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City charter could use another look

The Largo City Commission seems fractured by political disagreements and personal animosity these days, but Tuesday night the commissioners got together on an important issue: They seemed to agree to let a committee of residents review the city charter.

Past city commissions - and until Tuesday, the current one - have tightly held the authority to review the city charter, an important document approved by voters that sets forth how the city government will operate.

City charters typically have a provision requiring a review of the document every five to 10 years by a committee of residents. The committee proposes changes to the voters.

Regular reviews make a city charter a living document by updating it as laws and customs change. And giving a committee the opportunity to propose changes allows residents to consider amendments - such as term limits for elected officials - that the elected officials might never propose.

However, Largo's charter, more than 30 years old, does not call for a regular review, and it does not establish a charter review committee. The City Commission alone has brought forward recent charter amendments voters have seen on their ballots. The only way Largo residents could have gotten a charter change on the ballot was by utilizing the laborious petition process.

No more. On Tuesday in a work session, commissioners reached a consensus to create a 15-member charter review committee. Residents may apply to serve on the committee, and commissioners will make the appointments, trying to make sure that all parts of the city are represented. Any changes proposed by the committee would go on the ballot in March.

Commissioners also agreed that a city staff person should be assigned to help the committee, that the group should get a little training on city charters before starting its deliberations, and that the public should be invited to the group's meetings.

Because Tuesday was a work session, the commissioners will have to confirm their consensus with a vote at a regular meeting.

Reviewing a charter isn't easy, but it isn't rocket science. Those who apply to serve on the committee should be able to read and understand the material in the charter, comprehend some basic legal concepts, have plenty of time to devote to regular meetings and reading homework for the next six months or so, and have a deep interest in local government.

They also should not have an ax to grind. Their purpose is not to push their personal agendas, but to build a charter that can serve well generations of Largo residents and government officials.

[Last modified April 14, 2005, 01:15:22]