Palm Beach County Commission agrees to consider charter review

Starting what could be a shakeup in local government, Palm Beach County commissioners agreed Tuesday to explore launching a review of the county charter. Commissioner Priscilla Taylor last month suggested changing the county charter to bring independently-elected county officials – including the sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, county clerk and supervisor of elections – under the control of the County Commission as a way to cut the county budget. On Tuesday, Taylor convinced her fellow commissioners to call for county staffers to come up with a proposal for how to proceed with a charter review. That likely means forming a charter review committee to suggest ways to streamline or reorganize local government. “Sometimes it takes an independent eye to look at it,” Taylor said. The move closer to a charter review comes after the other county officials balked

at attending a budget meeting with the County Commission to discuss ways to combine overlapping duties, such as human resources and purchasing, to cut expenses. Currently, the County Commission must approve the total $4 billion county budget, but can’t tell the other county officials how to spend their money. In addition to evaluating the roles of county officials, a charter review would likely include re-examining how county commissioners are elected. That could mean shifting to commissioners being elected countywide, instead of by voters in separate geographic districts. “I think we should review it,” Commission Chairman Burt Aaronson said. Deputy County Administrator Verdenia Baker was charged with developing a strategy for how to conduct a charter review. Voters would ultimately have to approve any charter changes.

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Palm Beach County Commission agrees to consider charter review

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