Panama City Beach Council discusses changing municipal elections from April to November

PANAMA CITY BEACH − Local officials are considering an ordinance to change election dates on the Beach.

In a special meeting Thursday afternoon, Panama City Beach City Council members discussed an ordinance that would change the city's municipal election dates to coincide with federal, state and county elections.

City elections currently are held on the Tuesday after the third Monday in April. The updated ordinance would change such elections to the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

"To me, it's a no-brainer," Councilman Paul Casto said. "It saves people from having to vote twice or go to the polls twice. ... It (also) will save us $20,000 a year because that's what we're having to pay to do the election in April.

"And probably the most important reason to move it to November is (a larger) voter turnout."

The updated ordinance still must undergo two more readings before it is finalized by the City Council.

Among those who spoke during Thursday's meeting was Rex Reid, a Panama City Beach resident who said he believes the ordinance is "a really bad idea."

With the city's fiscal year spanning from October to September, Reid said he thinks it would prevent newly elected officials from having a say in helping set the city's budget during their first year in office.

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"This will now put that council member, or a new mayor, one budget cycle behind," he said. "Their first year in office will be virtually cast for them so that they don't have any say in how the budgeting of the city goes. All around, it is a bad idea.

"This is not advancing democracy. This is trying to rig it."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach Council discusses changing municipal elections from April to November