🗳️ Fort Walton Beach council will draft referendum to move city elections to November of even-numbered years.
📜 The proposal follows similar changes in Destin and Crestview, with legal backing from the Florida Attorney General’s office.
⏳ If approved, the first November election would take place in 2026, with winners sworn in April 2027.
FORT WALTON BEACH — The Fort Walton Beach City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 26 to draft a referendum that would let voters decide whether to move municipal elections from March of odd-numbered years to November of even-numbered years, aligning with statewide general elections.
Councilmember David Schmidt made the motion to pursue a referendum, saying it was “the most transparent and public process we could do.”
Councilmember Bryce Jeter seconded, and the council agreed to have City Attorney Jeff Burns return with draft language for a first reading.
Burns explained that the city has flexibility under state law to change its election date either by ordinance or referendum.
“It lines up with Attorney General’s opinions, and it lines up with what Destin and Crestview actually … I’ll say Destin has done in the last several years,” Burns said. “Crestview has also moved their election day, but they actually did theirs by referendum. They didn’t do the ordinance process, but that was a choice they made.”
Mayor Nic Allegretto underscored that no binding change was approved at the meeting.
“We are not making any kind of motion tonight to take any kind of action and move the actual election,” he said. “We are giving direction … because the public would need to be fully noticed and have the opportunity to show up here and voice opinions.”
Councilmember Payne Walker said the Charter Review Commission could still propose an amendment to return elections to March, even if voters approve a November date.
“They could … bring us a proposed amendment that they suggest we send out to the voters, and it could say, let’s move it to March. We’d be like we just did it to November, but it’s okay. They would bring it to us, and we have the option … or we can reject it.”
Councilmember Logan Browning raised concerns about overlapping ballot measures, asking if a separate referendum on elections could be combined with Charter Review Commission proposals.
Jeter supported that approach, saying, “I think putting it all on one package, I think we’ll still be able to do that with this and support that as well.”
Tuesday’s discussion built on a 2023 council decision, when members voted 6-1 to prepare an ordinance moving elections.
At that meeting, Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux gave a comprehensive presentation on how other Panhandle cities had handled the issue.
Destin changed its elections to November of even-numbered years in 2019 by ordinance, despite its charter specifying March elections. Crestview followed in 2020 but chose a referendum because it was already placing several charter amendments before voters.
Lux acknowledged that he initially disagreed with the Attorney General’s legal opinion supporting Destin’s change, but later accepted the ruling, stating that both routes are valid. He highlighted three key factors for Fort Walton Beach:
Lux also noted that both Destin and Crestview lengthened incumbents’ terms when they switched — by seven months and 19 months, respectively.
Burns said his proposed framework for Fort Walton Beach avoids that issue by delaying the swearing-in of council members until April, after the November election, ensuring that no terms are shortened or extended.
If approved by voters, the city’s next council election would take place in November 2026, with winners sworn in April 2027. However, if a future charter amendment returns elections to March, the city could revert to this schedule beginning with the March 2029 election.
The referendum language is expected to be brought back before the council for its first reading later this year.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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