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The Pinellas County Charter and Charter Review Commission - FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a County Charter?

What is the purpose of the Charter Review Commission, and what does it plan to accomplish?

Why is the county Charter being reviewed now?

Where can I find information about the Pinellas County Charter Review Commission?

When are the Charter Review Commission meetings?

I can't attend meetings because of the time or location they are held. How can I provide my input?

How were the charter review commission members selected?

What are the ways the Charter can be changed?

If a charter amendment is recommended, how does it actually become part of the Charter?

When does a Charter amendment which is approved by the electors become effective?

How is the Charter Review Commission (CRC) affiliated with Pinellas County?

Where can I go to learn more about the Charter Review Process as it progresses?

What is a County Constitutional Officer?

What is the process to become a Charter Review Commission (CRC) member?

What is a County Charter?
A. While the Florida state constitution provides counties with the power to govern themselves, counties can enhance their authority by adopting a charter. Several basic differences between counties with a Charter and those without a Charter include:

For counties with a Charter, the structure of government is specified in the Charter, whereas for non-charter counties, the structure of government is specified in the State Constitution and State Statutes.
Charter counties have all powers of self-government unless they are inconsistent with the Constitution or State law. A non-charter county has powers of self-government as prescribed by the State Legislature.
A County Charter may provide for initiative, referendum, and recall at the county level. State Statutes, under which non-charter counties fall, do not provide for this.
A County Charter can require an Administrative Code detailing all regulations, policies, and procedures. State Statutes, under which non-charter counties fall, do not require an Administrative Code.
A County Charter can provide that a "municipal utility tax" is levied in the unincorporated area. A non-charter county cannot levy a utility tax in the unincorporated area.

What is the purpose of the Charter Review Commission, and what does it plan to accomplish?

A. The Charter Review Commission is an independent body with the purpose to convene every 8 years to review the operation of county government on behalf of the citizens of Pinellas County in order to recommend amendments to the Charter.

Why is the county Charter being reviewed now?
A. Article VI, Section 6.03(a) specifies that beginning August 1, 2015, and every 8 years thereafter, a charter review commission be established for purposes of reviewing the county Charter.

Where can I find information about the Pinellas County Charter Review Commission?
A. The Pinellas County CRC website address below will provide information about the current charter review commission and a link to the current Pinellas County Charter.

www.pinellascounty.org/charter

When are the Charter Review Commission meetings?
A. Dates for Charter Review Commission meetings are posted on the CRC website. As meeting dates were reserved in advance of knowing a meeting was actually needed, please check the website before travelling to the meeting location in case a meeting has been cancelled or location has been moved. Cancellation of meetings will be posted on the website.

I can't attend meetings because of the time or location they are held. How can I provide my input?
A. You can email the charter review commission at Charterreview@pinellascounty.org.

How were the charter review commission members selected?
A. In April of this year, Pinellas County began seeking applicants for the Charter Review Commission. Applicants were appointed by the board of county commissioners as described in the county Charter under Article VI, Section 6.03(a) which explains that the 13 charter review commission members are appointed by the board of county commissioners from the following groups:

One (1) member from the Pinellas County Legislative Delegation residing in Pinellas County;
One (1) constitutional officer;
One (1) member from the elected city officials;
One (1) member from the elected board of county commissioners;
Nine (9) members from the public at large, none of whom shall be an elected official.

What are the ways the Charter can be changed?
A. There are 3 methods/processes for amending the Charter which are detailed in Article VI of the Charter.

The board of county commissioners can pass an ordinance to propose an amendment to the Charter.
An amendment can be proposed via petition signed by registered voters.
The Charter Review Commission, which convenes once every 8 years can propose an amendment.

If a charter amendment is recommended, how does it actually become part of the Charter?
A. An amendment which has properly passed through the necessary steps becomes a referendum item, and is placed on the ballot of the next public election. The amendment must be approved by a majority of electors in order to become effective.

When does a Charter amendment which is approved by the electors become effective?
A. If the effective date of the amendment is not specified in the amendment, then it becomes effective on January 1 of the succeeding year.

How is the Charter Review Commission (CRC) affiliated with Pinellas County?
A. Although the members of the CRC are selected from a pool of applicants and appointed by the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC), the CRC functions as an independent commission, separate from the BoCC. As such, the CRC has retained legal counsel and a professional facilitation company to assist with its process of reviewing the Charter and communicating to the Pinellas County citizens.

Where can I go to learn more about the Charter Review Process as it progresses?
A. There are several avenues where you can obtain information:

Commission meetings are open to the Public. The calendar of meetings is posted on the CRC website homepage, and the agenda will be posted one week prior to the meeting.
Meeting minutes from prior meetings of the Charter Review Commission will be available on the CRC website and can be found under Meeting Minutes and Agendas. Look on the left side of the CRC website homepage for the link to this page.
The CRC will distribute updates through various outlets including news media sources such as newspapers, television, and social media platforms including Facebook. Additionally, press releases and other notifications will be posted to the CRC website under CRC News. Look on the left side of the CRC website homepage for the link to this page.

What is a County Constitutional Officer?
A. Each county has officers elected locally and their salaries are paid locally; however, they can be removed and replaced by the governor. These officers are the Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, and Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller.

What is the process to become a Charter Review Commission (CRC) member?

A. Section 6.03 of the Pinellas County Charter defines the composition of the 13 member commission. By charter, four positions on the commission are reserved for one member of the Pinellas County Legislative Delegation, one constitutional officer, one elected city official, and one county commissioner. The remaining nine positions are selected by the Board of County Commissioners from the pool of citizen applicants, none of whom may be an elected official.
The County begins solicitation of applications from citizens in years the CRC is to convene. From the applicants, the Board of County Commissioners looks for citizens who have knowledge, skills and abilities including:

Interest in and familiarity with Pinellas County;
Willingness to commit a concentrated amount of time and energy to a time limited process;
Ability to maintain fairness and objectivity;
Ability to assess and evaluate issues as they relate to the future well-being of Pinellas County;
Ability to engage in constructive discussion and debate.

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