City OKs consideration of referendum on fall elections

In a 3-2 vote Monday, the Sarasota City Commission agreed to set a public hearing to consider a ballot initiative that would move municipal elections from spring to fall.

The discussion came after Vice Mayor Suzanne Atwell called for the commission to consider letting voters decide whether to move the city elections, held in March and May, to coincide with state and national elections in even-numbered years. At the June 1 commission meeting, Atwell decried the traditionally low turnout in municipal elections.

Although the commission eventually asked the city attorney to prepare ordinance language that, if approved, would place the question on the November 2016 ballot, the board was divided regarding the schedule change. Commissioner Susan Chapman pointed out that the city’s Charter Review Committee reviewed this issue several years ago, recommending against moving the municipal elections in 2011.

Chapman, joined by Mayor Willie Shaw, suggested that such a significant change to the city charter should be initiated via a citizen-driven petition or the Charter Review Committee, not by the proposal of elected officials.

“I think we need to start thinking about whether the process is appropriate for the commission to posit such a charter amendment,” Chapman said.

Atwell disagreed, pointing out that the commission had the power to approve charter referendums for ballot consideration. As elected officials, she argued, they were charged with representing the will of their constituents — and she believed citizens were interested in exploring the possibility of moving elections to the fall.

"We make decisions — we’re as close to the electorate as we could possibly be." — Suzanne Atwell

“We are leaders,” Atwell said. “We can do this, and I think much of the electorate is calling for it. We make decisions — we’re as close to the electorate as we could possibly be.”

At a future public hearing, which will be held sometime after Oct. 1, the commission will consider two different configurations of the proposed ballot language. Under one proposal, the initial municipal election would be held in August, with a runoff scheduled for November if no candidate earned a majority of the votes in one race. However, if only two candidates are running for one commission seat, that election would be held in November.

The other proposal would eliminate the requirement that a candidate win a majority to earn a seat on the commission, and a winner-takes-all election would be held in November.