What is a Charter?

A charter is the broad governing document for municipal governments. It is generally amended by the people through referendum, derived from the French word for “contract”. A charter is akin to a municipal constitution. The charter defines and limits the powers, duties and responsibility of local government based on local preferences and desires. It defines the form of local government and establishes organizational provision. 

Charter Review Committee

In September of 2023, the City Commission adopted Resolution 2023-267 calling for the creation of a new charter review committee. The last Charter Review Committee was convened in 2015 and various charter amendments were presented to the voters in 2016. The current committee is composed of five members, each appointed by a commissioner. The City Commission directed that the Charter Review Committee take input from residents at two town hall meetings prior to various meetings with the City Commission. The City Commission and the Charter Review Committee invite all interested members of the public to attend and participate in the committee meetings, town halls, and City Commission discussions. 

Charter Resources

Meeting Dates

For your convenience, the events calendar has also been embedded below. Use keyword "charter" for easy filtering.