Tallahassee city commission votes to begin belated charter review, taps brakes on timeline
Tallahassee city commissioners voted to begin a belated review of the city’s charter — a move that could bring major changes to the local government — though they tapped the brakes on an expedited timeline, putting in doubt whether amendments would appear on ballots in 2024.
During a Wednesday commission meeting, City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox moved, with a second from Mayor John Dailey, to proceed with a charter review next month and follow an abbreviated timeline laid out by staff.
Under the timeline, commissioners would have appointed members of a citizen’s committee in October to study and make recommendations on charter changes from December through February. Their report would have been done by March, with public hearings in May and amendments appearing on general election ballots next year.
But Commissioners Jeremy Matlow, Jack Porter and Curtis Richardson, who often votes with Dailey and Williams-Cox on key issues, all expressed reservations about moving too quickly. They prevailed on a 3-2 substitute motion to build in an extra two months to make citizen appointments. Under the revised timeline, it’s unclear whether proposals would make it to the Supervisor of Elections in time to make the ballot.
Commissioners Curtis Richardson and Jack Porter both expressed concerns about a possible change in the way commissioners are elected and the impact that could have on diversity. One proposal in the political ether could see commissioners elected from single, geographically based districts rather than citywide, something that could reduce minority voting power on the board.
“I’m really concerned about that district issue,” Richardson said. “That’s going to have to be a discussion that this entire community has — and that one can’t be rushed. Too much went into getting us to where we are with the school board and county commission. And I want to get it right rather than doing it quickly on that issue.”
Porter said nothing was more important than the charter, which she called “the bedrock of the city.” She said the city should give enough time for citizens to apply and commissioners consider their qualifications.
“It is something that even the most tuned-in resident, including commissioners, need help in understanding and navigating, and understanding the long term impacts of the decisions that we could make and that other cities have made,” she said. “I mean, we could go into districts, and there could be only one commissioner of color ever elected again based on the segregation of our city.”
Dailey argued that the staff timeline would give ample time for the process to unfold and that extensions could be granted. The mayor, who was re-elected last year, again said it was time for the city to explore expanding the city commission beyond its five members. But he said he wasn’t necessarily interested in changing the city’s form of government.
“I do think council-management serves us well,” Dailey said. “I don’t think that our community would be served well with a strong mayor form of government, quite frankly. Nor do I think we should take a step back and go to the rotating mayor. I think we’re large enough to keep the form of government with a directly elected ceremonial mayor.”
While other local governments, Leon County included, conduct charter reviews every 10 years, the city hasn’t had one since 2009. In 2020, city commissioners discussed a possible charter review but didn't proceed with one.
In 1996, voters approved a charter amendment that ended the city’s rotating mayor system, in which commissioners took turns serving in the post, to an elected mayor. In 2014, voters overwhelmingly approved a charter amendment that was initiated by citizens, not commissioners, that created the Independent Ethics Board.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee City Commission charter review begins amid concerns
