Fort Walton Beach Ordinance — 2195--Ballot Question #1 Chrt Amend-Move Municipal Elections to General ‎(Passed by voters, amended COO)‎ — reading text

E ADING SATE ORDINANCE 2195 2nd a.13cj_43S AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH; ADDING A NEW SECTION 8 TITLED CITY ELECTION DATES, WITHOUT DELETING ANY OTHER PROVISIONS OF THE CHARTER; AND RENUMBERING THE REMAINDER OF THE CHARTER IF APPROVED OF BY THE VOTERS; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING FOR BALLOT QUESTION AND SUMMARY; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. SECTION 1. AUTHORITY. The authority for enactment ofthis Ordinance is Section 166.031, Florida Statutes. SECTION 2. FINDINGS OF FACT. WHEREAS, Florida Statutes Section 166. 031( 1) provides, in part, that"[ t]he governing body of a municipality may, by ordinance..., submit to the electors of said municipality a proposed amendment to its charter, which amendment may be to any part or to all of said charter except that part describing the boundaries of such municipality"; and, WHEREAS, the City Council has proposed an amendment to the City Charter to insert a new Section 8 " City Election Dates", without deletion of any other Charter provisions, for purposes of setting the election date for the City's elected officials as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even general election year, and to renumber the sections of the Charter as appropriate upon passage; and, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 3. RECITALS ADOPTED. The foregoing " Whereas" clauses are hereby ratified and confirmed as being true and correct and are hereby made a specific part of this ordinance upon adoption hereof. SECTION 4. CHARTER AMENDMENT. For purposes of interpreting the revisions, text that is underlined is an addition to the existing text of the City Charter. ESTABLISHMENT OF NOVEMBER CITY ELECTION DATE. If the ballot language is approved, it would amend the City Charter by setting the election date for the City's elected officials as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even general election year.  SECTION 8. CITY ELECTION DATES Regular elections for the Mayor and City Council shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each general election year for statewide elections. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected. Terms of office shall begin on April 1 of the year following the election and continue for four( 4) years. Each seat, and the office of Mayor, shall be filled by at- large election of the qualified electors of the City. However, for administrative purposes,. Council seats are numbered one ( 1) through seven( 7). Seats one( 1) through four( 4) were elected at the 2023 municipal election and shall next be elected on November 3i 2026. Subsequently, the next terms for seats one ( 1) through four (4) 1 shall commence on April 1, 2027, or at the first City Council meeting after April 1, 2027. Seats five ( 5) through seven ( 7), together with the Office of Mayor, were elected at the 2025 municipal election and shall next be elected on November 7, 2028. Subsequently, the next terms for seats five( 5) through seven( 7), together with the Office of Mayor, shall commence on April 1, 2029, or at the first City Council meeting after April 1, 2029. SECTION 5. OFFICIAL BALLOT QUESTION. The ballot to be used in the referendum election shall be in full compliance with the laws of the State of Florida, and shall be in substantially the following form: Ballot Question 1: Official Ballot Moving City Elections to November General Election Dates Shall the City Charter be amended to move the election dates for the mayor and city council to coincide with the November statewide general election cycle, which occurs in even years? Yes No SECTION 6. NOTICE OF ELECTION. The above Charter amendment contained in this ordinance shall be sent to a referendum election and shall become effective if a majority of voters vote to approve the amendment in the election on March 10, 2026. An amendment approved by City voters as provided by law shall be effective immediately and become a part of the City Charter. If approved, the City Clerk is requested to promptly file the amended Charter with the Department of State, as required by Section 166. 031( 2), Florida Statutes. SECTION 7. PLACES OF VOTING, INSPECTORS AND CLERKS. All qualified electors residing within the City shall be entitled and permitted to vote at such referendum election on the proposition provided herein. The time and places of voting and the inspectors and clerks of the referendum election to be held on March 10, 2026 shall be those designated by the Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections in accordance with law. SECTION 8. VOTE-BY-MAIL. Any electors participating in said referendum shall be entitled to cast their ballots in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the State of Florida with respect to voting by mail. The form of ballots to be used in such referendum election for these voters shall be the same as used at the polling places for such election. SECTION 9. EARLY VOTING. Adequate provisions shall be made for early voting as required by § 101. 657, Florida Statutes. The form of ballots to be used in the referendum for early voting shall be the same as used in the polling places for the election. The Supervisor of Elections shall designate the early voting dates, times and locations. SECTION 10. PRINTING OF BALLOTS. The Supervisor of Elections is authorized and directed to have printed a sufficient number of the aforesaid ballots for use of vote-by-mail electors entitled to cast such ballots in such referendum election and shall also have printed sample ballots and deliver them to the inspectors and clerks on or before the date and time for the opening of the polls for such referendum election for the voting places; and, further, is authorized and directed to make appropriate arrangements for the conduct of the election at the polling places specified. SECTION 11. ELECTION PROCEDURE. The Supervisor of Elections shall hold, administer and conduct the referendum election in the manner prescribed by law for holding such elections in the City. Returns shall show the number of qualified electors who voted in such referendum election on the proposition and the number of votes cast respectively for and against approval of the proposition. The returns shall be canvassed in accordance with law. SECTION 12. REFERENDUM RESULTS. If a majority of the ballots cast at such election shall be for the amendment, then the amendment of the Charter shall be approved. SECTION 13. SEVERABILITY. In the event that any word, phrase, clause, sentence or paragraph hereof shall be held invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect any other word, clause, phrase, sentence or paragraph hereof.  SECTION 14. CONFLICTING PROVISIONS. All ordinances in conflict or inconsistent herewith are repealed insofar as there is conflict or inconsistency. SECTION 15. EFFECTIVE DATE. This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its adoption. SECTION 16. INCORPORATION INTO THE CITY CHARTER. This ordinance shall be incorporated into the City of Fort Walton Beach's Charter and any section or paragraph number or letter and any heading may be changed or modified as necessary to effectuate the foregoing. Adopted: ' D eto rnb. r 11.12 Nic Alle• • tto, Mayor Attest: Approved as t legr form and sufficiency for the City P Fo A , lton Beach, only. r 3,M. Barnes, City Clerk Jeffrey L. ity Attorney Ki I Wat ro Ncoaioa