PUB 700175: Revision and Reorganization of the Counties by Loyal Millett
ARTICLE VIII: LOCAL GOVERNMENT, Section 1. Counties.
- POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. The state shall be divided by law into political subdivisions called counties. Counties may be created, abolished or changed by law, with provision for payment or apportionment of the public debt.
- COUNTY FUNDS. The care, custody and method of disbursing county funds shall be provided by general law.
- GOVERNMENT. Pursuant to general or special law, a county government may be established by charter which shall be adopted, amended or repealed only upon vote of the electors of the county in a special election called for that purpose.
- COUNTY OFFICERS. There shall be elected by the electors of each county, for terms of four years, a sheriff, a tax collector, a property appraiser, a supervisor of elections, and a clerk of the circuit court; except, when provided by county charter or special law approved by vote of the electors of the county, any county officer may be chosen in another manner therein specified, or any county office may be abolished when all the duties of the office prescribed by general law are transferred to another office. When not otherwise provided by county charter or special law approved by vote of the electors, the clerk of the circuit court shall be ex officio clerk of the board of county commissioners, auditor, recorder and custodian of all county funds.
- COMMISSIONERS. Except when otherwise provided by county charter, the governing body of each county shall be a board of county commissioners composed of five or seven members serving staggered terms of four years. After each decennial census the board of county commissioners shall divide the county into districts of contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as practicable. One commissioner residing in each district shall be elected as provided by law.
- NON-CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties not operating under county charters shall have such power of self-government as is provided by general or special law. The board of county commissioners of a county not operating under a charter may enact, in a manner prescribed by general law, county ordinances not inconsistent with general or special law, but an ordinance in conflict with a municipal ordinance shall not be effective within the municipality to the extent of such conflict.
- CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties operating under county charters shall have all powers of local self-government not inconsistent with general law, or with special law approved by vote of the electors. The governing body of a county operating under a charter may enact county ordinances not inconsistent with general law. The charter shall provide which shall prevail in the event of conflict between county and municipal ordinances.
- TAXES; LIMITATION. Property situate within municipalities shall not be subject to taxation for services rendered by the county exclusively for the benefit of the property or residents in unincorporated areas.
- COUNTY ORDINANCES. Each county ordinance shall be filed with the custodian of state records and shall become effective at such time thereafter as is provided by general law.
- VIOLATION OF ORDINANCES. Persons violating county ordinances shall be prosecuted and punished as provided by law.
- COUNTY SEAT. In every county there shall be a county seat at which shall be located the principal offices and permanent records of all county officers. The county seat may not be moved except as provided by general law. Branch offices for the conduct of county business may be established elsewhere in the county by resolution of the governing body of the county in the manner prescribed by law. No instrument shall be deemed recorded until filed at the county seat, or a branch office designated by the governing body of the county for the recording of instruments, according to law.
ARTICLE VIII: LOCAL GOVERNMENT, Section 3. Consolidation.
Consolidation; city-counties.
(a) The Effective January 1, 2021, the government of a each county with a resident population of 200,000, according to the most recent federal census, and the government of one or more municipalities located therein may shall be consolidated into a single government called a "city-county", which may shall exercise any and all powers of the county and the several municipalities. The consolidation plan may be proposed only by special law, which shall become effective if approved by vote of the electors of the county, or of the county and municipalities affected, as may be provided in the plan. Consolidation shall not extend the territorial scope of taxation for the payment of pre-existing debt except to areas whose residents receive a benefit from the facility or service for which the indebtedness was incurred.
(b) Upon the approval vote of the electors thereof, a city-county may consolidate and/or abolish the offices of county clerk, property appraiser, and/or tax collector.
ARTICLE VIII: LOCAL GOVERNMENT, Section 5. Local option.
- Local option on the legality or prohibition of the sale of intoxicating liquors, wines or beers shall be preserved to each county. The status of a county with respect thereto shall be changed only by vote of the electors in a special election called upon the petition of twenty-five per cent of the electors of the county, and not sooner than two years after an earlier election on the same question. Where legal, the sale of intoxicating liquors, wines and beers shall be regulated by law.
- Each county shall have the authority to require a criminal history records check and a 3 to 5-day waiting period, excluding weekends and legal holidays, in connection with the sale of any firearm occurring within such county. For purposes of this subsection, the term "sale" means the transfer of money or other valuable consideration for any firearm when any part of the transaction is conducted on property to which the public has the right of access. Holders of a concealed weapons permit as prescribed by general law shall not be subject to the provisions of this subsection when purchasing a firearm.
ARTICLE VIII: LOCAL GOVERNMENT, Section 6. Schedule to Article VIII.
- This article shall replace all of Article VIII of the Constitution of 1885, as amended, except those sections expressly retained and made a part of this article by reference.
- COUNTIES; COUNTY SEATS; MUNICIPALITIES; DISTRICTS. The status of the following items as they exist on the date this article becomes effective is recognized and shall be continued until changed in accordance with law: the counties of the state; their status with respect to the legality of the sale of intoxicating liquors, wines and beers; the method of selection of county officers; the performance of municipal functions by county officers; the county seats; and the municipalities and special districts of the state, their powers, jurisdiction and government.
- OFFICERS TO CONTINUE IN OFFICE. Every person holding office when this article becomes effective shall continue in office for the remainder of the term if that office is not abolished. If the office is abolished the incumbent shall be paid adequate compensation, to be fixed by law, for the loss of emoluments for the remainder of the term.
- ORDINANCES. Local laws relating only to unincorporated areas of a county on the effective date of this article may be amended or repealed by county ordinance.
