The Board of County Commissioners Amend a Provision With Intention to Curtail the Board's Right to Meet

In Wadhams v. Board of County Commissioners, 567 So. 2d 414 (Fla. 1990), the Board of County Commissioners of Sarasota County (the "Commissioners") sought to amend a provision of the county charter governing the Charter Review Board (the "Board"), which is charged with reviewing the charter on a regular basis and recommending changes directly to the people. The text of the proposed amendment was printed in full on the ballot and provided inter alia that the Board would meet every four years. The Commissioners, however, neglected to mention on the ballot that the amendment would supersede an existing charter provision that allowed the Board to conduct unlimited meetings-i.e., the proposal was intended to curtail the Board's right to meet. The proposal was approved by electors at a special election, and a group of citizens subsequently challenged the amendment's validity.