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There were a number of questions on the ballot for voters to decide on in Charlotte County on Election Day. The choices were yes and no, but the questions were far less simple.
Charlotte County Charter Amendment 1 asked voters to decide if the Charlotte County Charter be amended to “provide for County Commission to conduct a review of all operations of the county in conjunction with the budget process.” 84% of voters chose ‘Yes.’
The second Charter Amendment surrounded the personnel policies for the county attorney and the director of economic development. The question asked voters to decide if they would allow personnel policies that apply to the county administrator to be applied to the county attorney and the director of economic development. The amendment passed with 80% of the vote.
Voters chose ‘Yes’ again on Charter Amendment three with a margin of 68% to 32%. That means voters, not county commissioners, would decide if casino gambling would be allowed if a casino or other business wanted to bring that to the county.
A school issue was also in the hands of the voters. They were asked to decide if the Charlotte County School District should “continue the current one mill ad valorem millage, beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2027, to maintain the quality of the
public school system, to enhance school security, to recruit and retain highly effective
teachers and employees with competitive salaries, to enhance student achievement,
to provide workforce development and maintain the current increase in instructional
time with oversight by an independent citizens’ committee.”
Voters chose to maintain the current system for the school tax.
In the City of Punta Gorda, there were four yes or no issues on the ballot for voters.
Charter one asked if “the Charter be amended from two to four year terms for newly elected Councilmembers and, if approved, to also amend Article IX, Section 1 to move the date of City elections to coincide with the even-numbered year countywide, statewide and national elections? This change will require a one-time one-year term extension for existing councilmembers in District 3 and 5 till November 2024.” Voters rejected the amendment.
Charter two asked if “the Charter be amended to adjust the salaries of the City Council to equal thirty percent of Charlotte County Commissioner salaries and thirty-five percent for Mayor?” Voters also chose not to adopt this amendment.
Charter three asked, “the Charter be amended to have City elections which coincide with countywide, state, or federal elections locally certified in the same manner as county, state, and national elections? Also approving a change for special City-only elections to be certified by a canvassing board of the Mayor, Supervisor of Elections, and City Clerk. This amendment presumes but does not require approval of Charter amendment question one.” Despite amendment one not passing, 72% of voters chose to pass charter three.
The last charter on the ballot asked “the Charter be amended to remove misleading, obsolete, and internally conflicting language. These non-substantive provisions have been identified historically or by the City Clerk as necessary to clarify the Charter.” This charter passed with a resounding 86% of votes.
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