Brevard County Charter Articles 3 - 5

4.1.1 Election and compensation

The Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and Supervisor of Elections shall be elected and compensated in the manner provided by law for such officers in non-charter counties.

Amended 11/03/1998

4.1.2 Vacancies

Each County officer shall be subject to removal as prescribed by the State Constitution and general law for such officers in non-charter counties. Any other vacancy in a County office arising from the death, resignation, or removal of such official shall, if one year or less remains in the term of office, be filled by appointment of the Governor; provided, a vacancy created by recall shall be filled as provided in Section 5.2 of this Charter. Unless otherwise required by the State Constitution or general law, if more than one year remains in the term of office at the time the vacancy occurs, the vacancy shall be filled by a special election. The Board of County Commissioners, after first consulting with the Supervisor of Elections, shall by resolution fix the time period for candidate qualifying, the date of the election, and the date of any runoff election. There shall be a minimum of thirty (30) days between the close of qualifying and the date of the election, and a minimum of two weeks between the election and any runoff election. Such special elections shall otherwise be governed by the applicable provisions of general law.

4.2.1 Office of the Clerk of Circuit Court

The Office of the Clerk of Circuit Court shall be directed by the Clerk of Circuit Court, who shall have the powers and duties prescribed by the Constitution and laws of Florida for the office of Clerk of Circuit Court, subject to the exceptions provided in this Charter and with such additional powers and duties as may be conferred under this Charter.

4.2.2 Office of the Sheriff

The Office of the Sheriff shall be directed by the Sheriff, and shall be responsible for the control, operation and administration of the duties of law enforcement, and all other functions and duties now prescribed by the Constitution and laws of Florida for the office of Sheriff, subject to the exceptions provided in this Charter and with such additional powers and duties as many be conferred under this Charter.

4.2.3 Office of the Property Appraiser

The Office of the Property Appraiser shall be directed by the Property Appraiser, and shall be responsible for carrying out all functions, duties and requirements prescribed by the Constitution and laws of Florida for the office of Property Appraiser, subject to the exceptions provided in this Charter and with such additional powers and duties as may be conferred under this Charter.

4.2.4 Office of Supervisor of Elections

The Office of the Supervisor of Elections shall be directed by the Supervisor of Elections, and shall be responsible for carrying out all functions, duties and requirements prescribed by the Constitution and laws of Florida for the office of Supervisor of Elections, subject to the exceptions provided in this Charter and with such additional powers and duties as may be conferred under this Charter.

4.2.5 Office of Tax Collector

The Office of the Tax Collector shall be directed by the Tax Collector, and shall be responsible for carrying out all functions, duties and requirements prescribed by the Constitution and laws of Florida for the office of Tax Collector, subject to the exceptions provided in this Charter and with such additional powers and duties as may be conferred under this Charter.

4.5.1 Departments supervised by County Manager

Directors of departments not headed by an elected County officer or the County Attorney, together with those senior assistants to such directors specified by ordinance, shall be appointed by the County Manager, subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the Board of County Commissioners, and shall serve at the pleasure of the County Manager.

4.5.2 Departments headed by elected officers

Each elected County officer shall be the appointing and discharging authority for all employees and senior assistants of the department headed by that officer.

4.6.1 No transfer from County Officers

A power of function existing in any County office by virtue of the State Constitution or general law and placed by this Charter under a County officer may not be further transferred or removed except by Charter amendment. In all other cases the Board of County Commissioners may by ordinance make changes in any or all department organizations including combinations, deletions and creation of departments or divisions or transfer of responsibility between departments and divisions.

4.6.2 Budget approval; additional duties

The budget of each department headed by an elected County officer shall be fixed and approved by the Board of County Commissioners, subject to the approval and review provided by general law to officers of like powers and functions in non-charter counties. No additional duties requiring the expenditure of funds shall be assigned under this Charter to any department headed by an elected County officer, unless funds are appropriated for that purpose or the officer consents to assume such duties without additional funding.

5.1.1 Procedure for Petition

The sponsor of an initiative shall, prior to obtaining any signatures, submit the text of a proposed ordinance or Charter amendment to the Supervisor of Elections, with the proposed ballot summary and the form on which signatures will be affixed and obtain a dated receipt therefore. The allowable period for obtaining signatures on the petition shall be completed not later than nine (9) months after the initial receipt of the petition by the Supervisor of Elections. The sponsor shall thereupon submit signed and dated forms to the Supervisor of Elections and upon submission shall pay all fees required by general law. The Supervisor of Elections shall within sixty (60) days verify the signatures thereon, or specify a reason for the invalidity of each rejected signature if the petition is rejected for insufficiency of the number of valid signatures. If the petition is rejected for insufficiency of the number of signatures, the sponsor shall have an additional thirty (30) days within which to submit additional signatures for verification. The Supervisor of Elections shall, within thirty (30) days verify the additional signatures. In the event sufficient signatures are still not acquired, the petition initiative shall be rendered null and void and none of the signatures may be carried over onto another identical or similar petition.

