Florida Senate - 2025 SJR 802 By Senator Ingoglia 11-01272B-25 2025802__ Page 1 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Senate Joint Resolution 1 A joint resolution proposing amendments to

Section 1 2 of

Article VIII and

Section 4 of

Article IX of the 3 State Constitution to provide term limits for members 4 of boards of county commissioners and district school 5 boards. 6 7 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8 9 That the following amendments to

Section 1 of

Article VIII 10 and

Section 4 of

Article IX of the State Constitution are agreed 11 to and shall be submitted to the electors of this state for 12 approval or rejection at the next general election or at an 13 earlier special election specifically authorized by law for that 14 purpose: 15

ARTICLE VIII 16 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 17

SECTION 1. Counties.— 18 (

a) POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. The state shall be divided by 19 law into political subdivisions called counties. Counties may be 20 created, abolished or changed by law, with provision for payment 21 or apportionment of the public debt. 22 (

b) COUNTY FUNDS. The care, custody and method of 23 disbursing county funds shall be provided by general law. 24 (

c) GOVERNMENT. Pursuant to general or special law, a 25 county government may be established by charter which shall be 26 adopted, amended or repealed only upon vote of the electors of 27 the county in a special election called for that purpose. 28 (

d) COUNTY OFFICERS. There shall be elected by the 29

Florida Senate - 2025 SJR 802 11-01272B-25 2025802__ Page 2 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. electors of each county, for terms of four years, a sheriff, a 30 tax collector, a property appraiser, a supervisor of elections, 31 and a clerk of the circuit court. Unless otherwise provided by 32 special law approved by vote of the electors or pursuant to 33

Article V,

section 16, the clerk of the circuit court shall be 34 ex officio clerk of the board of county commissioners, auditor, 35 recorder and custodian of all county funds. Notwithstanding 36 subsection 6(

e) of this article, a county charter may not 37 abolish the office of a sheriff, a tax collector, a property 38 appraiser, a supervisor of elections, or a clerk of the circuit 39 court; transfer the duties of those officers to another officer 40 or office; change the length of the four-year term of office; or 41 establish any manner of selection other than by election by the 42 electors of the county. 43 (

e) COMMISSIONERS. Except when otherwise provided by 44 county charter, the governing body of each county shall be a 45 board of county commissioners composed of five or seven members 46 serving staggered terms of four years. After each decennial 47 census the board of county commissioners shall divide the county 48 into districts of contiguous territory as nearly equal in 49 population as practicable. One commissioner residing in each 50 district shall be elected as provided by law.

Except as provided 51 in general law relating to single-member districts after 52 decennial redistricting, a person may not appear on the ballot 53 for re-election as a member of a board of county commissioners 54 if, by the end of his or her current term of office, such person 55 will have served, or, but for resignation, would have served, as 56 a member of the board for eight years. Service in a term of 57 office which commences on or before November 3, 2026, does not 58

Florida Senate - 2025 SJR 802 11-01272B-25 2025802__ Page 3 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. count toward the limitation imposed by this subsection. 59 (

f) NON-CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties not operating under 60 county charters shall have such power of self-government as is 61 provided by general or special law. The board of county 62 commissioners of a county not operating under a charter may 63 enact, in a manner prescribed by general law, county ordinances 64 not inconsistent with general or special law, but an ordinance 65 in conflict with a municipal ordinance shall not be effective 66 within the municipality to the extent of such conflict. 67 (

g) CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties operating under county 68 charters shall have all powers of local self-government not 69 inconsistent with general law, or with special law approved by 70 vote of the electors. The governing body of a county operating 71 under a charter may enact county ordinances not inconsistent 72 with general law. The charter shall provide which shall prevail 73 in the event of conflict between county and municipal 74 ordinances. 75 (

h) TAXES; LIMITATION. Property situate within 76 municipalities shall not be subject to taxation for services 77 rendered by the county exclusively for the benefit of the 78 property or residents in unincorporated areas. 79 (

i) COUNTY ORDINANCES. Each county ordinance shall be 80 filed with the custodian of state records and shall become 81 effective at such time thereafter as is provided by general law. 82 (

j) VIOLATION OF ORDINANCES. Persons violating county 83 ordinances shall be prosecuted and punished as provided by law. 84 (

k) COUNTY SEAT. In every county there shall be a county 85 seat at which shall be located the principal offices and 86 permanent records of all county officers. The county seat may 87

Florida Senate - 2025 SJR 802 11-01272B-25 2025802__ Page 4 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. not be moved except as provided by general law. Branch offices 88 for the conduct of county business may be established elsewhere 89 in the county by resolution of the governing body of the county 90 in the manner prescribed by law. No instrument shall be deemed 91 recorded until filed at the county seat, or a branch office 92 designated by the governing body of the county for the recording 93 of instruments, according to law. 94

ARTICLE IX 95 EDUCATION 96

SECTION 4. School districts; school boards.— 97 (

a) Each county shall constitute a school district; 98 provided, two or more contiguous counties, upon vote of the 99 electors of each county pursuant to law, may be combined into 100 one school district. In each school district there shall be a 101 school board composed of five or more members chosen by vote of 102 the electors in a nonpartisan election for appropriately 103 staggered terms of four years, as provided by law.

A person may 104 not appear on the ballot for re-election to the office of school 105 board member, if by the end of the current term of office, that 106 person will have served, or, but for resignation, would have 107 served, as a member of the school board for eight years. Service 108 of a term of office which commenced before November 8, 2022, 109 does not count toward the limitation imposed by this subsection. 110 (

b) The school board shall operate, control and supervise 111 all free public schools within the school district and determine 112 the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed 113 herein. Two or more school districts may operate and finance 114 joint educational programs. 115 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 116

Florida Senate - 2025 SJR 802 11-01272B-25 2025802__ Page 5 of 5 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. placed on the ballot: 117 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 118

ARTICLE VIII,

SECTION 1 119

ARTICLE IX,

SECTION 4 120 TERM LIMITS FOR MEMBERS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONS AND DISTRICT 121 SCHOOL BOARDS.—This amendment to the State Constitution provides 122 that a person is limited to serving eight years as a member of a 123 county commission and applies to terms of office that commence 124 after November 3, 2026. This amendment also provides that a 125 person is limited to serving eight years as a member of a 126 district school board and applies to terms that began after 127 November 8, 2022, as provided by general law. 128