CRC OKs mayoral veto

The City of Pensacola’s Charter Review Commission yesterday adopted veto powers for the strong mayor it will recommend as part of the new charter. Present at the meeting were all members with the exception of Ed Ranelli.

The CRC first approved general veto power, adopting the language of the City of Hialeah’s charter. The language provides the mayor the power to veto any ordinance or resolution, with no exceptions. Once such an act is passed, it is sent to the mayor for his signature. If he does not veto it by the next regularly scheduled Council meeting, it becomes law. If he does veto it, the act is sent back to Council, which will either sustain or override the veto; a supermajority would be required to override vetoes. The veto vote passed 6-3, with Commissioners Horton, Armstrong, and Prim dissenting.

The Commission also went a step further, providing the proposed mayor line-item veto power on budget issues. That vote was 5-4, with Commissioners Reeves, Horton, Armstrong, and Prim dissenting. The Commission added the stipulation that line-item budget vetoes by revenue-neutral, with the same four commissioners dissenting on the 5-4 vote.

Several other issues were addressed:

• A provision specifying that the mayor of members of Council would forfeit their office and be removed if they violated an express provision of the charter. Approved unanimously.
• Adopting the Hialeah charter’s language on filling Council vacancies; such vacancies would be filled by Council appointment. Approved unanimously.
• The CRC also adopted language, again from the Hialeah charter, prohibiting the mayor and Council members from holding “appointive city office, board membership, or employment” while in office, or “any compensated appointive city office or emolument” for one year after the end of their service.