FL
Florida House Bill H0679

Florida 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0679 Compare Versions

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1010 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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1414 House Joint Resolution 1
1515 A joint resolution proposing amendments to Section 1 2
1616 of Article VIII and Section 4 of Article IX of the 3
1717 State Constitution to provide term limits for members 4
1818 of boards of county commissioners and district school 5
19-boards; providing applicability. 6
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2121 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
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2323 That the following amendments to Section 1 of Article VIII 10
2424 and Section 4 of Article IX of the State Constitution are agreed 11
2525 to and shall be submitted to the electors of this state for 12
2626 approval or rejection at the next general election or at an 13
2727 earlier special election specifically authorized by law for that 14
2828 purpose: 15
2929 ARTICLE VIII 16
3030 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 17
3131 SECTION 1. Counties. — 18
3232 (a) POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. The state shall be divided by 19
3333 law into political subdivisions called counties. Counties may be 20
3434 created, abolished or changed by law, with provision for payment 21
3535 or apportionment of the public debt. 22
3636 (b) COUNTY FUNDS. The care, custody a nd method of 23
3737 disbursing county funds shall be provided by general law. 24
3838 (c) GOVERNMENT. Pursuant to general or special law, a 25
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4747 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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5151 county government may be established by charter which shall be 26
5252 adopted, amended or repealed only upon vote of the electors of 27
5353 the county in a special election called for that purpose. 28
5454 (d) COUNTY OFFICERS. There shall be elected by the 29
5555 electors of each county, for terms of four years, a sheriff, a 30
5656 tax collector, a property appraiser, a supervisor of elections, 31
5757 and a clerk of the circuit court. Unless otherwise provided by 32
5858 special law approved by vote of the electors or pursuant to 33
5959 Article V, section 16, the clerk of the circuit court shall be 34
6060 ex officio clerk of the board of county commissioners, auditor, 35
6161 recorder and custodian of all county funds. Notwithstanding 36
6262 subsection 6(e) of this article, a county charter may not 37
6363 abolish the office of a sheriff, a tax collector, a property 38
6464 appraiser, a supervisor of elections, or a clerk of the circuit 39
6565 court; transfer the duties of those of ficers to another officer 40
6666 or office; change the length of the four -year term of office; or 41
6767 establish any manner of selection other than by election by the 42
6868 electors of the county. 43
6969 (e) COMMISSIONERS. Except when otherwise provided by 44
7070 county charter, the g overning body of each county shall be a 45
7171 board of county commissioners composed of five or seven members 46
7272 serving staggered terms of four years. After each decennial 47
7373 census the board of county commissioners shall divide the county 48
7474 into districts of contiguou s territory as nearly equal in 49
7575 population as practicable. One commissioner residing in each 50
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8484 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88-district shall be elected as provided by law. Except as may be 51
89-provided by general law relating to single -member districts 52
90-after decennial redistricting, a person may not appear on the 53
91-ballot for re-election as a member of a board of county 54
92-commissioners if, by the end of his or her current term of 55
93-office, such person will have served, or, but for resignation, 56
94-would have served, as a member o f the board for eight 57
95-consecutive years. Service in a term of office which commences 58
96-on or before November 3, 2026, does not count toward the 59
97-limitation imposed by this subsection. If a county charter 60
98-provides that a chairperson or county mayor is elected county-61
99-wide, the limitation imposed by this subsection does not 62
100-prohibit a term-limited commissioner elected from a single -63
101-member district from appearing on the ballot for election as 64
102-chairperson or county mayor. 65
103- (f) NON-CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties not operating under 66
104-county charters shall have such power of self -government as is 67
105-provided by general or special law. The board of county 68
106-commissioners of a county not operating under a charter may 69
107-enact, in a manner prescribed by general law, county ordinan ces 70
108-not inconsistent with general or special law, but an ordinance 71
109-in conflict with a municipal ordinance shall not be effective 72
110-within the municipality to the extent of such conflict. 73
111- (g) CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties operating under county 74
112-charters shall have all powers of local self -government not 75
88+district shall be elected as provided by law. Except as provided 51
89+in general law relating to single -member districts after 52
90+decennial redistricting, a person may not appear on the ballot 53
91+for re-election as a member of a board of county commissioners 54
92+if, by the end of his or her current term of office, such person 55
93+will have served, or, but for resignation, would have served, as 56
94+a member of the board for eight years. Ser vice in a term of 57
95+office which commences on or before November 3, 2026, does not 58
96+count toward the limitation imposed by this subsection. 59
97+ (f) NON-CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties not operating under 60
98+county charters shall have such power of self -government as is 61
99+provided by general or special law. The board of county 62
100+commissioners of a county not operating under a charter may 63
101+enact, in a manner prescribed by general law, county ordinances 64
102+not inconsistent with general or special law, but an ordinance 65
103+in conflict with a municipal ordinance shall not be effective 66
104+within the municipality to the extent of such conflict. 67
105+ (g) CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties operating under county 68
106+charters shall have all powers of local self -government not 69
107+inconsistent with general la w, or with special law approved by 70
108+vote of the electors. The governing body of a county operating 71
109+under a charter may enact county ordinances not inconsistent 72
110+with general law. The charter shall provide which shall prevail 73
111+in the event of conflict between county and municipal 74
112+ordinances. 75
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121121 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125-inconsistent with general law, or with special law approved by 76
126-vote of the electors. The governing body of a county operating 77
127-under a charter may enact county ordinances not inconsistent 78
128-with general law. The charter shall provide which shall prevail 79
129-in the event of conflict between county and municipal 80
130-ordinances. 81
131- (h) TAXES; LIMITATION. Property situate within 82
132-municipalities shall not be subject to taxation for services 83
133-rendered by the county exclusively f or the benefit of the 84
134-property or residents in unincorporated areas. 85
135- (i) COUNTY ORDINANCES. Each county ordinance shall be 86
136-filed with the custodian of state records and shall become 87
137-effective at such time thereafter as is provided by general law. 88
138- (j) VIOLATION OF ORDINANCES. Persons violating county 89
139-ordinances shall be prosecuted and punished as provided by law. 90
140- (k) COUNTY SEAT. In every county there shall be a county 91
141-seat at which shall be located the principal offices and 92
142-permanent records of all county officers. The county seat may 93
143-not be moved except as provided by general law. Branch offices 94
144-for the conduct of county business may be established elsewhere 95
145-in the county by resolution of the governing body of the county 96
146-in the manner prescribed by law. No instrument shall be deemed 97
147-recorded until filed at the county seat, or a branch office 98
148-designated by the governing body of the county for the recording 99
149-of instruments, according to law. 100
125+ (h) TAXES; LIMITATION. Property situate within 76
126+municipalities shall not be subject to taxation for services 77
127+rendered by the county exclusively for the benefit of the 78
128+property or residents in unincorporated areas. 79
129+ (i) COUNTY ORDINANCES. Each county ordinance shall be 80
130+filed with the custodian of state records and shall become 81
131+effective at such time thereafter as is provided by general law. 82
132+ (j) VIOLATION OF ORDINANCES. Persons violating county 83
133+ordinances shall be prosecuted and punished as provided by law. 84
134+ (k) COUNTY SEAT. In every county there shall be a county 85
135+seat at which shall be located the principal offices and 86
136+permanent records of all county officers. The county seat may 87
137+not be moved except as provided b y general law. Branch offices 88
138+for the conduct of county business may be established elsewhere 89
139+in the county by resolution of the governing body of the county 90
140+in the manner prescribed by law. No instrument shall be deemed 91
141+recorded until filed at the county seat, or a branch office 92
142+designated by the governing body of the county for the recording 93
143+of instruments, according to law. 94
144+ARTICLE IX 95
145+EDUCATION 96
146+ SECTION 4. School districts; school boards. — 97
147+ (a) Each county shall constitute a school district; 98
148+provided, two or more contiguous counties, upon vote of the 99
149+electors of each county pursuant to law, may be combined into 100
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158158 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162-ARTICLE IX 101
163-EDUCATION 102
164- SECTION 4. School districts; school boards.— 103
165- (a) Each county shall constitute a school district; 104
166-provided, two or more contiguous counties, upon vote of the 105
167-electors of each county pursuant to law, may be combined into 106
168-one school district. In each school district there shall be a 107
169-school board composed of five or more members chosen by vote of 108
170-the electors in a nonpartisan election for appropriately 109
171-staggered terms of four years, as provided by law. A person may 110
172-not appear on the ballot for re -election to the office of school 111
173-board member if, by the end of the current term of office, that 112
174-person will have served, or, but for resignation, would have 113
175-served, as a member of the school board for eight consecutive 114
176-years. Service of a term of office which commenced before 115
177-November 8, 2022, does not count toward the limitation imposed 116
178-by this subsection. 117
179- (b) The school board shall operate, control and supervise 118
180-all free public schools within the school district and determine 119
181-the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed 120
182-herein. Two or more school districts may operate and finance 121
183-joint educational programs. 122
184- BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 123
185-placed on the ballot: 124
186-CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 125
162+one school district. In each school district there shall be a 101
163+school board composed of five or more members chosen by vote of 102
164+the electors in a nonpartisan election for appropriately 103
165+staggered terms of four years, as provided by law. A person may 104
166+not appear on the ballot for re -election to the office of school 105
167+board member, if by the end of the current term of office, that 106
168+person will have serve d, or, but for resignation, would have 107
169+served, as a member of the school board for eight years. Service 108
170+of a term of office which commenced before November 8, 2022, 109
171+does not count toward the limitation imposed by this subsection. 110
172+ (b) The school board sha ll operate, control and supervise 111
173+all free public schools within the school district and determine 112
174+the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed 113
175+herein. Two or more school districts may operate and finance 114
176+joint educational programs. 115
177+ BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 116
178+placed on the ballot: 117
179+CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 118
180+ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 1 119
181+ARTICLE IX, SECTION 4 120
182+ TERM LIMITS FOR MEMBERS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONS AND DISTRICT 121
183+SCHOOL BOARDS.—This amendment to the State Constit ution provides 122
184+that a person is limited to serving eight years as a member of a 123
185+county commission and applies to terms of office that commence 124
186+after November 3, 2026. This amendment also provides that a 125
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195195 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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199-ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 1 126
200-ARTICLE IX, SECTION 4 127
201- TERM LIMITS FOR MEMBERS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONS AND DISTRICT 128
202-SCHOOL BOARDS.—Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to 129
203-provide term limits of eight consecutive years for county 130
204-commissioners for terms that commence after November 3, 2026, 131
205-and to provide term limits of eight co nsecutive years for 132
206-district school board members for terms that begin on or after 133
207-November 8, 2022, as provided by general law. The amendments 134
208-provide additional applicability. 135
199+person is limited to serving eight years as a member of a 126
200+district school board and applies to terms that began after 127
201+November 8, 2022, as provided by general law. 128