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.”