Charter11-15-76Minadministration f City I—il, It I.Ch.li— the City t.
provide such —i— as: fire and police protection;
reczeational facilities; libraries; —I, and I—, "It—,
parks and ItI..t maintain health t,.
The Charter is without question the most important
document in city --t. It to --y citizen by
tllll, and through city se ry ie ems. Thus it behooves
each and --y person in The City to take an interest in
the updating If the Charter. We —t strive t, .— it
1-1.9 dl—.— that will provide a viable government
for the City as If now and in the f-11bl, future.
T,h Charter Review Committee solicits the participation
of citizens and civic —9-i-ti— in forming the
—dati— t, be i—.— i,, the —itt— lCpIlt to the
City
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cHAR'Ir.n REV1F41 C0,44.[TFCC FOR
]FiC CITY OF L[M%;WOpD, FIARI0.4.
On Nsvamben 15, 19'I6, this Charter Reviaa co,mn{ttee was formed to review oum
Present City Charter and to subtit mecomrendations to the Wunc E by Sune 6, 1977.
'Ae have studied I- present —It- at length, and we leave also studied the oPer'at-
loos of our ciTy sovermrent under the Present cfTy chart. In addition to studying
our ccm charter, we have listened to educators, elected ciTy officials feom othem
cities rn Seminole musty, and county and ciTy administratoms and manager. We have
listenedl to them discuss our city govemnment antl chartem as well as advise us on
vameous forms o, other ciTy govermient. We have also studied other ciTy harems,
the National Mwicipal league literattse end Florida State _
Based umn oum study of Lb,% od's city charter, our roomettes has come to the
fo ing findings of fact and recemnendations.
1. style of drafting used in Prasent day
city char ,_, we find the form and content of am city char -ter to be bIor. Many of
the charter provisions ame no longer applicable due to the fact that state law has
pre-empted the manner in which certain city functions are mrducted. It is difficult
to find the chb. t'e rvsarning substantive provisions airong the xangthy ineffettive
p—i. of the charter.
2. originally o city char Ter delegated different duties to the muncil and to
the mayor. The nayor hired city pemsonnel and exercised PIlice foaer. Hoaevem, the
tunet_ons of the mayam were not cIe y defined. Fhb council had resmnaibility fom
the Passage of ordinances and oonteol of the budget. ova the years state law relieved
the mayor of several of his duties to the city and Past city councils have Ix ld what
xv�ni� duties and autharity the aayor traditionally held. It should also be id,,
that some of o�m past mayors =-ibuted to this erosion of po 1 by rrot affixwatxvely
exercising theim responsibilities.
The ,,at is that our mayor has little � to exercise in the role of city
government al ,h he is an elected representative of the People. Pom munch is so
ovexbuxdened with handling the city's operational functions that it is difficult for
Them to handle these Problems {nomPtly and efficiently. FUYnarnore it is difficut
for them to find time to deliberate and enact constmuctive presant and long range ciTy
policy in the form of ordinances and resolutions. o ciTy employees in the last have
frequently been in a qIt dry as to which of our elected city officials to turn to fom
gudiance to the adrtSnis4ation of --in ciTy probItbb.
!Ji'th these Problems in mind, o committee decided that the operation of — ciTy
and policy forming _`unMions of the city should again be redefined, t believe that
all our elected city officials should be responsible for policy functions of the ciTy.
'l4�erefore, our pmPcsetl ctaerter would make the mayor a martini elected by his fellow
mwcilnnn. The mayor chair the count ,and be the. representative of th, city. The
,M of to�woal
Ad
. vote and not a I— The operating Functions of t,, Iity wM be
noodled by a — time ciTy administrator. Aui.ni— will be him by the
—il and be answerable 11 the —il. 1ne adminshall not impinge open
istrator
the duties If —il and the co—il 1-1 deal with - di —ion and
If ciTy 1, solely through the citywith the exception If inquiries
and in,Ittigttio- into the affairs If the
3. tongwed —d, a f,11-time city administrator to han&e the day t. day Idmin-
i—IIII — If Li. city. —pit, tl. best of If .1 —il — — mayor,
these Ibl. — b, h— on a part-time basis. A rompe— li,, —t—
could i,—iia,ly ,—t to city p—l— He IIad — the IiTy —y by enabling the
Ii,, t. obtain f— grant, and by obtaining The b— Prices on acquisitions If Ity
equipeznt and supplies. Citi— of longuoad — —i,I . immediate and decisive
resolutions of — con ing ciTy wrvi— Our —il would be — advised
in making decisions deternunir�g city policy as it relates to adtninisteative f—ti-t of
the airy.
4. Concerning our city ciby I— t, codify all its existing
oMi.— f., easy reference and to dissipate duplication and—f.ti— The iti—,
If So,I.d are also entitled t. have a rreans t. initiate I — to recall and
review ordinances which are Passed — do not —It the .—t—I —ire.