5.1.2 Consideration by Board of County Commissioners

Within sixty (60) days after the requisite number of names has been verified by the Supervisor of Elections and reported to the Board of County Commissioners, the Board of County Commissioners shall give notice and hold a public hearing on the proposed ordinance according to law and vote on it. If the Board fails to enact the proposed ordinance, it shall by resolution, call a referendum on the question of the adoption of the proposed ordinance to be held at the next general election occurring at least forty-five (45) days after the adoption of such resolution. If the question of the adoption of the proposed ordinance is approved by a majority of those registered voters voting on the question, the proposed ordinance shall be declared by resolution of the Board of County Commissioners to be enacted and shall become effective on the date specified in the ordinance, or if not so specified, on January 1 of the succeeding year. The Board of County Commissioners shall not amend or repeal an ordinance adopted by initiative, without the approval of a majority of the electors voting at a referendum called for that purpose.

5.1.3 Limitation on ordinances by initiative

The power to enact, amend or repeal an ordinance or amend this Charter by initiative shall not include ordinances or provisions relating to the existing County budget, existing debt obligations, existing capital improvement programs, salaries of non-elected County officers and employees, the collection of taxes, or the rezoning of less than five percent (5%) of the total land area of the County.

5.3.1 Bonds

In addition to the limitations on general obligation debt imposed by the State Constitution, the issuance by the County of notes, bonds or other instruments of indebtedness evidencing borrowing to be paid back in part or in full by non-ad valorem tax revenues received by the County, in an amount which, individually or in combination with other issues for the same project authorized within the preceding two (2) years, exceeds $15,000,000.00 ^[1] (including administrative costs of the issue), shall be authorized only after approval by a majority vote of the electors at a special election called for that purpose or in conjunction with any regular election. No proceeds of instruments of indebtedness shall be issued to finance current operations of County Government, except that part of current expenses directly allocable to capital projects. Nothing in this section prohibits issuance of tax anticipation notes payable in one year or less.

5.3.2 Lease-purchase contracts

Lease-purchase instruments of indebtedness shall be limited to the acquisition of equipment or other tangible property having a value of not more than $1,000,000.00 per individual contract. Lease-purchase instruments of indebtedness shall not extend longer than the useful life of such equipment or tangible property, and shall not pledge, directly or indirectly, any ad valorem revenues of the County.

5.3.3 Exceptions

The limitations in the foregoing subsections do not apply to projects mandated by judicial decree, self-liquidating projects, utility or other enterprise funds, road projects funded by gasoline taxes, or to the refinancing of any existing instruments of indebtedness or certificates of participation to reduce the cost of debt service.

Notwithstanding the limitations of this Article, whenever a disaster or emergency has been declared by the Governor of Florida or the President of the United States, the Board of County Commissioners may authorize the issuance of notes, bonds or other instruments of indebtedness (including lease-purchase agreements and covenants to budget) to the full extent permitted by the State Constitution and general laws of Florida, for the sole purpose of repair or reconstruction of infrastructure or capital facilities of the County damaged by flood, tornado, hurricane, act of war, act of God, or other declared disaster or emergency.

5.3.4 Indexed ceilings

The maximum amounts fixed in this Article for the issuance of bond or lease-purchase undertakings not approved at referendum shall be increased or decreased from time to time in proportion to the increase or decrease based on a generally accepted consumer price index to be designated by Ordinance.

5.4.1 Levy of new non-ad valorem special assessments

Brevard County shall not levy new non-ad valorem special assessments (excluding Municipal Service Benefit Units) without the approval of a majority of the electors residing within the boundaries of the district or other area of the County where the special assessments are proposed to be levied, voting thereon at a general election or special election called for purposes of such approval.

Amended 11/03/1998

5.4.2 Truth in Taxation

(a) In any year in which the Board of County Commissioners tentatively adopts a millage rate in excess of 100 percent of the rolled-back rate computed pursuant to Florida law, the Board of County Commissioners shall be required to publish a notice in a local general circulation newspaper, with additional information to explain any increase in ad valorem tax revenue to be spent in the proposed budget over those levied in the prior fiscal year. The advertisement shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation published at least five days a week. This advertisement shall be no less than one-quarter page in size and both the headline and the actual percentage increase proposed total ad valorem tax proceeds in the advertisement shall be in a type no smaller than 18 points. The advertisement shall not be placed in that portion of the newspaper where legal notices and classified advertisements appear. Such advertisement shall take place within 15 days after the meeting adopting the tentative budget and shall state the County’s intent to finally adopt a millage rate and budget. The public hearing to finalize the budget and adopt a millage rate shall be held not less than two days or more than five days after the day that the advertisement is first published. The advertisement shall be substantially in the following form:

(b) In the event a new taxing district is created, the percentage increase in the total tax proceeds over the prior year will increase and therefore the notice shall contain a notation to explain that contribution to the total increase expressed as a percentage.

(c) If new unfunded state mandates caused an increase in the total tax levy over the prior year, the notice shall contain a notation to indicate that cost impact and its contribution to the total increase expressed as a percentage.

Amended 11/07/2004