In 1968, the electors of Florida granted local voters the power to adopt charters to govern their counties. Charters are formal written documents that confer powers, duties, or privileges on the county. They resemble state or federal constitutions and they must be approved, along with any amendments, by the voters of a county.
According to several Florida constitutional scholars, the establishment of charter government was designed to remove the resolution of local problems from the state legislature's busy agenda and to grant the county electorate greater control over their regional affairs.
To date, there are 20 charter counties in Florida. Collectively these counties are home to more than 75 percent of Florida's residents.
| |
Year Charter Adopted
|
No. of Municipalities
|
Population (April 2008)
|
| Alachua |
1987
|
9
|
252,388
|
| Brevard |
1994
|
15
|
556,213
|
| Broward |
1975
|
31
|
1,758,494
|
| Charlotte |
1986
|
1
|
165,781
|
| Clay |
1991
|
4
|
185,168
|
| Columbia |
2002
|
2
|
66,121
|
| Duval |
1968
|
5
|
904,971
|
| Hillsborough |
1983
|
3
|
1,200,541
|
| Lee |
1996
|
5
|
623,725
|
| Leon |
2002
|
1
|
274,892
|
| Miami-Dade |
1957
|
34
|
2,477,289
|
| Orange |
1987
|
13
|
1,114,979
|
| Osceola |
1992
|
2
|
273,709
|
| Palm Beach |
1985
|
37
|
1,294,654
|
| Pinellas |
1980
|
24
|
938,461
|
| Polk |
1998
|
17
|
585,733
|
| Sarasota |
1971
|
4
|
393,608
|
| Seminole |
1989
|
7
|
426,413
|
| Volusia |
1971
|
16
|
510,750
|
| Wakulla |
2008
|
2
|
30,717
|
See links below for more information on Charter Counties: