Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutBack-Up DocumentsMARKET RESEARCH Contract No.: N/A Current Term: N/A Expiration Date: N/A Title: City Charter Reform: Best Practices Recommendation: ❑ Sole Source Contract Solicit❑Competition ❑ Access Contract Procurement Contracting Officer: James Justin Griffin Other Background: Pursuant to Chapter 166, Florida Statutes, every municipality in the State of Florida must have a city charter that contains basic provisions for their organization and function. A charter is the foundation of a local government and functions as the municipal equivalent of a state or federal constitution. The present charter of the City of Miami ("City"), except for later amendments and additions, was proposed by a charter board of 15 citizens elected at a charter board election, held January 21, 1921. The City's most recent version of the Charter was republished in 2018 by Order of City Commission Resolution R-18- 0261. Since 1968, counties in the State of Florida may also have charters, which resemble constitutions that must be approved by the voters of a county. The provisions that counties have at their level of government supersede the provisions in city charters. To date, there are 20 charter counties in Florida. Research was conducted into the resources available to cities seeking to reform their charters, the charter review processes of other cities and counties in Florida, and the "Best Practices" for charter reform. Research Conducted: On January 25, 2024, the Miami City Commission ("Commission") directed the City of Miami's Office of the City Manager ("City Manager") to provide market research on charter reform. The Department of Procurement ("Procurement") has been tasked with researching "best practices" related to charter reform and to discuss the practices of other organizations, municipalities, and counties. The research and the information provided is discussed below. ORGANIZATIONS National Civic League ("NCL") https://www.nationalcivicleaque.orq/ Founded in 1894, the National Civic League ("NCL") is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communities. The NCL applies civic engagement principles through its research and publications, among other ways. The NCL's preeminent publications are the Model City Charter ("Model Charter") and Guide to Charter Commissions ("Guide"). The Model Charter provides a baseline charter for reference when creating a new charter or amending an existing charter. The Guide provides insights, suggestions, strategies, and guidance to facilitate the work of charter commissions. The Guide is designed to be used in conjunction with the Model City Charter and is divided into three (3) parts: (1) Introduction to the Charter Process; (2) The Charter Review, and; (3) The Charter Document. One feature of the Guide is a summary of the charter review process done in a chronological manner. See Exhibit 1, Florida Charter Counties. 1 The need for an active, focused engagement of a diverse and representative group of community members is emphasized throughout the summary. Another feature of the Guide is to describe the role of the main stakeholders, including but not limited to, the Charter Commission, Chairperson, Legal Expert, and Citizens. Next, the Guide provides a "Do's and Don'ts" section for Charter Commission members. Ultimately, the goal is to produce a "good charter" that can be described as being: (1) straightforward; (2) consistent; (3) thorough, but not exhaustive; (4) flexible; and (5) focused on the fundamentals. The Model Charter has been used by cities for over 120 years to structure their municipal governments and draft or revise their charters. Notably, the Model Charter promotes the council-manager form of government as the core organizational feature. The council-manager system vests all powers of the subject city in a popularly elected council, which appoints a professional manager who is continuously responsible to the public and removable by the council. Additionally, the Mayor is described as "chief legislator, the leader of the policy -making team" and can either be defined as "weak" or "strong." Another area of emphasis of the Model Charter is the commitment to social equity. This Model Charter suggests the creation of a department ("Equity Office") whose sole task is to provide support to other divisions in local government with respect to the adoption of an equity lens. Alternatively, each department might designate an individual or a small team to serve as a lead resource within their department and a liaison to the City Manager's Equity Office. The final area of emphasis in the Model Charter is the expansion of public engagement in the charter commission. Ideally, the mechanisms for public engagement should have an approach to involving residents that welcomes their participation in the implementation or "coproduction" of services and solutions to problems. This structure is laid out in Article VII, The Role of Public Engagement in Local Governance, which identifies the forms of engagement that should be promoted in local government and the principles guiding the subject city's public participation processes. Florida League of Cities ("FLC") https://flcities.com/about-pages/about The Florida League of Cities ("FLC") was formed in 1922 to serve the needs of Florida's cities and promote local self-government. The FLC provides members with tailored advocacy tools and training programs designed specifically for municipal officials. It also serves as administrator for the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust, offers innovative financial solutions to Florida's local governments, and provides contractual support services to several statewide municipal and professional associations. The FLC provided a PowerPoint presentation that is an educational session on charters and "best practices" that go along with the NCL's Model City Charter's resources.2 The best practices listed in the presentation include the following: • Using a website for agendas, meeting minutes, and the display of current and proposed language to help engage citizens; • If a referendum is scheduled, develop a "FAQ" section for the website; • Consider partnering with other civic organizations to help with forums, public discussions; • Avoiding granting specific charter powers to more than one entity; • Using clear language in charter sections that cover elections, especially in describing qualifications for office, and; • Using less language overall in charter sections. 2 See Exhibit 2, Presentation for the City of Tallahassee, dated January 25, 2024, by Lynn Tipton, Director of FLC University. 2 The FLC's presentation further discussed trends in the form of government, charter review time periods, and petition provisions. Additionally, the FLC offered to provide a similar presentation tailored to the City of Miami at no charge. Further resources available from the FLC include FLC University, which provides tools, educational programs, resources and best practices for charter commissions and stakeholders. Miami -Dade County League of Cities ("MDCLC") https://mdcic.orq/ The MDCLC serves as the local liaison for the FLC and provides the organizational framework for Miami - Dade County's municipalities to work together. The MDCLC is a smaller organization but can assist the City as needed in any charter review process. One of the MDCLC's main events is the Best Practices Conference, which is held annually in October. The conference provides a series of presentations and discussions centered around topics relevant to local governments. Such topics include flood resilience, home rule, redistricting, civic involvement, and housing affordability. Additionally, the Miami -Dade County League of Cities and its City Attorneys Advisory Committee developed the 2019 Elected Officials' Handbook ("Handbook") as a service to elected officials. The Handbook is a general guide intended to provide initial orientation for elected officials. Some of the topics discussed include the roles of appointed and elected officials, applicable laws for local government, and ethics. COUNTIES & MUNICIPALITIES Miami -Dade County ("MDC") https://www.miamidade.gov/global/government/charter/task-force-2017/home.page https://www.miamidade.gov/charter/library/2018-02-26-final-report.pdf Miami -Dade County became the first home rule County in Florida with the adoption of the Home Rule Charter in 1957. Section 9.08 of MDC's Home Rule Charter ("Charter") requires that the Board of County Commissioners ("BCC"), at least once in every five year period, review the Charter and determine whether or not there is need for revisions, which then must be approved by an affirmative vote of the electorate. On March 20, 2017, the BCC approved Resolution No. R-304-17 creating a Charter Review Task Force ("CRTF"). The CRTF proceeded in 2017 and was comprised of 15 members, with 13 of the members appointed by each County Commissioner, one by the Mayor of Miami -Dade County, and one by the Chair of the Miami -Dade Legislative Delegation. The CRTF website (see link above) was launched on June 28, 2017. The comprehensive website includes a list of Task Force members and valuable information such as charter history, previous task force reports, research performed by staff and benchmarking information. The CRTF website also contains the agendas, meeting recordings, meeting materials, and supplemental materials for each meeting that took place from 2017 through 2018. The CRTF was charged with the following tasks in conducting its charter review: 1. Study the Final Report of the last Charter Review Task Force; 2. Study all proposed charter amendments submitted to the voters since the last Charter Review Task Force issued its recommendations; 3. Invite knowledgeable members of the community to appear and make recommendations; 3 4. Invite representatives of Miami -Dade County's municipalities to appear and make recommendations; 5. Conduct public hearings at various stages in the review process; 6. Conduct regional public meetings to convey recommendations of the CRTF and reconvene to consider any public comments prior to submission of a final report to the Board of County Commissioners recommending charter amendment proposals and placement of such proposals on the General Election ballot. 