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.
Alachua
Brevard
Broward
Charlotte
Clay
Columbia
Duval
Hillsborough
Lee
Leon
Miami-Dade
Orange
Osceola
Palm Beach
Pinellas
Polk
Sarasota
Seminole
Volusia
Wakulla
1987
1994
1975
1986
1991
2002
1968
1983
1996
2002
1957
1987
1992
1985
1980
1998
1971
1989
1971
2008
9
16
31
1
4
2
5
3
5
1
34
13
2
38
24
17
4
7
16
2
246,770
545,625
1,771,099
163,357
192,071
67,729
869,729
1,256,118
638,029
277,670
2,551,290
1,175,941
280,866
1,335,415
920,381
606,888
383,664
428,104
497,145
30, 771