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Charter review committee gives proposal to council
By JIM HARRINGTON
Article published on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007 |
CLEARWATER – A Charter Review Committee gave its recommendations to the City Council at its Oct. 17 meeting. The 11-member committee was charged by the council with examining every part of the charter and offering its suggestions. Some of those suggestions for review came directly from the council.
Committee chair Jay Polglaze summarized the committee’s suggestions which include changes that might let the city donate surplus, or unneeded, land for workforce or affordable housing. This generally would apply to families whose income meets a predetermined maximum amount.
The committee also suggested that councilmembers and the mayor run for four-year terms starting in 2008, a change which could encourage public interest in running for office and coordinate well with other state and local elections.
One suggestion concerned an idea floated earlier in the year by Mayor Frank Hibbard, who wants to change the city’s form of government from a mayor-council form, to a strong-mayor type like what Tampa and St. Petersburg have.
The committee said it thinks the city’s current form of government serves residents well and shouldn’t be changed. And given that there are no citizens groups advocating this change, it was dropped.
The committee wants the council to look at its salaries every year and make necessary adjustments, whether up or down. The rationale for this proposed change might encourage debate, but it could also inform the public of how much elected officials earn and possibly draw the public into the political process.
As for promoting historical preservation efforts in the city, Polglaze’s group was split in how Clearwater should formally pursue it. Most in the group thought that the city should develop a historic preservation plan and include such language in the charter.
But a minority though that it would be in the city’s best interest if the council were to take it up, said Polglaze.
The committee recommended killing a sentence referring to revenue bonds.
Projects requiring bonds higher than one million dollars would not let staff, the committee determined, to take advantage of a good economy.
“The limitations set by law ensure staff can only issue bonds if a revenue source is identified. If the revenue source is the General Fund ad valorem taxes, a referendum will be required by state law,” reads a charter review memo given to the council.
The last major item addressed by the committee involved water fluoridation, an issue put forth by a group of residents. The committee decided against the residents’ request to include language opposing the mixing of fluoride in the city’s drinking water supply.
That’s an issue, the committee said, that should be dealt with in a city ordinance. The committee solicited the public’s help in coming up with these suggestions. The City Commission will determine what goes on the Jan. 29 ballot.
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Article published on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007
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