Tampa, Florida, Appointment of City Department Heads Amendment (March 2023)

Tampa Appointment of City Department Heads Amendment
Election date March 7, 2023
Topic City governance and Local charter amendments
Status Approved
Type Referral

Tampa Appointment of City Department Heads Amendment was on the ballot as a referral in Tampa on March 7, 2023. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported providing that the mayor's nominations for department heads and other city employees must be approved by four of the seven city council members and allowing for interim appointments of existing city employees for a maximum of 180 days.

A "no" vote opposed providing that the mayor's nominations for department heads and other city employees must be approved by four of the seven city council members and allowing for interim appointments of existing city employees for a maximum of 180 days.

Election results

Tampa Appointment of City Department Heads Amendment
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		17,121	55.08%
No		13,962	44.92%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Appointment of City Department Heads Amendment was as follows:

“

Shall the amendment to section 6.03 of the Tampa Charter, providing the mayor’s nominations for heads of departments and other city employees as set out in section 6.03, must be approved by four votes of the city council and providing for interim appointments of existing city employees by the mayor for a maximum of 180 days, as set out and proposed by City of Tampa Ordinance No. 2023-2, be ratified and approved?

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Media editorials

Support

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Opposition

• Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board: "Part of the measure changes the charter to underscore that council has a role in confirming city department heads. But the charter defines that authority already. A new provision would restrict any interim appointment of an existing city employee to six months. This is an arbitrary time line for filling top jobs. Mayor Jane Castor, for example, has pushed off the national search for a new Tampa police chief until after the March elections in order to give the newly-installed council a chance to have input in the selection. That means the police department will almost certainly have an interim leader beyond six months. Ironically, delaying the search for a police chief was meant to satisfy the very council members who wanted a bigger say in the hiring. The change is impractical and it would harm the city’s ability to hire the best people."

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in Florida

The Tampa City Council referred the measure to the ballot through Resolution 2023-2.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Florida

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Florida.

How to vote in Florida

Poll times

In Florida, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Florida is divided between the Eastern and Central time zones. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Florida, one must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a legal resident of Florida and the county in which he or she intends to vote. Pre-registration is available beginning at 16 years of age.

Voters may retrieve registration applications at the following locations:

• Local elections offices
• Public assistance agencies
• Disability services agencies
• Independent living centers
• Military recruitment offices
• Public libraries
• Drivers license office
• Tax collector's office
• The office of any entity authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to issue fishing, hunting, or trapping permits

A registration form is also available online. The form can be printed and submitted via mail.

Click here to find your county Supervisor of Elections.

Automatic registration

Florida does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Florida has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Voters may also apply for or modify their voter registration status while renewing their driver's license through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ online renewal system here.

Same-day registration

Florida does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Florida, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Florida does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "it is a 3rd degree felony to submit false information."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The page Voter Information Lookup, run by the Florida Department of State, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Florida requires voters to present photo identification with a signature while voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025. Click here for the Florida Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

• Florida driver’s license
• Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• United States passport
• Debit or credit card
• Military identification
• Student identification
• Retirement center identification
• Neighborhood association identification
• Public assistance identification
• Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
• License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the federal government, the state, a county, or a municipality

A voter who presents an ID without a signature must show a second form of identification that includes the voter’s signature.

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2023
• City governance on the ballot

Florida

• Florida 2023 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Florida
• Tampa, Florida

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas