, it became possible m
address more effectively the problems of local government as they arose, Numerous counties
have investigated thc possibility of adopting the charter form of government, and presently 15
counties operate as charter counties.
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B. ' Legal Bnrk~'Ound
This pre~ntation is not ~n_tended to address in detail the scope and application of home rule
powers under Article VIII of the Florida Constitution. Generally speaking, however, home role
powers of charter counties are granted directly under Article VTII, Section l(g) of the Constitution
(1968), which provides:
(g) CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties operating under county charters shall have
all powers of local self~government not inconsistent with general law, or with special law
approved by vote of the electors. The governing body of a county operating under a
charter may cnact county ordinances not inconsistent with general law. The charter shall
provide which shall prevail in the event of conffict between county and municipal
ordinances.
With respect to municipalities, Article VHI, Section 2(b) of the Florida Constitution (1968)
provides:
(b) INDWERS. Municipalities shall have governmental, corporate and proprietary powers
to enable them to conduct municipal government, perform municipal functions and render
municipal services, and' may exercise any power for municipal purposes except as
otherwise provided by law. ~ach municipal legislative body shall be elective.
The general rule is that unless thc Florida Legislature has pre-empted a subject by either
general or special law approved by vote of th~ electors, or has ena~d a general law that conflicts
with th~ local law, a charter county or municipality has full authority to act through the exercise
of its ho~i~c rule powers, For counties, one benefit of adopting a charter form of government is
that it limits the extent to which the legislaturc may modify a county's authority by future
legislative act. For example, charter counties have thc power to pre-empt conflicting municipal
ordinances and the power to avoid intervention of the legislature by certain special laws. (See,
e.g., Broward Coun _ty vs. City of Ft. l~nudard~l.~, 480 So.2d 631 (198:5).
For the purposes of this presentation, it is assumed that a county or municipality desires
to adopt, review, or revise a charter.
II. Getting Started
A. Appointment of a Charter Commission or Charter Review Commission
When a local government seeks to adopt a charter form of government, it may do so by
ordinance pursuam to Section 125.82 of the Florida Statutes, or by adopting a resolution to
appoint an official "Charter Commission' as provided for in Section 125.61 of the Florida
Statutes (1999). A Charter Commission may also be convened upon the submission of a petition
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to thc COunty commission signed by at least 1:5 percent of the qualified electors of the
requesting that a charter commission be established. § 125.61(1), Fla. Stat. (1999). The Chartc~
Commission must be composed of an odd number of not le~s than 11 or more than IS members,
and may be appointed by thc county commission or by the legislative delegation of the county.
§ 123.61(2), Pla. Sial. (1999). No member of the l~-gislamre or board of county commissionc~
may be a member of thc Charter Commission. § 125.61(2), Fla. Stat. (1999).
Section 125.63, Florida Statutes, provides that the Charter Commission 'shall conduct a
comprehensive study of thc operation of count~ government' and of the ways in which thc
conduct of county government mi~ht be improved. Within 18 months of its initial meeting (which
must occur within 30 days of formation), a Char~cr Commission must present to the board of
county commissioners a proposed charter, upon which it has had ~hree public hearings al intervals
of not less than 10 nor more than 20 days. § 125.63, Fla. Stat. (1999). After a Charier
Commission submits a proposed charter to thc board of county commissioners, thc board must
call a special election to be held not more than 90 nor less than 45 days subsequent to irs receipt
of the proposed charter, at which time a referendum election determines whether the proposed
charter is adopted, § 125.65(1), Fla. Stat. (1999).
In the case of a local government which already has a char~er, a 'Charter Review
Commission' (or "CRC~) is usually convened in a manner similar to that of a Char~r
Commission, If a charter already exists, it usually establishes the composition of this Charter
Review Commission and empowers the CRC to conduct a comprehensive study of thc local
government and to propose amendments or revisions to th~ charter. For Oral!ge County, Section
'/02 of its Charter provides chat the CRC closely follows the language of Section 125.61, Florida
Stat'ules, regarding tl~ appointment of Charter Commissions, and provides that the CRC shall
consist of not less than 11 members and not more than 15 members, and which shall be appoints!
by the Board of County Commissioners. (A copy of Orange County's Charter is available as a
handout.)
