1998 Amendments and Referenda
See the
1998 Qualified Candidates page for information on candidates.
The following items are scheduled to appear on the General Election ballot on November 3, 1998.
State Amendments and Revisions
Amendment 1 | Amendment 2 | Amendment 3 | Amendment 4 | Revision 5 | Revision 6 | Revision 7 | Revision 8 | Revision 9 | Revision 10 | Revision 11 | Revision 12 | Revision 13
County Charter Revisions and Referenda
Charter Amendment 1 | Charter Amendment 2 | Charter Amendment 3 | Charter Amendment 4 | Fire Fighter Support Referendum | North Merritt Island Straw Vote
City Charter Amendments and Referenda
Cape Canaveral Charter Amendment | Cocoa Beach Charter Amendments 1 and 2 | Indialantic Referendum | Melbourne Referendum | Palm Bay Referenda 1, 2 and 3 | Rockledge Referendum
STATE OF FLORIDA
NO. 1 - CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
ARTICLE VII, SECTIONS 3 AND 4; ARTICLE XII, SECTION 22 (Legislative)
HISTORIC PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION AND ASSESSMENT
With respect to historic property granted ad valorem tax exemption by a county or municipality, removes a requirement that the owner be engaged in renovating the property.
Authorizes the Legislature to allow counties or municipalities, by ordinance, to assess historic properties solely on the basis of character or use for ad valorem tax purposes, subject to eligibility requirements specified by general law.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
NO. 2 - CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
ARTICLE I, SECTION 17 (Legislative)
PRESERVATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY; UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT INTERPRETATION OF CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT
Proposing an amendment to Section 17 of Article I of the State Constitution preserving the death penalty, and permitting any execution method unless prohibited by the Federal Constitution. Requires construction of the prohibition against cruel and/or unusual punishment to conform to United States Supreme Court interpretation of the Eighth Amendment. Prohibits reduction of a death sentence based on invalidity of execution method, and provides for continued force of sentence. Provides for retroactive applicability.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
NO. 3 - CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
ARTICLE VII, SECTION 6 (Legislative)
ADDITIONAL HOMESTEAD TAX EXEMPTION
Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution, effective January 1, 1999, to authorize the Legislature to allow counties and municipalities to grant an additional homestead tax exemption not exceeding $25,000 to certain persons 65 years of age or older whose household income does not exceed a specified amount.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
NO. 4 - CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 1 (Legislative)
RECORDING OF INSTRUMENTS IN BRANCH OFFICES
Proposing an amendment to Section 1 of Article VIII of the State Constitution authorizing the recording of instruments by filing at a branch office of a county seat.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
NO. 5 - CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
ARTICLE II, SECTION 7(a); ARTICLE IV, SECTION 9; ARTICLE VII, SECTION 11 (e)-(f); ARTICLE X, SECTION 18; ARTICLE XII, SECTION 22 (Constitution Revision Commission)
CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CREATION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Requires adequate provision for conservation of natural resources; creates Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, granting it the regulatory and executive powers of the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission and the Marine Fisheries Commission; removes legislature's exclusive authority to regulate marine life and grants certain powers to new commission; authorizes bonds to continue financing acquisition and improvement of lands for conservation, outdoor recreation, and related purposes; restricts disposition of state lands designated for conservation purposes.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
Constitutional Changes
NO. 6 - CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1 (Constitution Revision Commission)
PUBLIC EDUCATION OF CHILDREN
Declares the education of children to be a fundamental value of the people of Florida; establishes adequate provision for education as a paramount duty of the state; expands constitutional mandate requiring the state to make adequate provision for a uniform system of free public schools by also requiring the state to make adequate provision for an efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
Constitutional Changes
NO. 7 - CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
ARTICLE V, SUBSECTIONS 10, 11(a)-(b), 12(a), (f), 14; ARTICLE XII, SECTION 22 (Constitution Revision Commission)
LOCAL OPTION FOR SELECTION OF JUDGES AND FUNDING OF STATE COURTS
Provides for future local elections to decide whether to continue electing circuit and county judges or to adopt system of appointment of those judges by governor, with subsequent elections to retain or not retain those judges; provides election procedure for subsequent changes to selection of judges; increases county judges' terms from four to six years; corrects judicial qualifications commission term of office; allocates state courts system funding among state, counties, and users of courts.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
Constitutional Changes
NO. 8 - CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
ARTICLE II, SECTION 8(h)(1); ARTICLE III SUBSECTIONS 8(b), 16(b) AND (f), 19(f)(3); ARTICLE IV, SUBSECTIONS 3(b), 4, 7(a), AND 8(a); ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 1(i); ARTICLE IX, SECTION 2; ARTICLE XI, SUBSECTIONS 2(c), 3, 4, 5(a), AND 6(e); ARTICLE XII, SUBSECTIONS 9(c)(5) and 22 (Constitution Revision Commission)
RESTRUCTURING THE STATE CABINET
Merges cabinet offices of treasurer and comptroller into one chief financial officer; reduces cabinet membership to chief financial officer, attorney general, agriculture commissioner; secretary of state and education commissioner eliminated from elected cabinet; secretary of state duties defined by law; changes composition of state board of education from governor and cabinet to board appointed by governor; board appoints education commissioner; defines state board of administration, trustees of internal improvement trust fund, land acquisition trust fund.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
Constitutional Changes
NO. 9 - CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
ARTICLE I, SECTION 2 (Constitution Revision Commission)
BASIC RIGHTS
Defines "natural persons," who are equal before the law and who have inalienable rights, as "female and male alike;" provides that no person shall be deprived of any right because of national origin; changes "physical handicap" to "physical disability" as a reason that people are protected from being deprived of any right.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
Constitutional Changes
NO. 10 - CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
ARTICLE VII, SECTION 3(a), (f) AND (g); ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 7 (Constitution Revision Commission)
LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS AND CITIZEN ACCESS TO LOCAL OFFICIALS
Broadens tax exemption for governmental uses of municipal property; authorizes legislature to exempt certain municipal and special district property used for airport, seaport, or public purposes; permits local option tax exemption for property used for conservation purposes; permits local option tangible personal property tax exemption for attachments to mobile homes and certain residential rental furnishings; removes limitations on citizens' ability to communicate with local officials about matters which are the subject of public hearings.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
Constitutional Changes
NO. 11 - CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
ARTICLE IV, SECTION 5(a); ARTICLE VI, SUBSECTIONS 1, 2, 5, 7; ARTICLE IX, SECTION 4(a) (Constitution Revision Commission)
BALLOT ACCESS, PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING, AND ELECTION PROCESS REVISIONS
Provides ballot access requirements for independent and minor party candidates cannot be greater than requirements for majority party candidates; allows all voters, regardless of party, to vote in any party's primary election if the winner will have no general election opposition; provides public financing of campaigns for statewide candidates who agree to campaign spending limits; permits candidates for governor to run in primary elections without lieutenant governor; makes school board elections nonpartisan; corrects voting age.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
Constitutional Changes
NO. 12 - CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 5 (Constitution Revision Commission)
FIREARMS PURCHASES: LOCAL OPTION FOR CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS CHECK AND WAITING PERIOD
Authorizes each county the option of requiring a criminal history records check and waiting period of 3 to 5 days in connection with the "sale" of any firearm; defines "sale" as the transfer of money or other valuable consideration for a firearm where any part of the transaction occurs on property open to public access; does not apply to holders of a concealed weapons permit when purchasing a firearm.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
Constitutional Changes
NO. 13 - CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
ARTICLE I, SUBSECTIONS 4, 9, 16(a), 18, 23; ARTICLE II, SUBSECTIONS 5(b), 8(g)-(i); ARTICLE III, SUBSECTIONS 3(f), 8(a)-(b), 17(b)-(c), 18, 19(d); ARTICLE IV, SUBSECTIONS 1(a) AND (c), 2, 3(b), 4(e), 7(a); ARTICLE V, SUBSECTIONS 1, 2(a) AND (b), 3(a), 8, 10(a), 11(c), 17, 18, 20(c)(6) AND (9), 20(d)(8), 20(e)(1); ARTICLE VII, SECTION 4(b) AND 6(b); ARTICLE IX, SECTION 5; ARTICLE X, SUBSECTIONS 3 and 4(a); ARTICLE XI, SUBSECTIONS 2 and 6 (Constitutional Revision Commission)
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS AND TECHNICAL REVISIONS
Removes gender-specific references; allows prison sentences in court-martial actions; consolidates ethics code provisions; specifies time for veto message consideration; clarifies that legislature gives designated officials final general appropriations bills 72 hours before passage; allows direct appeal of courts-martial to specified state court and advisory opinions from federal military courts; requires earlier constitution revision commission appointments; changes tax and budget reform commission voting procedures and meetings from every 10 to every 20 years.
YES FOR APPROVAL
NO FOR REJECTION
Constitutional Changes
BREVARD COUNTY
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 1
LIMIT ANNUAL INCREASES IN REVENUES FOR NON-AD VALOREM SPECIAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
Shall the Brevard County Charter be amended to limit annual increases in revenue for each County non-ad valorem special assessment program to 3 percent or the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index from the previous year, whichever is less, without the approval of voters residing within the district or other area of the County where such special assessments are levied?
YES
NO
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 2
REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL TO LEVY NEW NON-AD VALOREM SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS
Shall the Brevard County Charter be amended to require that no new non-ad valorem special assessments can be levied without the approval of the voters residing within the district or other area of the County where the special assessments are proposed to be levied?
YES
NO
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 3
RESTORE PARTISAN ELECTIONS OF COUNTY OFFICERS
Shall the Brevard County Charter be amended to provide that County Commissioners and the sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, and clerk of the circuit court shall qualify and be elected on a partisan basis as in noncharter counties, and remove the provision that such officers qualify and be elected on a nonpartisan basis?
YES
NO
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 4
SINGLE-MEMBER ELECTION OF SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
Shall the Brevard County Charter be amended to provide that the school board members of Brevard County shall be elected to office from single-member residence areas by electors residing in each of those areas only?
