Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1218
By Senator DiCeglie
18-01479A-25 20251218__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to county administrators; amending s.
3 100.041, F.S.; requiring that a county administrator
4 be elected at certain general elections for a
5 specified term of office in certain counties; amending
6 s. 101.151, F.S.; requiring the inclusion of a
7 specified office title on the ballot; amending ss.
8 125.73 and 125.84, F.S.; conforming provisions to
9 changes made by the act; creating s. 125.96, F.S.;
10 requiring that a county administrator be an elected
11 official under certain circumstances; requiring the
12 Office of Economic and Demographic Research to certify
13 the population of each county to specified persons in
14 certain years; requiring the election or appointment
15 of a county administrator based upon the certified
16 county population; requiring that a vacancy in the
17 office of county administrator be filled in a certain
18 manner; requiring candidates for county administrator
19 to qualify for office and conduct their campaigns in a
20 certain manner; superseding certain county charter
21 provisions; requiring the Office of Economic and
22 Demographic Research to provide initial certifications
23 of county population by a specified date; requiring
24 that the first election of a county administrator
25 occur in certain counties at a specified election, for
26 a specified term of office; providing an effective
27 date.
28
29 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
30
31 Section 1. Present subsection (4) of section 100.041,
32 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (5),
33 respectively, and a new subsection (4) is added to that section,
34 to read:
35 100.041 Officers chosen at general election.—
36 (4) In each county in which the county administrator is an
37 elected official pursuant to s. 125.96, the county administrator
38 shall be chosen by the qualified electors for a 4-year term at
39 the general election in each year the number of which is a
40 multiple of 4. The term of office shall begin on the first
41 Tuesday after the first Monday in January after the election.
42 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
43 101.151, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
44 101.151 Specifications for ballots.—
45 (2)(a) The ballot must include the following office titles
46 above the names of the candidates for the respective offices in
47 the following order:
48 1. The office titles of President and Vice President above
49 the names of the candidates for President and Vice President of
50 the United States nominated by the political party that received
51 the highest vote for Governor in the last general election of
52 the Governor in this state, followed by the names of other
53 candidates for President and Vice President of the United States
54 who have been properly nominated.
55 2. The office titles of United States Senator and
56 Representative in Congress.
57 3. The office titles of Governor and Lieutenant Governor;
58 Attorney General; Chief Financial Officer; Commissioner of
59 Agriculture; State Attorney, with the applicable judicial
60 circuit; and Public Defender, with the applicable judicial
61 circuit.
62 4. The office titles of State Senator and State
63 Representative, with the applicable district for the office
64 printed beneath.
65 5. The office titles of Clerk of the Circuit Court or, when
66 the Clerk of the Circuit Court also serves as the County
67 Comptroller, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, when
68 authorized by law; Clerk of the County Court, when authorized by
69 law; Sheriff; Property Appraiser; Tax Collector; District
70 Superintendent of Schools; and Supervisor of Elections.
71 6. The office titles of Board of County Commissioners, with
72 the applicable district printed beneath each office, and such
73 other county and district offices as are involved in the
74 election, in the order fixed by the Department of State.
75 7. The office title of County Administrator, if applicable.
76 8. , followed, In the year of their election, by “Party
77 Offices,” and thereunder the offices of state and county party
78 executive committee members.
79 Section 3. Subsection (1) of section 125.73, Florida
80 Statutes, is amended to read:
81 125.73 County administrator; appointment, qualifications,
82 compensation.—
83 (1) Except as provided in s. 125.96, each county to which
84 this part applies shall appoint a county administrator, who
85 shall be the administrative head of the county and shall be
86 responsible for the administration of all departments of the
87 county government which the board of county commissioners has
88 authority to control pursuant to this act, the general laws of
89 Florida, or other applicable legislation.
90 Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 125.84, Florida
91 Statutes, is amended to read:
92 125.84 County charters; optional forms.—Any county desiring
93 to adopt a county charter shall provide for one of the following
94 optional forms of government:
95 (3) COUNTY CHAIR-ADMINISTRATOR PLAN.—The county chair
96 administrator plan shall provide for governance by an elected
97 board of commissioners, presided over by an elected chair who
98 shall vote only in case of tie, and an appointed county
99 administrator, except in a county subject to s. 125.96, and such
100 other officers as may be duly elected or appointed pursuant to
101 the charter. An appointed The county administrator shall be
102 appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the chair. The chair
103 shall exercise, in conjunction with the administrator, the
104 executive responsibilities assigned by the charter.
105 Section 5. Section 125.96, Florida Statutes, is created to
106 read:
107 125.96 Election of county administrator in certain
108 counties.—
109 (1) In each county operating under a form of government
110 that requires a county administrator and notwithstanding any law
111 to the contrary, the county administrator must be an elected
112 official if the county population exceeds 750,000. The term of
113 office shall be 4 years. The county administrator is not
114 required to be a resident of the county at the time of election,
115 but during his or her tenure in office must reside within the
116 county.
117 (2) For the purposes of this section, the population of
118 each county must be certified to the governing body of the
119 county, the supervisor of elections, and the Secretary of State
120 by the Office of Economic and Demographic Research in the year
121 before each year the number of which is a multiple of 4.
122 (3) Upon county receipt of certification of a county
123 population that exceeds 750,000, a county administrator must be
124 elected in the next general election. If a county with an
125 elected county administrator receives certification of a county
126 population of 750,000 or less, a county administrator must be
127 appointed in the manner provided by law upon the expiration of
128 the term of office of the elected county administrator.
129 (4) Any vacancy that occurs in the office of an elected
130 county administrator must be filled for the remainder of the
131 unexpired term by appointment of the governing body of the
132 county until a successor may be elected at the next general
133 election for the remainder of the unexpired term or, if the next
134 general election occurs in a year the number of which is a
135 multiple of 4, for a new term of office.
136 (5) Each candidate for county administrator must qualify as
137 prescribed in chapter 99.
138 (6) Each candidate for county administrator who collects or
139 expends campaign contributions shall conduct her or his campaign
140 in accordance with chapter 106.
141 (7) This section supersedes any provision of a county
142 charter that conflicts with this section.
143 Section 6. By January 1, 2026, the Office of Economic and
144 Demographic Research shall provide to the governing body of each
145 county and the respective supervisor of elections and the
146 Secretary of State initial certifications of county population.
147 In any county in which the certified population is in excess of
148 750,000, a county administrator shall first be elected at the
149 2026 general election for a term of office to begin on January
150 5, 2027, and run until January 2, 2029. The office of county
151 administrator shall thereafter be filled in each county in
152 accordance with this act.
153 Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.