Whether it is a C'hzrter Commission considering adoption ora charier or a CRC ~eviewing
an existing charter, the commission will include a fairly larl~e number of people as contrasi~l with
a typical elected board of city or county commissioners. In some cases, the Charter Commission
or CRC members will have little or no experience with local government, or they may be very
familiar with the local government and have specific agendas to promote. To the greatest extent
possible, establishirig an enhanced 'comfort level' among the commission members at their early
meetings will likely make things run more smoothly towards the end of the study or review
process,
B. Hiring of staff and legal counsel
The Charter Commission or CRC may hire administrative support staff, and should retain
legal counsel as soon as practical. Staff can be especially helpful in preparing historical materials
or documents for review by thc commission members. More importantly, staff can provide ~a
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cxc~llent mcana to keep interested citizens and/or thc commission members aware of meeting
dates, agenda i~ems, etc. As a practical note, tl~ commission staff can handle publication of
notices of public meetings to comply with thc Sunshin~ law. It will also help to brief thc Charter
Commission or CRC members on tbe Sunshine Law r~strictions regarding communication between
members.
Legal counsel should bc retained by thc Charter Commission or CRC as soon as is
practical. It will be helpful if the attorney is familiar with operational aspects of the local
government, and it is equally important that they be able to work well with the various members
of the Charter Commission or Charter Review Commission. For the Orange County CRC,
competitive proposals were received from law fi~,is before a general counsel was selected.
Regard]ess of how counsel is selected, it is probably preferable for the Chartcr Commission or
CRC. to rctain counsel entirely independent of the local government attorney's office, because it
may reduce any appearance of bias in advising the commitiec regarding potentially significant
changes m the local government structure. Hiring independent legal counsel also allows for
independent represenhltion of the Charter Commission or CRC in the event of litigation, and may
increase the comfor~ level of the commission members.
If you arc advising a Charier Commission or CRC, be sensitive to thc fact ~hat public
dollars are being spent, and attempt to eshablish ground roles early in rite process for how work
will be assigned, wlmn work will bc done, and so on.
If the local government attorney has not already briefed the Charter Commission or CRC
on Sunshine Law requiremems regarding communications between members and public meetings,
the attorney will probably want to do this as soon as possible after being retained.
C. Issues Re!ating to Adopting New Charters
If a local government is considering adopti~ a clmrmr wberc none bas previously existed,
a few additional practical considerations are worth noting. Voters may be naturally resistant to
change. This inertia may be overcome, however, by several means.
First, effective communication about the prospcet of adopting a chat~r is essential. It may
be hclpful to emphasize the fact that adopting a charier do~s not necessarily cause any significant
restructuring of a local government, except as the citizens may deem appropriate. It will likewise
be important to solicit a good sampling of public opinion about various basic operational issues
which may be addressed in the new charter. (Sec discussion of Potential Charter Issues, below.)
Finally, it also may be helpful to point out that ~hc prospective charter, if adopted, may later be
re-examined and amended on a regular basis if the citizens so desire.
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HI. Before Considerinl~ Adoption or Amendments, Review History
A. Review the Documentnry History
When considering adoption of a charter or reviewing an existing chatter, a good first step
is to review the local government's existing structure (in the case of a potent/al charter adoption)
or to review thc existing charter (if considering revisions to an existing charier). It is important
to not assume that the members of thc Charter Commission or CRC are aware of the structure of
the existing local government or the provisions of the existing charter_ It may seem overly
fuv, damental, but a clear understanding of what the government or charter does (and does not do)
will save time later on in the process.
The attorney for the Charter Commission or CRC can go a long way Wwards helping the
members understand the limits of home rule powers, the meaning of provisions of an'existing
charter, and any other aspect of the legal or political landscape which may affect the charter
adoption or review process.
If a local government is reviewing (as opposed to adopting) a charter, the charter review
comm/ssion should also examin~ previous amendments or alternative charter provisions which
were or were not adopted. In Orange County, 14 charter related questions have appeared on
ballots since the charter took effect on 3anuary l, 1987. Of those 14 proposals, only thrcc have
been voted down. Ensuring that the commission members have a thorough understanding of
previous successful and unsuccessful proposed charter amendments may help them to better
evaluate prospective future amendments to the charter.
If possible, the charter review commission may enlist thc help of the supervisor of
elections to summarize the history of previous proposed charter amendments. For the Orange
County CRC, Supervisor of Eiectior~ Bill Cowles p[cpared an excellent summary of all previous
proposed chat-er amendments, and included detailed voter mm-out and vote total summary
information to assist the CRC members. (A copy of the 'Election History of the Orange County
Charter - I986 through 1996' is available as a handout.)
I:inally, the review of past charter provisions av.d relevant local government issues should
include an analysis and discussion of previous litigation or appellate decisions addressing the
validity of ballot questions, prospective amendments, or government structure issues. If there
have been problems in the past, it may be instructive to know the outcomes of those disputes
bcfor¢ proposing any furore charter provisions or amendments.
B. Obtain Input from Appropriate Groups
After (or in conjunction with) a review of appropriate written historical information, a
Chartcr Commission or CRC should hear input from people who may have knowledge germane
to a prospective chat~ter or charter amendmem. A Charter Commission or CRC may wish to
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begin by hearing from sitting or former commissioners of the local government entity. Since
many of the issues which may be governed by a charter (see discussion of Potential Charter
Issues, below) can affect the powers and duties of the elected officials, it is helpful to understand
their perspective. With respect to issues like salaries of commissioners or whether constitutional
officers such as the property appraiser or sheriff should be made into icharter offices" may be
benefitted by ha,.,ing input from the sitting commissioners and/or the sitting constitutional officers.
In addition, the County staff may be able to identify ~nuts and bolts~ issues of local
government structure or operation which might be addressed by a prospective charter or charter
amendment. Also, members of previous charter review commissions may providc helpful
historical perspective when reviewing a charter for possible revision.
For ~he Orange County CRC, input was also obtained from mayors or representatives of
nearly all the municipalities within the county. For the most part, few municipal officers
proposed changes to the county's charter, but the effort was itill worthwhile in the eyes of most
of the CRC members.
Finally, the Charter Commission or CRC will want to obtain input from the public.
Because the work product of the Charter Commission or Ch*rter Review Commission will
ultimately he placed on the ballot for consideration by the voting ptlblic, it makes sense to solicit
widespread and thorough public input in deciding what questions to put forward for consideration.
At the outset, a Charter Commission or CRC will benefit from a ~big picture~ approach
to soliciting public input. For the Orange County CRC it was decided to solicit public input at
~public hearings" and then to have inte,/~ediate 'workshops~ to discuss prospective charter
amendments and other administrative matters. Tim CRC adopted a plan to keep track of every
potential charter amendment which was suggested by a member of the public, a government
official, or any other person who proposed an idea for a charter amendment. These ideas were
recorded on a 'master list,' which enabled staff and the CRC members to easily identify the
person who proposed a potential chatter amendment along with the substance of the amendment.
Staff and general counsel for the CRC then sorted the master list by subject matter and identified
sections of the existing charter which might be aff~ by the proposed 9rnerldlrlents or additions.
Citizens were allowed to clarify or supplement their proposed ideas before a pre-set deadline, after
which the list was finalized alld submitted to the CRC for review.
The benefits of this approach are several. First, it has been extremely helpful to have a
single focus for each meeting, either hearing input from the public or others, or else discussing
and debating the business of the CRC, but not both. Second, by assembling and organizing a
#master list" of prospective charter amgndments or ideas, the CRC members are able to identify
broad areas of concern, as well as easy ~grouping~ of prospective ideas together to det~,iine
their relative merits. Finally, many suggestions from the public may not be suitable for inclusion
in the charler or even relate to .local government (e.g., federal questions like the income tax or
issues relating to immigration, etc.), but having the list simplifies debate when it comes time to
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consider actual ballot questions for submission to the voters.
Lastly, most m~mbers of the public are not even aware of how local governments are
structured, let alone issues relating to charter government or the charter review process. To help
overcome this lack of information, a Charter Commission or CRC may wish to have numerous
meetings around the geographic limits of the city or county, and to seek out citizen groups in
order to make them aware of the consideration of a charter or charter review process.
IV. Consider the Implications of Community Trends and Future Changes in the City or
County
Because a char~er del'roes thc very structure of local government, and because local
government must deal with local changes in demographics, economics, land use, thc environment,
~ political issues, any considgration of a prospective charter or chaRer amendment may benefit
from rese~ching any one of these areas. In Florida, the population grows daily, and because of
Florida's geography and economy, unique forces are applied to local governments. Because most
members of a Charter Commission or Charter Review Commission will not typically be experts
in economics, demographics, environmental issues, and other relevant subject matters, it may be
worthwhile to retain experts to prepare reports or answer questions as they may relate to
restructuring local goverllnmnt. Obviously, cost will be a major consideration in determining
whether to hire experts. ~n some cases, professors, consultartts, or other experts may be willing
to volunteer to research particular issues for the Charter Commission or CRC.
Because local governments vary so widely in size and type, any consideration of a
prospective charter or charter amendment, must be tailored to the needs of the community
involved. In some areas of Florida, growth and territorial issues will predominate, whereas in
others economic and dc~.ographic issues may he pushed to the forefront by, for example, a large
populations of retirees. In any event, a Charter Commission or charter review commission should
be sensitive to the demographic makeup of the citizens which will be affected the prospective
charter, and it may be wise to obtain specialized research on these issues.
Finally, Chatter Commissions and CRCs should remember that they do not operate in a
vacuum. Rather, chal~r consideration and charter review are cyclical processes and a particular
Charter Commission or CRC may not adopt or change a clutr~er, hut can still produce beneficial
work product for future committees. Therefore, it would be prudent'for a Charter Commission
or CRC to generate meaningful archives of research and/or keep track of public input which can
be reconsidered by future Charter Commissions or charter review commissions.
Potential Charter Issues
Any analysis of local government structure will probably include certain fundamer~t~l
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issues of structure and organization. Set forth below are some basic practical issues which may
be suitable for considexation by a Charter Commission or CRC. However, no matter which hsues
are considered, it is important that a Charter Commission or CRC do two things: Cu~t, establish
a means to keep track of ideas, suggestions, and proposals for charter provisions from the
beginnitlg; and, second, establish a means w prioritize prospective suggestions and then narrow
the field of ideas to a manageable level.
The Orange County CRC decided to develop the comprehensive master list of proposed
charter suggestions, and then have one or more meetings where the only order of business was
to "narrow the field" by going through the list and considering each prospective proposal, iA
copy of a dr-afl ]~[aster List of proposals/suggestions for the Orange County CRC is available as
a handout.) Before this meeting, staff and general counsel grouped the prospective ideas
according to subject roarer, and identified which charter section or sections might be affected by
~he proposed amendment. From a practical standpoint, this approach significantly expedit~
consideration of prospective charter amendmen~ as a Charter Commission or CRC contcmplate~
finaliz~g its work~
A. Consider Adopting "Threshold Rules"
As a means ~o narrow fl~ field, the Orange County CRC adopted certain "threshold rules'
to govern its evaluation of prospective charter amendments. These rules basically provided that
the master list of prospective charter amendments would bc presented to thc Commission, and that
each prospective amendment be further considered only upon Han affn'mative vntc of one-third
or greater of thc Commissioners present and voting" at the Commission meeting. Thus, if a
prospective charter amendment was not supported by one-third of the Commissioners, it was
dropped from further consideration.
After the first ~round" of sorting through the list, the Orange County CRC rules provided
.as follows:
"Before a proposed charter amendment shall be sent to the general counsel for drafting
proposed ballot language and proposed charter amendment language, such proposed
amendment must receive an aff'umative vote of one-half or greater of the Commissioners
present and voting on the proposed amendment. ~
The practical effect of this rule is that atwrn=y time and CRC member time is focused on
evaluating ordy chose prospective charter amendments which arc supported by at least half of thc
CRC members for further consideration.
Finally, the Orange County CRC established that a proposed charier amendment and
ballot question may be submitted to thc ballot ~only upon an affirmative vote of two-thirds or
greater of the Commissioners present and voting on thc proposed amcndment. ~ This rcquin:ment
of a two-thirds majority reflected the con~ensus opinion by the CRC that a prospective charter
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amendment would probably have difficulty garnering support from a majority of the voting public
if it could not get two-thirds of th-' CRC to agree to allow its consideration. Other locai
governments may justify an alternative approach, but it will depend largely on the philosophies
and attitudes of the Charter Commission or CRC members.
B, Basic Charter Issue Cheek List
Thc following reflects a general list--in outline form-of issues which may be addressed
by a Charter Commission or CRC. It is by no means exhaustive, but may provide a framework
for local governments considering adoption or revision of a charter.
Powers of County Government
II.
n,Vhat powers and duties should the County have?
Bo
The powers and duties as specified by the Constitution and State
Statutes.
Co
Thc powers a_nd duties as specified by the Constitution and State
Statutes plus those not inconsistent with general law.
The powers and duties as specified by the Constitution and State
Statutes plus only those as specified in the Charter, such as:
Separation of Powers
a) Legislative Branch
b) Executive Branch
c) Power to set salaries of officers and employees
d) Power to create special taxing districts
County Legislative Branch
1.
How should the County Commission be organized?
Au
B.
C,
D.
11.
How many members?
How are they elected?
Should there he a Party Affdiation?
What should be the Length of Teatu?
What Type of Position should it be?
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F. Should there be a Residency Re~qu~ment?
G. How should the Commissioners be paid?
H. How should Vacancies in Office be filled?
I. How should I~lection Districts be handled?
$. What powers and duties should be given to the County Commission?
K. What presiding officers should the Commission have?
L. Where are the meetings held?
M. What constitutes a Quorum a~l Majorities?
N. How should the Recording, Printing, & Codification of records be
handled?
County Attorney
A. What method should be used to select a County Attorney?
B. How should the County Attorney be removed?
C. How should the salary level of the County Attorney he set?
D. What requirements should be specified for the position of the
/County Attorney?
County Audi~r
B.
C.
D.
E.
Should the position of internal auditor be established in the Charter?
What method should be needed to select an Internal Auditor?.
How should the Internal Auditor be removed?
How should the salary level of tim Internal Auditor be set?
What requirements should be specified for thc position of Internal
Auditor?
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l~. County Executive Branch
1. County Administrator
A. What method should be used to select/appoint a County
Administrator?
B. How should thc Administrator bc removed?
C. How should thc salary level of the Administrator bc set?
What Requirements should be specified for the Position of County
Administrator?
E. What Powers and Duties should hc assigned to the County
Administrator?
F. What should be the line of succession for the County
Adrninis~rator?
Should there be a provision to specify Non-Interfereoce of
Legislative Branch?
Should the offices and departments of County government be specified in
the Charter? If yes. how should they be organized?
Ao
The off'me and dapartrnmut should bc organized according to the
function being performed and would include which of thc
following:
ii. Administration
Hi. Support
iv. Operations
v. Finance Department
vi. Engineering
vii. Other
With regard to rh_e various Administrative Heads and their duties, which of
the following should apply?
Ao
Should ~here be Elected Adrmnistrativc Heads and if so, what
should they b~?
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IV.
B. Should there be appointed Administrative Heads and if so. what
should they be?
County £lccmd Officials
1. Should thc clcctcd officials be clecmd or appointcd?
A. Office ~lectexl
Do
Sheriff
Property Appraiser
Tax Collector
Supervisor of Elections
Clerk of Court
Comptroller
Who should have Final Authority for Budget Approval?
