City charter questions

Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 27, 2000

Treasure Island residents in all four districts will have an opportunity to vote on eight proposed amendments to the city charter. All charter changes must be approved by the voters. The questions scheduled to appear on the March 7 ballot are:

1. COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP. Should residents who serve on city boards or committees be permitted to serve on other temporary boards or committees at the same time? The charter currently prohibits elected or appointed members of boards or committees from serving on more than one panel at the same time.

2. POLICE DEPARTMENT. Should the charter require a vote by all five of the city commissioners or a referendum by the registered voters before the Treasure Island police or fire departments could be abolished? City commissioners currently can abolish those departments with a simple majority vote.

3. ELECTRONIC COMMISSION VOTES. Should the charter allow for electronic voting by commissioners? Electronic tabulation would allow commissioners to press a button to cast their votes and display all of the votes at the same time. Currently, commissioners vote verbally and the votes are tabulated by the deputy city clerk.

4. PASSING ORDINANCES. Should the charter be changed to shorten the length of time that it takes for ordinances to be adopted? Currently, proposed ordinances have to be passed on three separate readings. The proposal would change the requirement to two readings and shorten the time from 14 to 10 days that the proposals have to be advertised in the newspaper.

5. ORDINANCE EFFECTIVE DATE. Should ordinances become effective 10 days instead of 5 days after they are adopted? The 10-day effectiveness date would be in accordance with state law.

6. CHARTER WORDING. Should the wording of the charter be changed to refer to the city's personnel and procedures as the "career service system?" The change would simply update the wording in the charter.

7. PROPOSING CHARTER CHANGES. Should it be easier for citizens to propose changes to the charter? The charter now requires a petition signed by at least 25 percent of the city's qualified voters (those registered to vote in the most recent election) to propose amendments. The change would lower the required number of signatures to 10 percent of the qualified electors.

8. PETITION TIME LIMIT. Should the city set a time limit for residents to collect signatures on a petition to initiate or reconsider an ordinance? The current charter sets no time limit, but the city's charter committee recommended that petitions for those issues be filed with the city within 90 days. In addition, the proposed change would require signatures from at least 25 percent of the qualified electors for an initiative petition seeking a reconsideration of an ordinance adopted by the city commission. It also would require signatures from at least 20 percent of the qualified voters for initiative petitions to propose new ordinances.

The city published a brochure listing the proposed amendments and how they will appear on the ballot. The brochures are available for free at City Hall, 120 108th Ave., at the Community Center, One Park Place, or at the Treasure Island Golf, Tennis and Recreation Center, 10315 Paradise Blvd.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.