St. Petersburg voters easily pass charter amendments

ST. PETERSBURG — Voters overwhelmingly approved two charter amendments Tuesday that aimed to make procedures clearer and more consistent.

The first amendment, which passed with 75 percent of the vote, will change the way City Council vacancies are filled. Previously, when a council member from an even-numbered district resigned to, say, run for mayor, the other council members could appoint someone to fill the seat. But if a member from an odd-numbered district resigned, voters chose the replacement during the next election.

It has happened twice in recent history. Larry Williams resigned to run for mayor in 2001. Jamie Bennett resigned to run this year. They both wanted voters to chose their replacements, not the council. Now voters will decide in election years; the council will decide in non-election years. The new procedure also ensures that, with some conditions, a seat will not go empty for more than 50 days.

Likewise, the second amendment passed with nearly 61 percent of the vote. It gives the City Council the power to change the date of an election by ordinance. Even though state law already ensures this, the City Charter language was vague and could have been misconstrued, forcing a referendum. Now, there won't be any elections to decide the date of an election.