7. Issue a Final Report (see link above). The CRTF conducted meetings from June 2017 through February 2018 pursuant to the Code of MDC. These meetings afforded the public the opportunity to provide input on possible amendments to the Charter. In an effort to encourage attendance by the public, CRTF members scheduled all meetings at 6:00 p.m. in the evening to allow residents an opportunity to attend. Internet technology, social media and the County's Communications Department greatly improved the CRTF's ability to gather public input. The CRFT provided the Final Report to the BCC on February 18, 2018, setting forth its written recommendations for any proposed amendments or revisions to the Charter. The Final Report detailed the entirety of the CRTF's actions including the public input process, issues for study, research, recommendations, and an appendix of materials germane to the process. Eight (8) final recommendations were approved by the CRTF for amendment to the Charter. These recommendations included: 1. Recommendation Nos. 1A and 1B a. Increases to Commissioners' compensation. b. Creation of an independent salary commission to annually set the Commissioners' and Mayor's compensation. 2. Recommendation No. 2 a. Provide for nonpartisan elections. 3. Recommendation No. 3 a. Repeal term limits for County Commissioners. 4. Recommendation No. 4 a. Change the name of the Office of Commission Auditor to the Commission of the Office of Budget and Research and remove the requirement that the Director be a certified public accountant. 5. Recommendation No. 5 a. Limit the requirement for a County appointed official or employee of the County who qualifies as a candidate for elective office to take a leave of absence and, if elected to forfeit his or her County position, only to those who qualify for County elective office. 6. Recommendation No. 6 a. Preclude persons circulating Initiative and Referendum petitions from paying or receiving payment on a basis related to the number of signatures obtained for circulating the petition. 7. Recommendation No. 7 a. Provide that the County Commission shall determine the legal sufficiency of citizen Initiative and Referendum petitions prior to collection of signatures. 8. Recommendation No. 8 a. Amend the Charter to provide that the names of unopposed candidates for Mayor and County Commissioners shall not appear on the runoff election ballot and a runoff election shall not take place. b. Each unopposed candidate shall be deemed to have voted for himself or herself. No votes cast in favor of any candidate who withdraws or becomes disqualified or deceased prior to any election shall be counted. 4 c. In the event that no candidate has qualified for Mayor or County Commissioner, a vacancy shall be deemed to have occurred, and shall be filled as provided by this Charter for the filling of a vacancy. City of Jacksonville, Florida ("Jacksonville") https://www.iacksonville.gov/city-council/charter-revision-commission.aspx Jacksonville's Charter Revision Commission ("JCRC") was initiated in 2009 by the passing of Ordinance 2004-584-E. Per the Ordinance, the JCRC was appointed in May 2009, "and shall thereafter be reappointed every ten years during the month of May in the year prior to the taking of the U.S. decennial census." The JCRC is mandated to present its recommendations for charter amendments to the City Council and the Duval Legislative Delegation within eight (8) months from the date of its first meeting. Transparency in the charter reform process is maintained via a webpage containing links to reports, memos, notices, meetings, email submissions, etc. The JCRC began its work by soliciting topic ideas from its membership and from the general public on issues believed to be worthy of study by the group and the development of potential recommendations for charter changes. Public input was invited at a town hall meeting and via a dedicated JCRC e-mail address. Next, the JCRC heard presentations from 18 speakers including current and former city officials, industry leaders, educators, and law enforcement. Several dozen topics were suggested, which the Chairperson and the JCRC members grouped into nine (9) broad headings of closely related issues. A tenth category was created containing miscellaneous items and topics that did not obviously fall under one of the other headings. The (ten) 10 headings were as follows: 1. Preserving Institutional Knowledge in Public Officials; 2. Office of General Counsel; 3. Revive Urban Services District; 4. Dedicated Funding for the Health Department; 5. Duval County School Board; 6. Ethics; 7. City -Wide Strategic Planning; 8. Government Structure; 9. State Uniform Judicial System, and; 10. Miscellaneous Topics. The commissioners determined that three committees, each with one-third of the commission membership, would be created to investigate the three top -ranked topic areas. After a thorough discussion of the topics and re -grouping some of the items within the headings, the group voted on the following top priorities: reviving an urban services district; government structure and preserving institutional knowledge (combining topics #1 and #8); and city-wide strategic planning (#7) The JCRC Chairperson volunteered to review and make recommendations on the "one-off' items in the tenth "miscellaneous" category. The JCRC also engaged in considerable discussion about whether to appoint a committee on General Counsel issues, to assign the General Counsel issues to one of the three committees, or to not discuss General Counsel issues because it was not ranked as one of the top three issues by vote of the commissioners. A decision was made to permit committees to address the Office of General Counsel