| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the City of Lake Butler, Union County; |
| 3 | amending chapter 63-1499, Laws of Florida, as amended; |
| 4 | providing for numbered commission seats; providing for |
| 5 | qualifications for office; providing for filling of seat |
| 6 | when only one candidate qualifies; revising the qualifying |
| 7 | period; providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
|
| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
|
| 11 | Section 1. Sections 30 and 31 of chapter 63-1499, Laws of |
| 12 | Florida, as amended by chapter 99-477, Laws of Florida, are |
| 13 | amended to read: |
| 14 | Section 30. Election of city commission; numbered seats; |
| 15 | election registration officer.-- |
| 16 | (a) The regular municipal election of the city shall be |
| 17 | held on the fourth Tuesday in June of each even numbered year, |
| 18 | beginning in 1982. In order that terms of city commission |
| 19 | members may be staggered, the two members elected in the |
| 20 | election held in June of 1981 shall serve for terms of 3 years |
| 21 | and the three members elected in the election held in June of |
| 22 | 1982 shall serve for terms of 4 years. Thereafter, all members |
| 23 | shall serve terms of 4 years. |
| 24 | (b) Each commission seat shall be designated with an |
| 25 | assigned number, 1 through 5, and qualified for according to the |
| 26 | following procedure: |
| 27 | (1) In the election years that two member seats are |
| 28 | scheduled for election, the seats shall be numbered 1 and 2. |
| 29 | (2) In the election years that three member seats are |
| 30 | scheduled for election, the seats shall be numbered 3, 4, and 5. |
| 31 | (3) Any individual desiring to qualify for election as a |
| 32 | city commissioner shall be required to qualify as designated in |
| 33 | section 31. |
| 34 | (4) Any individual desiring to qualify for election as a |
| 35 | city commissioner shall so designate which seat he or she wishes |
| 36 | to occupy at the time of qualifying as a candidate for election |
| 37 | to the city commission. |
| 38 | (5) If no more than one individual qualifies as a |
| 39 | candidate for a seat scheduled for election, an election will |
| 40 | not be required and the sole qualifying candidate shall be |
| 41 | declared elected following the close of the official qualifying |
| 42 | period. |
| 43 | (c) The city commission shall appoint the election |
| 44 | registration officer of the City of Lake Butler at least 30 days |
| 45 | prior to any city election. The city commission may elect to |
| 46 | contract elections supervision to the county elections |
| 47 | supervisor when deemed to be in the best interest of the city. |
| 48 | Section 31. Qualifications of candidate.--Any person who |
| 49 | is a resident of the city and has been a resident for at least 6 |
| 50 | months and has the qualifications of an elector therein may |
| 51 | become a candidate for election to the office of the city |
| 52 | commissioner by petition of twenty (20) qualified electors of |
| 53 | the city and filing with the election registration officer a |
| 54 | qualifying fee as prescribed by ordinance and by taking and |
| 55 | subscribing to an oath or affirmation in compliance with current |
| 56 | state election laws before the election registration officer. |
| 57 | The qualifying period for candidates for city commission shall |
| 58 | consist of a 5-day period, beginning at noon Monday and ending |
| 59 | at noon on the following through Friday, as designated by the |
| 60 | city commission and must occur not less than 30 60 days prior to |
| 61 | the scheduled election. The filing of necessary documents for |
| 62 | qualifying as a candidate shall occur on these days during |
| 63 | established hours at the office of the election registration |
| 64 | officer. |
| 65 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |