City Council Description & Powers

Under the City Charter, the City Council is the legislative power of the City of Umatilla and has the power to:

Levy and collect taxes upon all property, occupations, privileges, professions, services and utilities taxable according to law; to appropriate money for the payment of debts and expenses of the City and the municipal corporation and to make regulations for the health, safety, peace and well-being of all of its citizens; to establish hospitals, jails, houses of detention, or correction, to provide police and fire protection, waste collection, water, power and gas service, transportation, public assemblage, cultural and educational facilities, streets, roads, avenues, sidewalks, sewers and sewerage equipment, illumination of streets and public places; provide parks and recreational areas, civil defense, defense and protection, food and health laws, fair weights and measures, removal of noxious activities, to imprison according to law and punish by imprisonment, fine or punish by hard labor, to provide and enforce building and construction requirements, to examine and license business, activities and professions, to own and lease public buildings, to own, lease, purchase and sell real and personal property, control waterways and waters, erect and own docks, seawalls and water control devices; to investigate charges against councilmen, officers or employees in such other matters as the Council shall determine to conduct meetings of such investigation, and for such purpose issue subpoenas and compel attendance of persons with any books, records or exhibits and to administer the necessary oaths for such investigation, and to do all things recognized by the State of Florida and the United States as municipal functions for any municipal corporation created under the laws of the State of Florida, and to do all things necessary to this act.

The enumeration herein of specific powers shall in nowise be construed to be words of limitation but shall be construed to be in addition to any authorities, powers, rights or duties, usually conducted or connected with municipal corporations and city governments in the State of Florida.