TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Leon County voters will decide on five charter amendments and one straw poll in two weeks, with proposals addressing the balance of power between city and county governments, changes to the county charter and disparities affecting historically underserved communities.<\/p>\n
Lonna Atkeson, director of the Leroy Collins Institute at Florida State University explained what each measure would and would not do. <\/p>\n
The first two charter amendments focus on the balance of power between Tallahassee\u2019s city government and Leon County government. <\/p>\n
The first question would allow new county ordinances adopted after Jan. 1, 2027, to override conflicting city ordinances.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn this first one, they are saying that if there\u2019s a conflict between the city ordinances and the county ordinances, then the county ordinances prevail,\u201d Atkeson said. <\/p>\n
The second question applies the same concept specifically to street names and addresses countywide.<\/p>\n
Atkeson said differences in street names between the city and county have caused confusion for residents and visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe city has been, you know, making some renaming, and that has caused some streets to change their names between the city and the county. So that might be confusing for residents or visitors,\u201d the director said.<\/p>\n
Atekson said the two measures ultimately ask voters to consider whether the city or county should have more authority. \u201cDo you want the city to have more power and in its home rule? Or do you want the county to have more power over home rule in the city?,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The third amendment would add language to the county charter\u2019s preamble affirming the \u201cshared dignity\u201d of every resident.<\/p>\n
Atkeson said the change would not significantly affect county operations or finances. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt really has no significant change. It doesn\u2019t affect any monetary outcomes or taxes or anything like that,\u201d the director said.<\/p>\n
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The fourth amendment would remove outdated legal references from the county charter and give the County Charter Review Committee more time to submit recommendations.<\/p>\n
Under the proposal, the committee would have 150 days before the election to submit its recommendations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe county government thinks that we need more time and better alignment to pursue these ends,\u201d Atkeson said.<\/p>\n
The fifth amendment would require the county to regularly study and report on disparities affecting historically underserved communities.<\/p>\n
Atkeson said the proposal was originally intended to take a different approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was originally proposed as a resolution apologizing for historical wrongs to people like slavery and racism within the county, but it thought that it would go against sort of DEI laws of the state,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Atkeson went on to say that the proposal would not create costs for taxpayers beyond data collection. It also would not require the county to act on the findings.<\/p>\n
Lastly, the final ballot item is a straw poll asking whether Tallahassee and Leon County should merge into a single government.<\/p>\n
Atkeson said the poll is advisory and intended to gauge residents\u2019 reactions to the idea.<\/p>\n
\u201cShould Tallahassee and Leon County\u2019s government merge, so we have one government instead of two? But this is just advisory. They\u2019re trying to get information to understand people\u2019s reaction to that,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
She also recommended reading the full ballot language before Election Day<\/a> to better understand what each measure proposes. <\/p>\n To view sample ballots, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n