Ballot measures

The Charter currently requires special elections to fill certain vacancies on the City Commission. Shall the Charter be amended to require that, when a vacancy occurs, the remaining commission members shall, by majority vote, appoint a qualified successor to fill such vacancy until the next regular City election in November of even-numbered years, thereby avoiding the cost of special elections to fill vacancies? This proposed Charter amendment will save the cost of special elections.

Shall the Charter of the City of Cooper City be amended to provide that the annual salary and benefits of the Mayor and City Commissioners shall be established by ordinance, but in no event shall such salary and benefits exceed the salary and benefits provided to the lowest-paid, full-time position in the City?

Amending Charter Article XIII, "Limitation on Sale, Lease or Purchase of City-Owned Real Property," providing such leases of property for 20 years or longer, including renewals, require a five-sevenths approval of City Commission; providing such sales or leases of 50 years or longer, including renewals, of City-owned parks, golf courses, recreational facilities, designated historic properties, or properties east of the Intracoastal Waterway require majority approval of City's electors. Should Article XIII of the City Charter entitled “Limitation on Sale, Lease or Purchase of City-Owned Real Property” be amended in the various ways described above?

The City desires to enter into an agreement with Broward County to sell or otherwise dispose of beachfront property located north of the Dania Beach Pier adjacent to Dr. Von Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park with Parcel ID 504236000070 for the restricted purpose of conserving the land in its natural state for environmental mitigation. Do you authorize the City to enter into such an agreement with Broward County?

The Charter currently authorizes the Governor to fill vacancies if all commissioners, including the mayor, are removed from office. Shall the Charter be amended to provide for the City Manager, or Assistant City Manager, to appoint a mayor and two commissioners, for those appointees to appoint two additional members of the commission, and for the interim commission to call a Special Election if there is more than 180 calendar days remaining in the unexpired term(s)?

The Charter currently provides that members of the Commission are elected for four-year terms, that elections for Commission seats are held on the second Tuesday in March of even-numbered years, and that the Vice-Mayor is selected each April. Should the Charter be amended to provide that elections for Commission seats will be held in November of even-numbered years, that current terms are extended eight months to effectuate this change, and that the Vice-Mayor will be selected each December?

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to increase the amount of funds that may be retained in the budget stabilization fund from 10% to 25% of general revenue collections, require the legislature to transfer the lesser of $750 million or the amount required to reach 25% of the general revenue collections each year unless certain conditions are met, and allow the legislature to withdraw funds for critical state needs.

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to exempt tangible personal property habitually located or typically present on land classified as agricultural, used in the production of agricultural products or for agritourism activities, and owned by the landowner or leaseholder of the agricultural land from ad valorem taxation. If approved this amendment would first apply for tax years beginning January 1, 2027.

This amendment increases the homestead exemption, for all non-school taxes, to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and adjusts for inflation thereafter. It requires the Legislature to prescribe a uniform procedure for counties and municipalities, for their respective levies, to increase the homestead exemption up to full assessed value, and allows special districts, subject to referendum approval, to do the same.

Persons who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026, will receive the existing homestead exemption upon qualifying for a homestead exemption, with the increased homestead exemption beginning with the fifth year of exemption, to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution.

This amendment reduces the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%.

This amendment requires counties and municipalities to use property taxes solely for public safety, education and schools, infrastructure, natural resources, bond debt service, retirement benefits for employees, and operations and administration.

Other expenditures may be approved by county officers or county or municipal governing bodies unless prohibited by general law, notwithstanding Article VII, Section 9(a) of the Florida Constitution, which allows counties and municipalities to levy property taxes for their respective purposes.

This amendment takes effect January 1, 2027.