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These are the questions on the ballot for Coral Springs, Parkland, Sunrise, Margate and Weston residents on this November 2014 elections:
Brenda Snipes with Public Service Director Mary Cooney.
CORAL SPRINGS
Issuance of General Obligation Bonds for Public Safety Infrastructure
Certain public safety infrastructure, such as fire stations and emergency communications systems, are in need of upgrade, construction, expansion, furnishing or other improvements. Shall general obligation bonds of the City of Coral Springs be issued for an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $12,450,000.00, bearing interest not exceeding the maximum rate allowable by law, maturing within 20 years from the issuance date, and payable from ad valorem taxes for public safety projects described in Ordinance 2014-110?
For Bonds______ Against Bonds _______
Removal or Replacement of Obsolete, Superseded Provisions, Ineffective Language, and Other Non-Substantive Technical Errors
The current Charter has certain provisions that are obsolete, superseded, gender biased, contains ineffective language, and/or has other technical errors that are non-substantive. Should the Charter be amended to remove or replace obsolete provisions, superseded provisions, gender bias, ineffective language, and/or other technical errors that are non-substantive?
YES ______ NO _______
Compensation of Mayor and Commissioners
The current Charter provides that Commissioners are compensated $12,000.00 per year and the Mayor is compensated $15,000.00 per year as adjusted by the consumer price index. With adjustments, Commissioners are currently compensated $17,420.00 per year and the Mayor is currently compensated $21,776.00 per year. Should the Charter be amended so that, beginning January 1, 2017, Commissioners are compensated $28,000.00 per year and the Mayor is compensated $34,000.00 per year?
YES _______ NO _______
Procedure for Becoming a Candidate
The current Charter provides that a candidate must pay a qualifying fee of 5 percent of the salary for the office they are seeking or obtain 5 percent of the registered voters’ signatures to appear on the ballot. Should the Charter be amended to keep the qualifying fee of 5 percent but decrease the amount of registered voters’ signatures to 2 percent in order to appear on the ballot?
YES ______ NO _______
Appointing an Internal Auditor
The current Charter provides that City Commission must evaluate yearly whether or not to appoint an internal auditor for the following year even if there is currently an internal auditor. Should the Charter be amended to provide that the City Commission is only required to evaluate the need for an internal auditor each year if there is not currently an internal auditor?
YES ______ NO _______
Parkland
PARKLAND
AMENDMENT NO. 1
Set Commission Salaries Based On The Average
Of Certain Neighboring Cities
Presently City Charter Section 3.05 permits the City Commission to set its own salary, permitting a Commissioner to receive any salary increase voted upon only after reelection. Shall this Section be amended to provide that the salary of the Mayor and City Commissioners be adjusted annually based on the average salaries, less one percent, of the Mayors and City Commissioners in the Cities of Coconut Creek, Margate, and Deerfield Beach?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]
AMENDMENT NO. 2
Amend Charter To Provide A Citizen
Petition Exception To Term Limits
Presently City Charter Section 3.03 contains term limits of eight years for the Mayor and Commission. Should the Charter be amended to permit an exception to those term limits if the candidate barred from running for reelection due to term limits obtains the signatures of 10% of the registered electors of the City on a petition seeking the right to run for an additional term?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]
AMENDMENT NO. 3
Change Residency Requirement For Commission
To One Year Prior To Election Date
Presently Section 4.03(2) of the City Charter requires that a candidate for City Commissioner live in the district in which he/she seeks to be elected one year prior to the date he/she qualifies for election. Should this Charter Section be amended to provide that the residency requirement be one year prior to the date of the election for the district seat for which he/she seeks to run?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]
MARGATE
#1
Charter Amendment for Gender Neutrality, Capitalization, Deletion of Obsolete Language, Current Technology Format.
Shall the Charter of the City of Margate be amended for gender neutrality; proper capitalization; deletion of obsolete language; providing for Commissioners service until successors are elected; provision for records using current technology format as accepted by Law?
YES ______________________
NO ______________________
#2
Charter Amendment for City Manager, Broward County Supervisor of Elections, and Designating Acting City Manager.
Shall the Charter of the City of Margate be amended for advertising procedures for City ordinances; clarifying Manager as City Manager; clarifying Supervisor of Elections as Broward Supervisor; allowing the City Manager to designate, by letter filed with the City Clerk, distributed to the City Commission, a qualified City employee as Acting City Manager in his temporary absence?
YES ______________________
NO ______________________
#3
Charter Amendment for City Departments, Director, Offices, Agencies and Boards, Contracts, Purchases and Bid Awards.
