On Tuesday, November 2, 2010, a referendum election will be held. Here is a brief description and the ballot questions.

ESTABLISHMENT OF STAGGERED TERMS FOR CITY COMMISSION

These amendments would establish staggered terms for the city commission. The mayor and the commissioners from even-numbered districts would be elected for four-year terms on the presidential election cycle beginning in 2012. The commissioners from odd-numbered districts would be elected for six-year terms at the presidential election in 2012 and then for four-year terms on the gubernatorial election cycle beginning in 2018.

Should the City Charter be amended to establish staggered terms?

ESTABLISHMENT OF TERM LIMITS FOR THE CITY COMMISSION

These amendments would establish term limits for city commission. If approved, a person could not run for mayor if, by the end of the current term, the person will have served twelve consecutive years as mayor, and a person could not run for commissioner from a particular district if, by the end of the current term, the person will have served twelve consecutive years as commissioner from that district. The limitations would not be retroactive.

Should the City Charter be amended to establish term limits?

ADOPTION OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

These amendments would adopt campaign finance reform. They would prohibit corporations and other business associations from making campaign contributions, require organizations engaged in conduct susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than as support for or opposition to a candidate or ballot question to file campaign reports, change the deadline for filing the final campaign report from four days to seven days preceding the election, and prohibit contributions after the seventh day preceding the election.

Should the City Charter be amended to adopt campaign finance reform?

AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLES II AND III REGARDING THE CITY COMMISSION

These amendments would reduce the minimum number of meetings per year, make illness the only excused absence, require vacation of office for eight consecutive absences regardless of reason, require a member having a voting conflict to leave the chamber, require a member likely to have a voting conflict on a matter not yet subject to a vote to declare such conflict and not participate, and clarify the prohibition regarding Commission members' non-interference with City employees.

Should the City Charter be amended to change various provisions regulating the City Commission?

AMENDING PROVISIONS REGULATING THE CITY'S SALE, LEASE AND PURCHASE OF LAND

These amendments would amend the Charter by requiring (i) referendum approval or five-sevenths City Commission vote to sell City-owned land for $1,000,000 or more, (ii) referendum approval or a five-sevenths Commission vote to lease City-owned land for 20 years or longer, (iii) one appraisal for sales of land assessed at more than $25,000 and additional appraisals if the first appraisal exceeds $250,000, and (iv) a five-sevenths Commission vote to approve purchases of land for more than $250,000.

Should existing provisions of the City Charter regulating the City's sale, lease and purchase of land be amended?

CONVERSION OF CHARTER PROVISIONS TO ORDINANCES

These amendments would remove from the City Charter the provisions contained in Article IX regarding civil service, Article X regarding the general employees pension plan, and Article XII regarding the firefighters pension plan. These provisions would become ordinances of the City, subject to amendment or repeal as other ordinances, except as otherwise provided therein. The ordinances resulting from these amendments would contain the exact language that is removed from the Charter.

Should the City Charter be amended to remove from the Charter the provisions regarding civil service, the general employees pension plan, and the firefighters pension plan and make such provisions ordinances?

ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE TO PROPOSE CHARTER AMENDMENTS

These amendments would establish a Charter Review Committee. The City Commission would appoint the members of the Charter Review Committee in March 2017 and every six years thereafter. The Charter Review Committee would propose amendments to the City Charter. The City Commission would be required to submit to the voters, in November 2018 and every six years thereafter, all charter amendments proposed by the Charter Review Committee.

Should the City Charter be amended to establish a Charter Review Committee that would propose Charter amendments for mandatory submittal to the voters?