Courtney Connor was elected chair of the Clay County Charter Review Commission at its organizational meeting; the panel also chose Ewan McNair as vice chair, opened a process to gather resumes from outside counsel candidates and set an initial meeting schedule to work toward next year’s ballot deadlines.

The commission — formed under the Clay County home‑rule charter to review and propose amendments for placement on the general election ballot — is working to meet a calendar of procedural deadlines that staff described as driving the commission’s timetable. County Attorney Courtney Grama told members the commission must complete its review and public hearings with time for the Board of County Commissioners to place any approved amendments on the ballot 90 days before the general election.

“The charter says that the CRC shall review the home rule charter and propose any amendments or revisions which may be advisable for placement on the general election ballot,” County Attorney Courtney Grama said, explaining the timeline the commission must meet to get proposals before voters. Grama reviewed the procedural steps staff will help administer, including the requirement that any proposed amendment go through three public hearings held at least 10 days apart (anticipated during June and July) before being presented to the Board of County Commissioners for placement on the ballot.

Rhonda Jett moved to elect Connor as chair; the motion carried by voice vote. The commission then nominated and approved Ewan McNair as vice chair. Members discussed retaining outside counsel to draft amendment language and provide legal guidance on statutory limits; several local attorneys were suggested — John David Horn, Lasikia Hodges and Glenn Taylor — and an initial motion to recommend only John David Horn failed for lack of a second. The commission later approved staff’s recommendation that the suggested candidates and any staff‑proposed attorneys submit resumes before the next meeting so members could review them and invite finalists to present.

The commission set its next meeting for Monday, Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. and adopted a default schedule of meeting on the third Monday of each month at 5 p.m. through the end of the year, with the understanding the frequency could increase as workload demands grow. Members discussed meeting cadence and subcommittees as tools to manage workload; several members encouraged a steady monthly cadence with additional meetings as needed to meet the May cutoff staff described for internal drafts and the July/August dates needed to meet election timelines.

Administrative and procedural items covered included compliance with Florida’s Sunshine Law (members were told committee business must be discussed only at advertised meetings), use of county email accounts for commission business, public comment procedures (staff recommended following the board’s practice of three‑minute public comment periods), and staff support roles. Teresa Capoe and county staff will help with scheduling, meeting notices and IT authentication for county email.

County Manager Howard Wanamaker and Commissioner Reninger attended and told the commission staff will provide materials and briefings on topics members request, including the county budget and historical context of past charter amendments. Wanamaker told the commission the county’s budget and other supporting documents are posted on the county website and offered to brief the commission at a future meeting.

Votes at a glance:
- Motion to elect Courtney Connor as chair — mover: Rhonda Jett; second: not specified in record; outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Motion to elect Ewan McNair as vice chair — mover: not specified; outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Motion to recommend only John David Horn as CRC counsel (to the exclusion of other candidates) — mover: not specified; outcome: failed (no second).
- Motion to request resumes from the recommended counsel candidates (John David Horn, Lasikia Hodges, Glenn Taylor) plus any staff‑suggested attorneys and to review them for the next meeting — mover: Van Royal; outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Motion to schedule the next meeting for Oct. 20 at 5:00 p.m. — mover: not specified; outcome: approved.
- Motion to adopt a recurring meeting on the third Monday at 5:00 p.m. through December — mover: not specified; outcome: approved.

The commission began as an organizational body; members and staff emphasized that subsequent meetings will determine how often the full commission meets and when subcommittees may be used to handle heavier workloads. Staff advised members that once outside counsel is retained the commission should rely on that counsel for legal interpretation and drafting of proposed amendment language and titles that must meet statutory and election‑administration rules. The commission asked staff to collect counsel resumes and prepare the next meeting’s agenda to include counsel interviews and early topic proposals.

The meeting closed with staff and commissioners urging members to review the county charter packet provided and to bring preliminary topics or “top three” items they would like the commission to examine at the next meeting.