- Archer will vote in November on four charter amendments, including moving city elections to November and expanding city powers.
- The amendments propose referencing the municipal boundary map to simplify corporate limits and require two monthly city commission meetings.
Alachua County is over halfway through an election-packed year with Gainesville, Alachua County and state-level primaries on deck Aug. 18.
Some cities, like Archer, are holding multiple elections this year. The city swore in two new commissioners in April and is gearing up for another election in November featuring a ballot of 12 charter amendments.
The Archer City Commission spent the past few meetings workshopping and ultimately approving the final list of amendments on Monday.
Of the 13 originally drafted at the recommendation of the Charter Review Committee, commission and staff, the ballot has been whittled down to the following four.
1. Description of Corporate Boundaries
According to city documents, the amendment aims to shorten lengthy legalese in describing the city’s corporate limits by referencing the official municipal boundary map. The update would eliminate the need to amend the charter with annexations and boundary adjustments.
2. Expansion of City Powers
The Charter’s description of Archer’s governmental powers would be rewritten by referencing the constitutional and statutory authority granted to Florida municipalities and emphasizing the commission’s authority to establish citizen committees, boards and commissions.
3. City Election Schedule
If passed, the city’s regular municipal elections would move from the current spring election cycle to the November general election. Outdated election language would be updated in the charter, and a transition schedule would be set for seats one through three for 2028, and seats four and five for 2030, lengthening commissioners’ respective four-year terms by eight months instead of six.
4. City Commission Meeting Schedule
The amendment would require two monthly regular City Commission meetings, adding one that would convene on the fourth Monday of each month at 6 p.m. Any city commissioner would also be able to call a regular or special session rather than needing two or more commissioners.