POWERS OF THE CITY
Port St. Lucie City Charter art. IX
in effectPort St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.02 Reserved.
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.03 Intergovernmental relations.
Sec. 9.03. - Intergovernmental relations.
The city may exercise any of its powers or perform any of its functions and may participate in the financing thereof, jointly or in cooperation by contract or otherwise, with any one or more states or civil divisions or agencies thereof, or the United States or any agency thereof.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.04 City attorney.
Sec. 9.04. - City attorney.
The council shall appoint a city attorney and such assistant city attorney as it deems necessary who shall serve at the pleasure of the council and act as legal advisor for the city and all its officers on matters relating to their official duties. The City Attorney shall approve all contracts of the municipality involving expenditures in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) before the same shall be entered into.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76; Amendment adopted by electorate, 11-2-04)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.05 Investigations.
Sec. 9.05. - Investigations.
The council may make investigations into the affairs of the city and the conduct of any city department, office or agency and for this purpose may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony and require the production of evidence. Any person who fails or refuses to obey a lawful order issued in the exercise of these powers by the council shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment for not more than sixty (60) days, or both.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.06 Independent audit.
Sec. 9.06. - Independent audit.
The council shall provide for an independent annual audit of all city accounts and may provide for such more frequent audits as it deems necessary. Such audits shall be made by a certified public accountant or firm of such accountants who have no personal interest, direct or indirect, in the fiscal affairs of the city government [or] of any of its officers. The council may, without requiring competitive bids, designate such accountant or firm annually or for a period not exceeding three (3) years, provided that the designation for any particular fiscal year shall be made not later than thirty (30) days after the beginning of such fiscal year. If the state makes such an audit, the council may accept it as satisfying the requirements of this section.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.07 City funds.
Sec. 9.07. - City funds.
The council shall, by resolution, designate depositories for city monies and provide for proper security of all city deposits.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.08 Fidelity bonds.
Sec. 9.08. - Fidelity bonds.
The council shall provide for fidelity bonds for such employees of the city as may be considered necessary.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.09 Action requiring an ordinance.
Sec. 9.09. - Action requiring an ordinance.
In addition to other acts required by law or by specific provisions of this Charter to be done by ordinance, those acts of the city council shall be by ordinance which:
(a) Adopt or amend an administrative code or establish, alter or abolish any city department, office or agency;
(b) Provide for a fine or other penalty or establish a rule or regulation for violation of which a fine or other penalty is imposed;
(c) Levy taxes, except as otherwise provided in section 9.02 with respect to the property tax levied by adoption of the budget;
(d) Grant, renew or extend a franchise as herein provided;
(e) Regulate the rate charged for its services by a public utility as provided in section 9.02;
(f) Authorize the borrowing of money;
(g) Convey or lease or authorize the conveyance or lease of any lands of the city;
(h) Adopt ordinances proposed under the initiative power, and;
(i) Amend or repeal any ordinance previously adopted, except as otherwise provided in section 7.05 with respect to repeal of ordinances reconsidered under the referendum power.
Acts other than those referred to in the preceding sentence may be done either by ordinance or by resolution.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.10 Ordinances in general.
Sec. 9.10. - Ordinances in general.
(a) Form. Every proposed ordinance shall be introduced in writing and in the form required for final adoption. No ordinance shall contain more than one subject which shall be clearly expressed in its title. The enacting clause shall be, "The City of Port St. Lucie hereby ordains . . ." Any ordinance which repeals or amends an existing ordinance or part of the city code shall set out in full the ordinance, sections or subsections to be repealed or amended, and shall indicate matter to be omitted by enclosing in brackets or by strikeout type and shall indicate new matter by underscoring or by italics; provided however, that when substantial additions or deletions are made to the language of a given ordinance or code section, it shall be necessary only to provide that such ordinance or code section is amended to read as follows....
