Governance: Canaveral

Governor Approves Changes to Port Canaveral's 60-Year-Old Charter

Florida Gov. Rick Scott recently signed into law a major overhaul of Port Canaveral’s 60-year-old charter, which resulted from a nine-month community review and input process and received bipartisan legislative support. It is the first complete review and analysis of charter revisions in the port's history.

"The charter revisions set the stage for the port's governance for a decade until the next review is required," said Canaveral Port Authority Commission Chairman Tom Weinberg. "The commission-appointed Charter Review Committee hosted 18 public meetings and engaged in dialogue necessary for moving the port forward while preserving its heritage. The port authority appreciates the community's input and thanks the governor and legislature for their approvals."

Among the highlighted Port Canaveral Charter changes are:

• Improved processes for approval and borrowing of money for port projects.
• Improved transparency and provisions for public input prior to board votes.
• New supermajority vote requirement on land use and longer-term leases.
• Term limits for port commissioners.