The Charter Review Commission has prioritized its recommended changes to the city’s bedrock document with Cape Coral City Council to now decide which, if any, will go to the voters next year.

Commission priorities for the General Election include a substantive increase in Council compensation and a proposal to replace the city’s at-large elections with single-member districts.

The other recommendations are suggested for the Primary Election ballot as the city is limited to the number of initiatives it can place on a single ballot.

“Our job was to go ahead and get the data and information,” Chair Richard Leon said. “They (City Council) will decide which amendments will move forward to the voters.”

The amendments moving forward to the City Council include:

• 4.01 – mayor and city council; one Council member elected from each district instead of at large; the mayor would continue to be elected at-large, or by all the voters

• 4.02 – eligibility — A candidate for Council member shall have been a continuous full-time resident of the District in which they are seeking office for the entire calendar year immediately preceding their qualification for office. “Residency” shall be defined as the candidate’s place of domicile, or permanent legal address.

• 4.05 – candidate qualifications and election- Increases the paperwork to establish qualifications, most focused on proving residency

• 4.06 – mayor, mayor pro tem; Mostly housekeeping, defining when a mayor pro tem shall be “elected” by council vote

• 4.08 – council and mayor, compensation, expenses; Addresses how council may increase its compensation. (To be separated into two proposed amendments.)

• 4.11 – vacancies, forfeiture of office, filling of vacancies – Redefines how vacancies on the elected board shall be filled

• 4.12 – judge of qualifications. – Gives Cape Coral City Council the ability to remove a member if charged with conduct constituting grounds for forfeiture of office is found by a supermajority of six (6) affirmative votes of the Council to have committed conduct constituting grounds for the forfeiture of their office, said member so charged shall be removed from office

Leon said council is not voting on the amendments, but rather recommending which should go before city voters for consideration.

“We are a fact-finding board. We are finding facts, presenting the data and the council will make the decision to put forward to voters,” he said.

The Charter Review Commission is a charter-designated board, appointed by council, at minimum, every six years.

The commission can only bring suggested amendments to Council. Council decides whether those proposed amendments should be placed on the ballot. Council can also modify the recommended amendments or bring forward proposed amendments of its own.

The commission last week voted on its prioritization – recommending single-member districts and council compensation for the General Election ballot, and the others pertaining to candidate qualifications for the Primary Election Ballot.

Section A of 4.08 pertaining to compensation provides that each City Council member would be compensated at the rate of $70,000 per year, as opposed to $32,600 and the mayor would be compensated at the rate of $80,000, as opposed to $36,600.

Increases would be tied to cost-of-living.

As proposed, council could decide otherwise on increases by a supermajority vote with any increase not to go into effect until after the next election.

Section C states “the mayor and council members shall not increase the salary, any retirement benefit, any stipend, or any other type of compensation paid to its members, unless such increase is approved by ordinance, subject to public hearing and public comment, after a super-majority of at least six affirmative votes, and such increase shall not be effective until after the first city General Election following the passage of the ordinance providing for the increase in compensation.”

Commissioner Kevin McGrail, as well as other commissioners, said the most important topics should be on the General Election ballot, as it has a much better turnout of voters.

“I personally would recognize the importance of the General Election is a much better sampling of the voters in the city. The most prioritizations, I believe, should be in the general,” he said.

Commissioner Andrew Sund said the original language that McGrail had drafted was the best language to move forward, as compensation is politically charged. The devision between the two compensation provisions was intentional. He said when tying the two together would guaranteed failure of both.

McGrail said the compensation topic is too soon, as people’s memories are not that short.

“They are going to remember what happened in 2023. If we do nothing, any subsequent council can do anything they want, like in 2023,” he said, adding that if they tie them together “they will both go down and people won’t know what they voted against. Keeping them separate I think is critical.”

Leon said stressed the commission is only recommending how council should proceed, but council can do whatever it deems appropriate.

Leon said the amendments will be placed on a Council agenda, so they can inform the elected board of what the appointed commission decided.

“This has been a great process. I have enjoyed every minute of it. We came together, debated the issues. I think it is mission accomplished. Thank you guys – I appreciate you and your dedication,” he said.

To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com