- CONSOLIDATION AND HOME RULE. Article VIII, Sections 9, 10, 11 and 24, of the Constitution of 1885, as amended, shall remain in full force and effect as to each county affected, as if this article had not been adopted, until that county shall expressly adopt a charter or home rule plan pursuant to this article. All provisions of the Metropolitan Dade County Home Rule Charter, heretofore or hereafter adopted by the electors of Dade County pursuant to Article VIII, Section 11, of the Constitution of 1885, as amended, shall be valid, and any amendments to such charter shall be valid; provided that the said provisions of such charter and the said amendments thereto are authorized under said Article VIII, Section 11, of the Constitution of 1885, as amended.
- DADE COUNTY; POWERS CONFERRED UPON MUNICIPALITIES. To the extent not inconsistent with the powers of existing municipalities or general law, the Metropolitan Government of Dade County may exercise all the powers conferred now or hereafter by general law upon municipalities.
- DELETION OF OBSOLETE SCHEDULE ITEMS. The legislature shall have power, by joint resolution, to delete from this article any subsection of this Section 6, including this subsection, when all events to which the subsection to be deleted is or could become applicable have occurred. A legislative determination of fact made as a basis for application of this subsection shall be subject to judicial review.
ARTICLE VIII: LOCAL GOVERNMENT, New Section.
(a) POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. The state shall be divided by law into political subdivisions called counties. Counties may be created, abolished or changed by law, with provision for payment or apportionment of the public debt.
(b) COUNTY FUNDS. The care, custody and method of disbursing county funds shall be provided by general law.
(c) COUNTY OFFICERS. Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, there shall be elected in each county by the electors thereof for terms of 6 years: a sheriff, a county clerk, a clerk of the courts, a property appraiser, and a tax collector. No person shall serve as sheriff, county clerk, clerk of the courts, property appraiser, or tax collector for more than 12 years in any period of 18 years.
(d) CHARTERS. The counties shall adopt a county charter and shall have all powers of local self-government not inconsistent with general law, or with special law approved by vote of the electors. The county council of a county may enact county ordinances not inconsistent with general law. The charter shall provide which shall prevail in the event of conflict between county and municipal ordinances.
(e) TAXES; LIMITATION. Property situate within municipalities shall not be subject to taxation for services rendered by the county exclusively for the benefit of the property or residents in unincorporated areas.
(f) COUNTY ORDINANCES. Each county ordinance shall be filed with the custodian of state records and shall become effective at such time thereafter as is provided by general law.
(g) VIOLATION OF ORDINANCES. Persons violating county ordinances shall be prosecuted and punished as provided by law.
(h) COUNTY SEAT. In every county there shall be a county seat at which shall be located the principal offices and permanent records of all county officers. The county seat may not be moved except as provided by general law. Branch offices for the conduct of county business may be established elsewhere in the county by resolution of the governing body of the county in the manner prescribed by law. No instrument shall be deemed recorded until filed at the county seat, or a branch office designated by the governing body of the county for the recording of instruments, according to law.
(i) COUNTY COUNCIL. The governing body for each county shall be the county council. Each county council shall consist of an uneven number of supervisors--no less than 5 and no more than 15--serving staggered terms of 4 years. After each decennial census the county councils shall divide the county into districts of contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as practicable. One supervisor residing in each district shall be elected as provided by law.
(j) COUNTY MAYOR. Each of the counties shall elect a county mayor for a term of 4 years. No county mayor shall be eligible to the same office for the term next succeeding that for which he/she was elected. The county mayor, in addition to other powers and duties provided for by the Constitution and by law, shall preside over the county council without a vote but with the power of veto; authorize and approve disbursement of appropriated county funds; operate the system of county roads; administer ordinances enacted by the county mayor; have custody of county property; hire county employees, except those persons employed by other elected officials of the county.
ARTICLE VIII: LOCAL GOVERNMENT, New Section.
(a) Notwithstanding any contrary provisions in this Constitution, effective January 1, 2021, the following counties shall abolished, consolidated, and/or renamed as follows:
(1) The counties of Franklin, Gadsden, Liberty, and Wakulla shall consolidate into one county named "Wakulla County".
(2) The counties of Dixie, Lafayette, and Taylor shall consolidate into one county named "Lafayette County".
(3) The counties of Glades and Hendry shall consolidate into one county named "Everglades County".
(4) The counties of Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison shall consolidate into one county named "Spanish Moss County".
(5) The counties of Calhoun and Gulf shall consolidate into one county named "Panhandle County".
(6) The counties of Holmes, Jackson, and Washington shall consolidate into one county named "Washington County".
(7) The counties of Baker, Bradford, and Union shall consolidate into one county named "Saint Marys County".
(8) The counties of DeSoto and Hardee shall consolidate into one county named "Alligator County".
(9) The counties of Gilchrist and Levy shall consolidate into one county named "Levy County".
(10) The counties of Columbia and Suwannee shall consolidate into one county named "Suwannee County".
(11) The counties of Clay and Putnam shall consolidate into one county named "Palmetto County".
(12) The counties of Saint Johns and Flagler shall consolidate into one county named "Saint Johns County".
(13) The counties of Duval and Nassau shall consolidate into one county named "Timucuan County".
(14) Hernando County is renamed "Hernando DeSoto County".
(15) Miami-Dade County is renamed "Biscayne County".
(16) Lee County is renamed "Caloosahatchee County".
(17) Pasco County is renamed "Cypress County".
(2) On the said effective date, the elective offices of the abolished counties shall cease to exist; the appellate districts and judicial circuits shall be adjusted accordingly; and the judicial officers of the abolished counties shall become judicial officers of the reorganized counties.