Sheriff
Property Appraiser
Tax Collector
Supervisor of Elections
Clerk of Court
Comptroller
Should the Constitutional Officers be required to use Central
Service?
Sheriff
Property Appraiser
Tax Collector
Supervisor of Elections
Clerk of Court
Comptroller
Should the County Attorney Represent the O~her Elected Officials?
Standir~ Boards and Authority
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l. Should the Charter specify that a Zoning Board be esr~blisbed? If so, how?
A. Members
B. Duties should include?
C. The authority of the Zoning Board should be?
D. Decisions of thc Zoninff Board could be appealed m?
2. Should thc Charier specify that a Planning Commission be created? If so,
how?
A. Members
B. Duties should include?
C. The Authority of the Planning Commission should be?
D. Decisions of the Planning Commission could be appealed to?
Initiative, Referendum and Recall
1. Should Citizen Initiative to Enact Laws be permitt4ed?
A. Petition of Voters-how many?
B. Subject to Referendum-thresholds?
C. Initiative prohibited with regard to?
2. Should Citizen Referendum to Repeal Laws be permitted?
A. Pedtion of Voters
B. Subject to Referendum
3. Should there be a method to Recall County Comm/ssioners and Other
I~lected Officials from office?
A. Petition of Voters?
B. By Governor for cause
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Scheduling of Referendum
How to Fill Vacancy?
In accordance with general law procedures, or?.
Vll. C, en~ral Provisions
Should the Charter limit the ability of the Coumy Commission to issue
bond and/or other debt instruments? If so, how?
Commission shall have tim authority to issue general obligation
bonds paid for property taxes only with approval of a county-wide
referendum.
Commission shall have the authority to issue revenue bonds, where
the revenue from the project pays the deb~ service, only with the
approval of a referendum of the people from the area encompassed
or served by thc project.
C. Bonds can be issued by negotiated contract
Bonds can be issued only by competitive bidding based upon lowest
nat interest cost.
How should Ordinance Adoption he handled?
B.
C.
D.
Public Notice
Public Hearings
Emergency Procedures
As specified in general law
How should a Conflict of a County Ordinance with a Municipal Ordinance
be bandied?
Ao
County Ordinance prevails
City Ordinance prevails
City Ordinmme prevails except in areas of?.
What should be the effect, if any, of thc Charter with regard to local laws
and their Special Acts?
How should a conflict of a County Ordinance with a Municipal Ordinance
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bchand~d?
6. Should th~ Charter specify a Code of Ethics for County Government?
Who shall be named as a party for the County in legal actions involving thc
County?
Should lite Charter address the appointment or employment of former
elected officials and employees?
9. What method(s) should bc specified in order to amend thc Charter?
10. Shall thc Charter specify a method for repeal of thc Charter?
11.
Should the Charter establish a method for periodic or continual review of
thc Charter?
12.
Should th~ Charter contain a provision permitting the County Commission
to review, establish or t~u.inate special districts?
VI. Ballot Questions/Prospective Amendments
Finally, after sifting through the proposals, a Charter Commission or CRC may ultimately
decide to propose adoption of a charter or propose amendments to an existing charter. Counsel
should be sure to draft BOTH ballot questions and proposed charier amendment language, because
both are necessary, and r~viewing both may crys~allise concerns'not readily observable by just
reading the proposed ballot questions. In fact, it is important to have the proposed ballot
questions .and amendment language prepared to allow the CRC adequate time to review a~A
approve the final versions of each.
In cooperation with the .Supervisor of Elections, the CRC should ensure compliance with
any technical requirements of an already existing charter regarding publication and notification
of the proposed ballot questions and amendment language. Although it is not necessary,
adherence to a "single subject role' when drafting ballot qucstions and amendment language will
probably reduce the potential for voter confusion and later litigation.
VII. Conclusion
With careful planning and a practical approach, the task of adopting or revising a local
government charter can be a positive experience. The Orange County CRC methodology will
hopefully provide & helpful framework for local governments and attorneys involved in the charter
adoption or review process.
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