5. Ow —, — in bbngwId city elections all— our rowIilmen and
my- to be .1—d by a plurality If the — — and not by a majority of all the
votes cast for . office. MI citizens of L gb- . entitled to have their elected
representatives hold —ice by the m j—ly If the —t- — for that office.
E. O city has been fortunate in raving the assistance If and capable
elected Iity —, wtw has served our city it, — —Ity H ever, it 1s the
finding If our li and Ms. — --, that a Iib clerk holds such a
,— —iti— that t,, qualifications it, the office — be indii—
p--i— tti and the clerk I—,b retain the office based utnn the ability t.
skillfully — the obligations of d— office. —ingly, the city — —1 b,
hired by the IiTy administrator, —j— t, approval If the mwc_ ,and be a separate
d,,-- wdl The ity's aaainistrativa —.
With — fu,di in mind we -,t to TM Ifti,-, of the City If �ngwocd our
pxo,I-d —r. Ow city T— many —i— qualilies based , it., geographical
city is —i" as . —idenffal —,, as well . a —in— J P-1—
I—ity, 1Ae d—lt of Inngwood — be —y and on a —id tax —i,
hl ,�T�Ill
—blb- promptly .,d efficiently. Furthermore It is d iff—lt for
them t. —d I— t, —Ibel— .,d I —It constructive present and
1—g range city policy in the f— If —1 ... — ..d resolutions.
0— city -pl.y— In the p.bb have frequently be., in . q ... d,y as I.
which If our elected .1by Iffi.111. t. — to — guidance In the
.d.—e—t— If certain city problems.
With the— p—II., in mind, our committee decided that the
If the city and I.—y foa� , —.-- If he city sh—ld
gain be redefined. We believe that all our 11-1d city officials
should be -11y font tl ens If the city. 'Therefore,
our p,,pI,-d the I—, by hie
fell— '1 — the coivle il,uand b, , f
the city. The I—, a,ill have a vote and not a —I. The o, rating
functions If the city .111 be handled by a f.11 time city
The ed ministra for will b, hired by — —Ill — be answerable t,
the council. the 'd-1—t" —11 not --g—P., the —1, of
council and the council s1.11 deal with the direction and
If city —pl.y"., '—Iy through the Illy Ith the
exception If i'q'I'i- and lnvestl gati ons into the affairs If the city.
3. L-,—d needs a —1-t— city d—i,t—t— to handle the
day tc day admini,s dative nerds If the bity. Despite the best efCerts
of cur --bil and the may.,, the,, problems .—It be handled on a
-- —it. A I—t— city ed-1,--t— could I
—1, t, city problems. He —11 —1 the Illy .... y by enabling the
city to obtain --1 g—s, and by bb--g the best I,,I- on
If city I-11 —t and supn III- C-1— If Longwood
would —b— more I—Id—b and de-1- 11-11t— of P1.1,11—
.1ty —1— Our —1-1 .-1 be better .—led I-, making
d-i,I-b determining city policy ., it relates t. administrative
functions If the city.
4. C-- ... —y —d— ... s, the city needs t. codify
all It, -1bti —1--, fox —y reference and to di-lp.te
d.,11-1,h and —f--. TNe cl—e- If 1.,.bd are also I-1—d
.—h are —ed that do not reflect tho el.bt,—,'s d--
$- Our current procedure in L—g—d —y elec— .11 our
councilmen —d —y- to b, --d by . plurality of the —t— cast and
not by th,, —J-1ty of .11 the -t- —t for an —1— The titld—
oT L.,.d are —tl—d t. have their elected hold
off— by the majority of the —t— —t for that —1-
6— —y has been fortunate I, h— the --- of
competent — —p.— elected —y clerk � has .served our city
for 'l—t twenty ye'— H—'—' It Is the finding or our committee
and X— Sh—t. covcu s, that . city clerk holds such . responsible
position that the q—llf--t — the office should be based
,p.. the --d—', erof essi onal --t—, and the clerk should
reteln that —111 based upon the ability to skillfully handle the
obligatl— of that office. Accordingly, the —y clerk should be
hired by the city administrator, —— to .--1 by the —.11,
and be , -- department —1- the —y',
:ith thl— tindings 11 rind we submit to the —i-1 of the
City of L— our proposed Our —Y has — desirable
11t— —d upon — -,-ph— 1—t—, readily ava liable
f.1111ti and 9—d natural ---- Our —Y 1s
attract— as . resSd en tial community - -11 — . b—,— and
professional community. The development of Longwood must b, orderly
and on a -lid — —1. 1" 911,111 —1— of the co¢muni ty ..,t
be -- and the high .—Ity of 11—d, —,—d, In the area
preserved. Most important 1, our d-- t. --t our —y --bt
in being as r nslve — —,ibl, t, the —d. of its citizens.
W, —.1d respectfully --t our —.11 t. —I- our proposed
—Y --- We -- thoughtful and constructive critic ism by
,,, council r —y Intoparty, — ... Id also b, —11 t.
—i— o our p-p—6h,,t. Cd S behalf of the City of
—y within . ---bl, period as to nether It Is the count Sl's