(b) Procedure. An ordinance may be introduced by any member at any regular or special meeting of the council. Upon introduction of any ordinance, the city clerk shall distribute a copy to each council member and to the manager, shall file a reasonable number of copies in the office of the city clerk and such other public places as the council may designate, and shall publish the ordinance together with a notice setting out the time and place for a public hearing thereon and for its consideration by the council. The public hearing shall follow the publication by at least ten (10) days, may be held separately or in connection with a regular or special council meeting and may be adjourned from time to time; all persons interested shall have an opportunity to be heard. After the hearing, the council may adopt the ordinance with or without amendment or reject it but, if it is amended as to any matter of substance, the council may not adopt it until the ordinance or its amended sections have been subjected to all the procedures hereinbefore required in the case of a newly introduced ordinance.
(c) Effective date. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, every adopted ordinance shall become effective at the expiration of ten (10) days after adoption or at any other date specified therein.
(d) Publish defined. As used in this section, the term "publish" means to print or post, as allowed by state law, (1) the ordinance by title, and (2) the places where copies of it have been filed and the time when they are available for public inspection.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76; Am. Ord. 84-1, passed 3-20-84; Amendment adopted by electorate, 11-2-04; Am. Ord. 22-48, § 5, 6-13-22, approved by electorate 11-8-22)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.11 Code of technical regulations.
Sec. 9.11. - Code of technical regulations.
The council may adopt any standard code of technical regulations by reference thereto in an adopting ordinance. The procedure and requirements governing such an adopting ordinance shall be prescribed for ordinances generally except that:
(a) The requirement of section 9.10(b) for distribution and filing of copies of the ordinance shall be construed to include copies of the code and technical regulations as well as of the adopting ordinances; and
(b) A copy of each adopted code of technical regulations as well as of the adopting ordinance shall be authenticated and recorded by the City Clerk pursuant to section 9.12(a). Copies of any adopted code of technical regulations shall be made available by the City Clerk for distribution or for purchase at a reasonable price.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.12 Authentication and recording; codification; printing.
Sec. 9.12. - Authentication and recording; codification; printing.
(a) Authentication and recording. The city clerk shall authenticate by signature and maintain a permanent record of all ordinances and resolutions adopted by the council, properly indexed and readily retrievable.
(b) Codification. Within three (3) years after adoption of this Charter and at least every ten (10) years thereafter, the council shall provide for the preparation of a general codification of all city ordinances and resolutions having the force and effect of law. The general codification shall be adopted by the council by ordinance and shall be published promptly in bound or looseleaf form, together with this Charter and any amendments thereto, pertinent provisions of the Constitution and other laws of the State of Florida, and such codes of technical regulations and other rules and regulations as the council may specify. This compilation shall be known and cited officially as the Port St. Lucie City Code. Copies of this Code shall be furnished for free public reference and available for purchase by the public at a reasonable price fixed by the Council.
(c) Printing of ordinances and resolutions. The council shall cause each ordinance and resolution having the force and effect of law and each amendment to this Charter to be printed promptly following its adoption, and the printed ordinances, resolutions and charter amendments shall be distributed or sold to the public at reasonable prices to be fixed by the council. Following publication of the first Port St. Lucie City Code and at all times amendments shall be printed in substantially the same style as the code currently in effect and shall be suitable in form for integration therein. The council shall make such further arrangements as it deems desirable with respect to reproduction and distribution of any current changes in or additions to the provisions of the constitution and other laws of the State of Florida, or the codes of technical regulations and other rules and regulations included in the code.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76; Amendment adopted by electorate, 11-2-04)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.13 Insurance.
Sec. 9.13. - Insurance.
The City Council shall protect the city by insuring against reasonable hazards.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76)
Port St. Lucie City Charter, art. IX, § 9.14 Code of ethics.
Sec. 9.14. - Code of ethics.
The City shall be governed by the Code of Ethics as prescribed by ordinance and Florida Statutes.
(Adopted by electorate, 11-2-76; Amendment adopted by electorates, 11-6-90)
Source: City of Port St. Lucie, Florida, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/fl/port_st._lucie/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CHPOSTLUFL_ARTIXPOCIFetched: 11/4/2026