Shall the Charter of Margate be amended for proper names for Fire-Rescue Department and Human Resources Director; the City Manager to establish, consolidate, combine, or dissolve departments and offices except Charter offices, removing the Civil Service Board from the Charter, noticing City Commission of emergency purchases within 24 hours when practicable, and for contracts, purchases and bid awards to be authorized by the City Manager unless Commission approval is required by City ordinance?
YES ______________________
NO ______________________
#4
Charter Amendment for Qualifications, Election of Commissioners, Oath, and Election of Mayor and Vice Mayor.
Shall the Charter of the City of Margate be amended to provide for: 1 year residency qualification to run for Commissioner; an amended oath of office for Commissioners; no election for a seat where there is only 1 duly qualified candidate; drawing of lots to decide election where there is a tie vote for election to a seat; and for choosing of Mayor and Vice Mayor in the month of November or as soon thereafter?
YES ______________________
NO ______________________
#5
Charter Amendment for Less Than Full Term, Missing Commission Meetings, Hearing for Forfeiture of Office.
Shall the Charter of Margate be amended to provide that service of less than a full term, for term limit purposes, as a result of resignation, suspension, removal, or forfeiture shall be considered as a full term; a Commissioner shall not receive 1/24 of his/her salary for missing more than four regularly scheduled Commission meetings unless the meeting is missed for good cause; amending procedure and grounds for forfeiture of office for Commissioner?
YES ______________________
NO ______________________
SUNRISE
CITY OF SUNRISE BOND REFERENDUM
Park, Recreation and Leisure Services General Obligation Bonds
Shall the City of Sunrise, Florida issue general obligation bonds not exceeding $65,000,000, in one or more series, maturing not later than thirty (30) years from their issuance dates, bearing interest not exceeding the maximum legal interest rate, payable from ad valorem taxes levied by the City to pay the principal of and interest on such bonds, to finance improvements to the City’s park, recreation and leisure facilities?
___ For Bonds
___ Against Bonds
WESTON
- Delete Obsolete Language
The current City Charter contains three provisions that have obsolete language relating to: a) elections prior to 2003, b) the application of term limits to past elections, and c) transitions that have already occurred. The proposed Charter amendment would delete these provisions, because they are obsolete and unnecessary.
Shall the above-described Amendment be adopted?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]
- Holding of Special Elections
The current City Charter provides for a 60 day time frame for elections to be held in certain situations, such as filling of vacancies, approval of charter amendments and initiative elections. Due to changes in election procedures, elections cannot be held in such a short time period. The proposed amendment would extend the time frame to up to 180 days.
Shall the above-described Amendment be adopted?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]
- City Commission Procedures Relating to Quorum and Voting
The current City Charter requires affirmative votes of at least three members of the Commission to take action, but provides a limited exception when three or more members are ineligible to vote as a result of a conflict of interest, in which case the remaining member(s) may take action by unanimous vote. The proposed amendment would allow unanimous approval when less than three members are eligible to vote due to vacancy or conflicts of interest.
Shall the above-described Amendment be adopted?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]
- Initiative and Referendum
The current City Charter provides that electors may propose through the initiative process ordinances to the City Commission with certain exceptions. Consistent with state law, the proposed amendment would add the following additional exceptions: ordinances regarding development orders, comprehensive plan amendments or map amendments. The proposed amendment would also provide for confirmation by the Supervisor of Elections of a sufficient number of valid petition signatures.
Shall the above-described Amendment be adopted?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]
- Criteria for, and Limitations on, City Charitable Contributions
The current City Charter limits the total amount of City charitable contributions to $25,000.00 per year. The proposed amendment would increase the total amount to $50,000.00 per year. The proposed amendment would also incorporate the existing criteria that have been adopted by the City Commission into the Charter.
Shall the above-described Amendment be adopted?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]
- Charter Review Board Members
The current City Charter requires that each member of the Charter Review Board appointed by a Commissioner reside in that Commissioner’s Residential Area, but does not require that the Mayor’s appointee reside in the City. The proposed amendment would provide that the Mayor’s appointee shall reside within the City. The proposed amendment also eliminates the requirement that a majority of the City Commission approve each appointment.
Shall the above-described Amendment be adopted?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]
- Limitation on Economic Development Incentives
The City Charter does not currently address economic development incentives. The proposed amendment would provide that the City shall not grant economic development incentives to any person or entity, unless the economic development incentive is part of a federal, state or county program and is pursuant to an agreement that ensures that the City will recoup at least the full amount of the City’s portion of the incentive within seven years.
Shall the above-described Amendment be adopted?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]
