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HJR 27 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
House Joint Resolution 1
A joint resolution proposing amendments to Section 1 2
of Article VIII and Section 4 of Article IX of the 3
State Constitution to provide term limits for members 4
of boards of county commissioners and district school 5
boards and to allow for subsequent election or re-6
election after a specified period; providing 7
applicability. 8
9
Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10
11
That the following amendments to Section 1 of Article VIII 12
and Section 4 of Article IX of the State Constitution are agreed 13
to and shall be submitted to the electors of this state for 14
approval or rejection at the next general election or at an 15
earlier special election specifically authorized by law for that 16
purpose: 17
ARTICLE VIII 18
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 19
SECTION 1. Counties.— 20
(a) POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. The state shall be divided by 21
law into political subdivisions called counties. Counties may be 22
created, abolished or changed by law, with provision for payment 23
or apportionment of the public debt. 24
(b) COUNTY FUNDS. The care, custody and method of 25
HJR 27 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
disbursing county funds shall be provided by general law. 26
(c) GOVERNMENT. Pursuant to general or special law, a 27
county government may be established by charter which shall be 28
adopted, amended or repealed only upon vote of the electors of 29
the county in a special election called for that purpose. 30
(d) COUNTY OFFICERS. There shall be elected by the 31
electors of each county, for terms of four years, a sheriff, a 32
tax collector, a property appraiser, a supervisor of elections, 33
and a clerk of the circuit court. Unless otherwise provided by 34
special law approved by vote of the electors or pursuant to 35
Article V, section 16, the clerk of the circuit court shall be 36
ex officio clerk of the board of county commissioners, auditor, 37
recorder and custodian of all county funds. Notwithstanding 38
subsection 6(e) of this article, a county charter may not 39
abolish the office of a sheriff, a tax collector, a property 40
appraiser, a supervisor of elections, or a clerk of the circuit 41
court; transfer the duties of those officers to another officer 42
or office; change the length of the four-year term of office; or 43
establish any manner of selection other than by election by the 44
electors of the county. 45
(e) COMMISSIONERS. Except when otherwise provided by 46
county charter, the governing body of each county shall be a 47
board of county commissioners composed of five or seven members 48
serving staggered terms of four years. After each decennial 49
census the board of county commissioners shall divide the county 50
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
into districts of contiguous territory as nearly equal in 51
population as practicable. One commissioner residing in each 52
district shall be elected as provided by law. Except as may be 53
provided by general law relating to single-member districts 54
after decennial redistricting, a person who, by the end of his 55
or her current term of office, will have served, or, but for 56
resignation, would have served, as a member of a board of county 57
commissioners for 12 consecutive years may not appear on the 58
ballot for subsequent election or re-election as a member of any 59
board of county commissioners until four years after the 60
expiration of the last term of office on the board for which 61
that person was elected. If a county charter provides that a 62
chairperson or county mayor is elected county-wide, the 63
limitation imposed by this subsection does not prohibit a term-64
limited commissioner elected from a single-member district from 65
appearing on the ballot for election as chairperson or county 66
mayor. 67
(f) NON-CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties not operating under 68
county charters shall have such power of self-government as is 69
provided by general or special law. The board of county 70
commissioners of a county not operating under a charter may 71
enact, in a manner prescribed by general law, county ordinances 72
not inconsistent with general or special law, but an ordinance 73
in conflict with a municipal ordinance shall not be effective 74
within the municipality to the extent of such conflict. 75
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(g) CHARTER GOVERNMENT. Counties operating under county 76
charters shall have all powers of local self-government not 77
inconsistent with general law, or with special law approved by 78
vote of the electors. The governing body of a county operating 79
under a charter may enact county ordinances not inconsistent 80
with general law. The charter shall provide which shall prevail 81
in the event of conflict between county and municipal 82
ordinances. 83
(h) TAXES; LIMITATION. Property situate within 84
municipalities shall not be subject to taxation for services 85
rendered by the county exclusively for the benefit of the 86
property or residents in unincorporated areas. 87
(i) COUNTY ORDINANCES. Each county ordinance shall be 88
filed with the custodian of state records and shall become 89
effective at such time thereafter as is provided by general law. 90
(j) VIOLATION OF ORDINANCES. Persons violating county 91
ordinances shall be prosecuted and punished as provided by law. 92
(k) COUNTY SEAT. In every county there shall be a county 93
seat at which shall be located the principal offices and 94
permanent records of all county officers. The county seat may 95
not be moved except as provided by general law. Branch offices 96
for the conduct of county business may be established elsewhere 97
in the county by resolution of the governing body of the county 98
in the manner prescribed by law. No instrument shall be deemed 99
recorded until filed at the county seat, or a branch office 100
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
designated by the governing body of the county for the recording 101
of instruments, according to law. 102
ARTICLE IX 103
EDUCATION 104
SECTION 4. School districts; school boards.— 105
(a) Each county shall constitute a school district; 106
provided, two or more contiguous counties, upon vote of the 107
electors of each county pursuant to law, may be combined into 108
one school district. In each school district there shall be a 109
school board composed of five or more members chosen by vote of 110
the electors in a nonpartisan election for appropriately 111
staggered terms of four years, as provided by law. A person who, 112
by the end of his or her current term of office, will have 113
served, or, but for resignation, would have served, as a member 114
of a school board for 12 consecutive years may not appear on the 115
ballot for subsequent election or re-election as a member of any 116
school board until four years after the expiration of the last 117
term of office on the school board for which that person was 118
elected. 119
(b) The school board shall operate, control and supervise 120
all free public schools within the school district and determine 121
the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed 122
herein. Two or more school districts may operate and finance 123
joint educational programs. 124
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 126
placed on the ballot: 127
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 128
ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 1 129
ARTICLE IX, SECTION 4 130
TERM LIMITS FOR MEMBERS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONS AND DISTRICT 131
SCHOOL BOARDS.—Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to 132
provide term limits of 12 consecutive years for county 133
commissioners and district school board members and to allow for 134
subsequent election or re-election four years after the 135
expiration of the last term of office, as provided by general 136
law. The amendments provide additional applicability. 137