if they found it to be relevant to the committee's assigned topic. The aforementioned three committees met on a weekly or bi-weekly basis from November 2019 through February 2020 to explore their issues, hearing from invited speakers, reviewing documents, requesting research from City staff, contacting other jurisdictions, and otherwise examining topics of interest to 5 develop potential charter amendments. Throughout the process the group consistently focused on identifying and exploring topics relevant to the City Charter. Many other items of interest were identified but not discussed because they were deemed to be policy issues or Ordinance Code matters. On May 29, 2020, the JCRC submitted its final report recommending several actions and non -actions. Notable examples include the creation of an Urban Development Authority, increased term limits for City Council members, foregoing ranked choice voting, changes to the structure of the General Counsel's office, and changes to the JCRC itself. Orange County, Florida ("Orange County") https://www.occompt.com/clerk-of-the-bcc/charter/ https://occompt.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx Orange County voters decided to adopt the charter form of government in 1986. Every four years, a new charter review is conducted in Orange County by the Charter Review Commission ("CRC"), which is appointed by the Board of County Commissioners ("BCC"). The CRC is not allowed to change the charter. Instead, it decides what questions, if any, to put to a vote. The CRC is comprised of fifteen (15) members that are appointed citizen representatives. The members utilize research, discussions, professional advisors, and input from the public to develop questions that may be placed on the ballot during a presidential election year. Orange County is comprised of six (6) Districts. The Commissioner from each district appoints two (2) CRC members and the Mayor appoints three (3) members. The CRC has its own legal counsel, which is an outside firm awarded pursuant to a Request for Proposals ("RFP") conducted pursuant to the Orange County Procurement Code. Additionally, an Administrative Assistant is appointed to assist the Chair and Vice -Chair of the CRC with administrative work such as agendas, meetings, and public outreach. The CRC lists citizen involvement as a vital component of county governance and operation. Accordingly, the Orange County Comptroller's website is the hub for the CRC that contains with links to all of its meetings. The records available on the website contain the agenda and video recording of each meeting. To date, eleven (11) meetings were held in 2023, two (2) meetings in 2024, and at least two (2) more meetings will be held in 2024. Best practices include holding at least six (6) meetings for each of Orange County's six (6) districts. This is called "going out on the road" to bring the CRC closer to residents, thereby facilitating and encouraging civic engagement. Additional monthly meetings are held in BCC chambers and are open to the public. Another aspect of the CRC is to appoint committees to fully investigate topics relevant to the Orange County Charter and residents. Committee meetings for each topic invite experts, professors, outside county commissioners, former Orange County Commissioners, and the public to provide facts and opinions for consideration. To date, CRC Committees have been appointed to explore the following topics: 1. Initiative petitions; 2. Rural boundaries; 3. Transportation; 4. Affordable housing; 5. Wetlands; 6. Governmental structure and separation of powers; 7. Expanding commission districts Currently, the CRC is scheduled to publish a final report submitted to the supervisor of elections on the last day of qualifying for office (June 14, 2024). Thereafter, the voters of Orange County shall decide if the suggested changes will be made. 6 Broward County, Florida ("Broward County") https://www.broward.org/Charter/Pages/CharterReviews.aspx The Broward County Charter Review Commission ("CRC") meets every 12 years and is comprised of 19 members. The CRC is comprised of two (2) each members nominated by each of the nine (9) commissioners (18 members), plus one (1) "at large" member appointed by the County Commission. The CRC held a series of five public hearings in March 2018, to provide information pertaining to 11 proposed amendments scheduled to appear on the November 2018 general election ballot. The 11 amendments were submitted for voter approval on the November 6, 2018, general election ballot. All the amendments passed and were subsequently adopted in the new county charter. City of Fort Myers, Florida ("Fort Myers") https://www.cityftmyers.com/2075/Charter-Review-Advisory-Board https://www.cityftmyers.com/1520/City-Meeting-Center Fort Myers' Charter Review Advisory Board ("Board") is established on a periodic basis and functions as a recommending body to the City Council. The Board reviews and studies the existing City Charter for possible amendments or revisions by gathering facts and information, including public input, and by engaging in deliberations. The body of the Board consists of seven (7) members and two (2) alternate members to serve in the absence of a member. Members of the board are full-time legal, permanent residents of Fort Myers. The terms of the Board begin immediately upon