BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
The Starke Charter Revision Committee’s latest meeting focused on defining the city’s form of government and election cycles.
Members are working to deliver voters an amended charter to consider this fall. Jeff Johnson and Al Hunter were selected as chair and vice chair of the committee to manage meetings, and City Clerk Chrissy Thompson is performing a leadership role, guiding the committee through its work.
That included the goal of cutting the charter from nearly 70 down to 10 or fewer pages.
“There’s 411 cities in the state. There’s not one identical charter. Every single one is different. Every single town and village has one. The goal and the framework would be just kind of like the Constitution, to have just the framework, the vision, the structure,” Thompson said.
That would include defining the number of elected officials, the election process, terms of office and basic responsibilities.
As the first charter review since it was adopted, Thompson explained the importance of citizens carrying out this task.
“The citizens’ role is crucial in making sure that what we’re doing is giving the city governmental foundations,” she said.
Having said that, there will be input from city officials and staff as well.
“We understand that the 10 of you all are citizens and are voters and are very active in the community, and we appreciate that. But we also want to compromise to everybody, like what you know, some of the things in the clerk’s position, what I have as nonnegotiable. What (City Manager Drew Mullins) would like to have. Not necessarily nonnegotiable, but to be put into the charter. What does work and what does not work? You guys may come up with an idea and say, ‘OK, I want this, this and this.’ It may not ever work, or it may not come to the commission and pass,” she said.
Thompson said the final document should reflect the unity of everyone’s input and be a win for everyone.
Some of the topics discussed included the role of the mayor — whether Starke should have a strong or weak mayor. Should the mayor be elected separately from the city commission, or continue as a commissioner appointed by the others. Thompson said an elected mayor wouldn’t have a vote, but be a day-to-day position that may or may not be paid. As it is now, no one commissioner has any more authority than another, even if designated mayor. That individual serves as chair of the meetings and signs documents as needed.
Committee member Michael Heeder made the point that an elected mayor would give voters citywide a chance to choose a single person to be the face of the city. Johnson said he initially thought about having a mayor and at least one commissioner elected citywide, but he now thinks that arrangement could get too political.
“We got five people. They decide who they want to run the meeting. If I’ve got a voice, I go to my member and say, ‘Hey, I want this.’ And if I want a louder voice, I’ll bring my heinie up here to this council meeting,” he said.
Johnson also expressed that exploring every alternative to the current structure would take too long to meet their deadline for this year’s ballot and place too much on the attorney’s plate.
“We need to get down to a basic charter that tells us what this city is and what we stand for. That’s going to change. Guys, if you haven’t rode up and down 301, 16, 100, this city is fixing to change its face. I heard the other day, Starke is the new Middleburg,” he said.
Another reason not to get too inventive, according to Johnson: a small percentage of the city’s registered voters would show up to vote, leaving the impact on the city’s future in the hands of a few hundred people.
Increasing voter turnout is one reason city officials want to move elections to the two-year cycle for county, state and federal elections. It will require extending the recently elected clerk and commissioners’ terms by one year, so their offices would be open for election in 2030, not 2029.
Committee member Brenda Donaldson said if the current scenario with five commissioners, — with one being mayor-commissioner — works, then they should stick with it.
Thompson said, given that referendums to remove the city clerk as one of the elected positions in the charter have failed, it is obvious voters want that position maintained. Modifying the charter to reflect her actual role will be part of the process.
The committee is meeting twice monthly at 4 p.m. prior to the city commission meetings on the first and third Tuesday of the month at city hall. The meetings are open to the public.
