In an effort to streamline governmental operations, the city of Starke is holding a special mail-in election to remove the position of city clerk.
The present charter which has been in place for over 100 years designated the city clerk as the tax assessor, tax collector and supervisor of elections among other duties. It even calls for the clerk to issue warrants charging criminal offenses and attend trials, keeping “a record of all fines and sentences.”
Current acting City Clerk Drew Mullins points out that “most of these functions have long since been removed from the city’s operations and are now handled by the county.”
The city no longer holds city court, assesses properties or collects property taxes, and elections — including this special ballot referendum — are handled by the county supervisor of elections.
Recently the city commission moved the finance department under the newly created administrative officer and finance director.
“For the last year basically all I have done as acting city clerk is sign the dotted line on ordinances and resolutions,” said Mullins.
With fewer than 7% of Florida cities now having an elected clerk, the commission believes that this update represents a logical step forward in ensuring the city commission can be held accountable for the city’s operations.
“Having the city’s administrative functions being performed by the city’s administrative staff will place the responsibility directly under the five elected commissioners, ensuring everyone is moving in the same direction,” said Mayor Andy Redding.
“Ultimately, it’s up to the voters, and we encourage all residents to participate in this important decision”, said Redding.
Ballots have been mailed and must be returned to the Bradford County Supervisor of Elections Office no later than 7 p.m. on April 8, 2025.