appointment of all members, and sunset one (1) year from the date of the first meeting, or as the City Council may otherwise determine. All members serve without compensation, and except for ex officio members, no members shall hold any other public office or position for Fort Myers. As of February 2024, the Board is meeting on a weekly basis to hold open discussions on amendments to each section of the City Charter. The Board also holds occasional "work sessions" to draft language for ballot questions for submission to the City Council. The agenda, minutes, and recordings for all meetings are available on the City Meeting Center website (see links above). Seminole County, Florida ("Seminole County") https://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/departments-services/board-of-county-commissioners/county- charter/ https://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/ resources/pdf/seminolecou ntyhomerulecharter.pdf The Seminole County Home Rule Charter ("Charter") requires a Charter Review Commission ("CRC") consisting of 15 electors to be appointed by the Board of County Commissioners ("BCC") at least 12 months prior to the general election occurring in the year 2012 and every six years thereafter. The role of the CRC is to review the County's Home Rule Charter and propose any amendments or revisions which may be advisable for placement on the general election ballot. At least one member must reside within each municipality, and at least one member must reside in the unincorporated area of each County Commission District. The remaining three members are required only to be Seminole County electors. No member may be a member of the Legislature, elected County or Municipal officer, City or County Manager, City or County Department Director, or City or County Attorney. One (1) chairperson and one (1) vice chairperson are elected from among the CRC membership. 7 Meetings of the CRC are held upon the call of the Chairperson or a majority of the members of the CRC. A majority of the members of the CRC shall constitute a quorum. The CRC may also adopt other rules for its operations and proceedings as it deems desirable. Members of the CRC receive no compensation and all meeting must be open to the public. The CRC is currently convening for the 2023 — 2024 period and is meeting on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month. Interested parties may appear at the meeting and be heard with respect to the review of the Seminole County Charter. Best practices for the frequency of CRC meetings are set forth in Section 4.2 (b) (4) of the Charter. Specifically, the CRC must hold at least three (3) public hearings at intervals of not less than 10 days nor more than 20 days on any proposed Charter amendment or revision, and no Charter amendment or revision shall be submitted to the electorate for adoption unless favorably voted upon by a majority of the entire membership of the CRC. Next, and no later than 90 days prior to the general election, the CRC delivers to the BCC the proposed amendments or revisions to the Charter. If there are amendments, then the BCC places such amendments or revisions on the general election ballot by order of a resolution. If a majority of the electors voting on the amendments or revisions favor adoption, such amendments or revisions shall become effective on January 1 of the succeeding year or such other time as the amendment or revision shall provide. Recommendation: Procurement recommends that the City review the materials herein and involve the NLC, FLC, and MDCLC to provide further advice on the "Best Practices" for government charter reform. The research conducted herein clearly evidences that the charter review process must emphasize transparency, civic involvement, and social equity. Moreover, the charter review team must be structured correctly to effectively allocate the City's resources in order to meet the goals of the charter review process. As stated by the NCL, the goal is to produce a charter that is: (1) straightforward; (2) consistent; (3) thorough, but not exhaustive; (4) flexible; and (5) focused on the fundamentals. Procurement Contracting Officer: James Justin Grin Procurement Contracting Manager: Director/Asst. Director: 8 Date: February 9, 2024 Date: Date: 02/26/24 EXHIBIT "1" Florida Charter Counties 2011 Charter Population Year Number of Districting County (BEBR) Adopted Cities Scheme Administrative Structure Alachua 247,337 1987 9 5 at -large manager Brevard 545,184 1994 15 5 single manager Broward 1,753,162 1975 31 9 single administrator Charlotte 160,463 1986 1 5 at -large administrator Clay 191,143 1991 4 5 single manager Columbia 67,528 2002 2 5 single manager Duval 864,601 1968 5 mixed (14/5) executive Hillsborough 1,238,951 1983 3 mixed (4/3) administrator Lee 625,310 1996 5 5 at -large manager Leon 276,278 2002 1 mixed (5/2) administrator Miami -Dade 2,516,515 1957 34 13 single executive Orange 1,157,342 1986 13 6 single executive Osceola 273,867 1992 2 5 single manager Palm Beach 1,325,758 1985 37 7 single administrator Pinellas 918,496 1980 24 mixed (4/3) administrator Polk 604,792 1998 17 5 at -large manager Sarasota 381,319 1971 4 5 at -large administrator Seminole 424,587 1989 7 5 at -large manager Volusia 495,400 1971 16 mixed (5/2) chairman Wakulla 30,877 2008 2 5 at large administrator EXHIBIT "2" • 'Pe'FLC I. UNIVERSITY City of Tallahassee: City Charter Review January 25, 2024 Lynn Tipton Director FLC University IMunicipal Charters in Florida All charters are unique; haven't found any two identical 411 cities, towns and villages - all have a charter Goal for today: discuss charter review roles, municipal characteristics in Florida, and compare Tallahassee using data collected Charters ■ Like a Constitution - broad framework ■ Explains the vision, mission and structure of the municipality ■ Explains how the representatives will be elected; chain of command and fiscal authority ■ Details are by ordinance (law) and policies ■ Short: 8 to 10 pages in length ICharter Review Committees ■ Some are created by charter with specific appointment terms ■ Some are created by ordinance, or at the request of a city council; varies widely across Florida's municipalities ■ Committee is usually tasked with a time -specific review, assisted by counsel, and to bring back recommendations to the council. Some CRC have limited scope of work as well. ■ The council may choose to place items directly on the ballot based upon recommendations of the counsel and committee ■ The role of citizens in this process is crucial: representation of the public; ability to weigh issues and to understand the charter's importance as the city's governing foundation Legislative Body Form of Government Charter Officers (positions defined) Fiscal and Fiduciary Authorities and Responsibilities Amendment Process Comparable Charter Characteristics: Legislative ■ Size of Council or Commission: five (5) members is most common; some seven (7) and some (6) where mayor is non- voting ■ Length of term: two- and four- year terms are fairly evenly spread across 41 1; smaller percentage use three-year term ■ Type of election per council seat: single -member district (SMD); elected seat with at -large voting (Seated Council); At - large; some councils are mix of at -large and SMD ■ Selection of mayor: 3 options: elected at large; elected from within the council; rotational IForms of Municipal Government in Florida Council -weak mayor: original form brought over from England; council shares all powers; about 80 Florida cities with populations less than 25,000 Council -strong mayor: an elected executive implements council actions and administers the city; about 43 Florida cities in all populations Commission: each elected official oversees one or more departments autonomously; come together as legislative body. About 2 Florida cities have this Council -Manager or Commission -Manager: professional manager appointed by mayor & council to administer city, prepare agenda and recommend actions to council, and present a budget each year; about 285 Florida cities of all populations Hybrid: elements of the above ITallahassee Comparisons: ■ Using populations from : With Tallahassee there are 5 comparisons ■ Geography: All are interior; none coastal. 0 rural; 1 urban; 4 suburban ■ 5 are Council -Manager or Commission -Manager; 0 is Council -Strong Mayor; 0 Commission; 0 is Council -Weak Mayor; 0 Hybrid ■ Number of elected seats: 2 with 5; 2 with 7; 1 with 8 Should also compare scope of services if any charter elements are compared more deeply City of Tallahassee: Chart of Comparisons Municipality (County) Port St. Lucie (St. Lucie) Cape Coral I (Lee) Tallahassee (Leon) Pembroke Pines Gainesville (Alachua) Lakeland (Polk) Key: C-M is Council -Manager Population Form of Gov't Seats 239,653 C-M 213,301C-M 201,833 C-M 171,222C-M 147,865 C-M 121,968C-M 4011 5 7 Best Practices in Charter Reviews ■ Staff and Committee: work well together ■ Holding several public forums for discussion (especially if referendum is scheduled) ■ Use of website for agenda, minutes of meetings, display of current and proposed language - can help engage citizens ■ If referendum is scheduled, develop "FAQ" for website ■ Consider partnering with other civic organizations to help with forums, public discussions - reach out and include these groups More Best Practices: Charter Review Committees ■ Charter powers/authority granted to more than one entity ■ Confusing language in elections section - usually in qualifications ■ Writing too much: less is better Form of government: trend since 1950s toward the council-manager and commission -manager form of government (including new incorporations) Charter review time periods: not required and is left up to discretion of council; also has petition provision. When specified we see 10- to 20- year periods. New cities use 5- year for `starter charter' review. ICharter Review: Questions to Consider ■ From the 2021 ninth edition of the Model City Charter: ■ Is the charter reflective of the city's current population? ■ Is the council representative of the population, both resident and business? ■ Does the charter address responsible professionalism, and do it adequately? ■ Has the city provided opportunities for citizen participation in the process? ■ Is the city engaged in civic education about the charter (web site, for example)? Resources • The Model City Charter- National Civic League • - use their questions, not language • Charters in F list of codifies city crarters • FLC Research: Center for Municipal Research tab on FLC website for Peer City information i select FL and view Thank you for including the Florida league of Cities in your process!