Century Charter Review Committee Continues To Work Toward Governmental Rewrite

January 30, 2022

The Century Charter Review Committee is continuing to work toward a rewrite of the document that governs the town.

Last year, the committee decided it would be best for Century to make the elected mayor a weak position, perhaps mostly a figurehead. In October, they voted to make the mayor a council member. But late in 2021, the committee completely reversed directions, deciding that the mayor should be at the head of Century’s government rather than a town manager.

As it stands following a January 2022 meeting, a new charter will call for a mayor-council form of government.

Referring to recent attendance problems with the current town council, the committee has also discussed how to withhold pay for council members that don’t attend meetings or remove them from office. But the committee has struggled with setting the definition of an excused versus unexcused absence.

If the charter review committee completes a rewrite, the changes would go to the town council to decide if the recommendation will go on the ballot for a citizen vote.

The committee is tasked with updating the charter — the document that legally establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The committee has meet periodically since October 2019.

Pictured top: Consultant Buz Eddy speaks to the Century Charter Review Committee as chairperson Mary Bourgeois listens. Pictured below: Committee member Michelle Cunningham (center) takes notes during a recent meeting. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

7 Responses to “Century Charter Review Committee Continues To Work Toward Governmental Rewrite”

  1. Swampfox on January 31st, 2022 7:48 pm

    @ Sam
    so , Jay, Fla. wouldn’t work ? Looks like they need help !

  2. Bin on January 31st, 2022 7:06 pm

    Man I hate that I missed the opportunity to be on the Century Charter Committee because I would straighten all of those problems by state law and it would be written in stone by Sunshine Towns bylaws.

  3. sam on January 31st, 2022 6:26 am

    @swampfox, in a different state can’t happen. Why would they want this dysfuntional mess? their city government works.

  4. Swampfox on January 30th, 2022 8:17 pm

    Think Flomaton,Ala would take Century ?

  5. Willis on January 30th, 2022 2:48 pm

    Even the committee is having knee jerk reactions to the towns political climate.

  6. Chris on January 30th, 2022 7:13 am

    In my opinion, the best rewrite is to write Century’s government out of the script.

  7. RaD on January 30th, 2022 1:30 am

    Why do I never read about a referendum on revoking the charter and returning rule back to the county.

    William, has a referendum of that nature ever happened?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News