YES
NO
THE BREVARD COUNTY FIRE FIGHTER SUPPORT REFERENDUM
Shall the Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida, be authorized to hire sixty firefighter/paramedics, three firefighter field supervisors, upgrade all county fire engines to a paramedic level of service, purchase and equip four fire engines annually, and construct/renovate two fire stations annually by increasing the Fire Control MSTU millage by 0.6431 mills for those areas serviced by the Fire Control MSTU, as permitted under State law?
YES
NO
NORTH MERRITT ISLAND DEPENDENT SPECIAL DISTRICT REFERENDUM
Shall an elected advisory board be created for North Merritt Island that would provide recommendations to the County Commission on zoning issues affecting only North Merritt Island?
FOR CREATION OF ADVISORY BOARD
AGAINST CREATION OF ADVISORY BOARD
CITY OF CAPE CANAVERAL
THE VACANCY IN ELECTED OFFICE CHARTER AMENDMENT OF 1998 OF THE CITY OF CAPE CANAVERAL
Should the City Charter be amended to provide that a vacancy created in the City Council, by virtue of a Council Member's resignation under the State of Florida resign to run law to seek election at another position, be filled by a vote of the general electors of the City at the same general election rather than by appointment by the remaining Council Members.
YES
NO
CITY OF COCOA BEACH
CITY CHARTER REVISION
TECHNICAL, CORRECTIVE AND CONFORMING CHANGES
Certain technical, corrective and conforming changes shall be made to the Preamble, Article I Governance, Article II City Commission, Article III City Manager, Article IV Administrative and Legal Staff, Article V Finance and Taxation, Article V Departments, Boards and Committees, Article VI Planning and Zoning, Article VIII Nominations and Elections, Article VII Initiative and Referendum, Article VIII Recall, Article IX General Provisions, and Article X Transition Schedule, of the City Charter as provide in Ordinance No. 1173.
YES (FOR APPROVAL)
NO (AGAINST APPROVAL)
CITY CHARTER REVISION
Sections 2.03, 2.06, 2.09, 2.12, 2.11, 4.03 and 5.02
The Charter of the City of Cocoa Beach shall be revised to amend and renumber to be Sections 2.03 (Elections), 2.06 (Filling of vacancies), 2.09 (Prohibitions), and 2.12 (Commission Meetings), create Section 2.11 (Compensation of Commission) and repeal Sections 4.03 (City Finance Director) and 5.02 (Boards and Committees appointments) of the Charter as provided in Ordinance No. 1174, enacted by the City Commission on September 17, 1998.
YES (FOR APPROVAL)
NO (AGAINST APPROVAL)
TOWN OF INDIALANTIC
PURCHASE OF FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT
Shall the Town purchase firefighting equipment, including a pumper truck and appurtenant equipment, through the use, in part, of lease/purchase financing, or the issuance of bond(s), in the maximum aggregate principal amount of $200,000 with interest not to exceed 5.5% with a term of no more than ten years, as subsequently determined by the Town, and to be payable from revenues derived from the local telephone service public service tax?
FOR BONDS
AGAINST BONDS
CITY OF MELBOURNE
NON-BINDING REFERENDUM FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW CITY HALL COMPLEX
Shall the City prepare conceptual plans for a new City Hall complex, estimate the cost of the new City Hall complex, and place a proposal on the ballot for voter consideration to construct the City Hall complex using the proceeds of a municipal bond issue?
YES
NO
CITY OF PALM BAY
REFERENDUM 1
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AD VALOREM TAX EXEMPTIONS
Shall the City of Palm Bay, Florida, be authorized to grant, pursuant to s. 3, Art. VII, of the State Constitution, property tax exemptions to new businesses and expansions of existing businesses?
YES - FOR AUTHORITY TO GRANT EXEMPTIONS
NO - AGAINST AUTHORITY TO GRANT EXEMPTIONS
REFERENDUM 2
STRAW BALLOT (ADVISORY): INCREASE IN MILLAGE RATE FOR A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER
Commencing fiscal year 1999/2000, the City of Palm Bay shall increase its millage rate 0.11 mills (11 cents per $1,000 assessed real estate value), for a period of 15 years, to fund the construction of a community center.
YES
NO
REFERENDUM 3
STRAW BALLOT (ADVISORY): INCREASE IN MILLAGE RATE FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER
Assuming approval of the Palm Bay electors to construct a community center, commencing fiscal year 1999/2000, the City of Palm Bay shall increase its millage rate 0.14 mills (14 cents per $1,000 assessed real estate value) for the operation and maintenance of a new community center, should one be constructed.
YES
NO
CITY OF ROCKLEDGE
FUNDING NEW PARK AND RECREATION COMPLEX
Shall the City of Rockledge be authorized to levy an annual ad valorem tax not to exceed 1 mill (in addition to annual general budget millage) for a maximum of 15 years commencing in 1999 to borrow funds not to exceed $7,000,000 in initial principal amount including right to issue bonds with prepayment options, for purpose of funding development and construction of a new park and recreation complex?
YES
NO