County charter group wants citizen's input

Lee County's Charter Review Committee is meeting over the next year and encourages citizens to view information about the process at www.leegov.com/ charterreview/. The Committee also is inviting citizen input on proposals they will be discussing by answering the questions posted on the Committee website at http://www.leegov.com/charterreview/ CharterQuestions.aspx.

The two questions for this month are:

• Are you in favor of expanding the Board of County Commissioners from five (5) members to a seven (7) member Board?

• Are you in favor of non-partisan voting for the Board of County Commissioners?

Lee County's Charter is its local constitution. It was enacted in 1996 and every four years a citizen committee is empanelled to review the charter and propose any potential changes to the Board of Lee County Commissioners.

The next meeting of the 15-member committee (each commissioner has three appointees) is Thursday, July 26 at 6 p.m. in the first floor conference room of the County Administration Building, 2115 Second Street, in downtown Fort Myers. The focus of this meeting will be changes in the size and election methodology for the Board of County Commissioners.

The charter review webpage can be reached by going to www.lee-county.com and clicking on "Charter Review Committee" in the current events box.

The page includes the charter; meeting dates, agendas, and minutes; charter change proposals being considered; archives of previous review committee reports; and a "citizen input" section.

The final product developed by the Charter Review Committee will completed by the end of May 2008 for transmittal to the Board of County Commissioners for its consideration. The Board then will decide whether to send any proposed changes for placement on the November 2008 election ballot.