The Florence City Council is the legislative body for the city of Florence, Alabama, made up of six members elected from single-member districts who serve alongside a separately elected mayor. The council passes local ordinances, adopts the annual budget, sets tax rates, and authorizes bonds. Regular meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of each month at the City Auditorium, and any resident can request time to speak on municipal business.
Who Serves on the Council
Florence is divided into six voting districts, each represented by one council member elected to a four-year term. The mayor is elected separately, also to a four-year term, and all terms run concurrently.1City of Florence. Administration Because the city uses single-member districts, each council member must live in the district they represent.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 11-43-40 – Composition of City Councils; Voting by President of Council The current representatives are:3City of Florence. District Maps
- District 1: Kaytrina P. Simmons
- District 2: Jackie Hendrix
- District 3: Alisa Dickson
- District 4: Josh Bowling
- District 5: Thomas Spence
- District 6: Chapel King
A council president is chosen from among the members and presides over meetings.
What the Council Does
Florence operates under a mayor-council form of government, with the council handling legislative functions and the mayor serving as chief executive with general supervision over city operations.1City of Florence. Administration4Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 11-43-81 – Designated Chief Executive; Powers The council creates administrative departments, adopts the budget, authorizes bonds and warrants, levies property and sales taxes, appoints members to municipal boards, and can investigate the conduct of any city office or department.5Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 11-44D-4 – Mayor-Council Form of Government Florence maintains over a dozen boards and commissions covering planning, zoning, parks, utilities, and other city functions.6City of Florence. Boards and Commissions
The budget is the council’s most consequential recurring action. For fiscal year 2026, the council approved a general fund budget with projected revenues of roughly $90 million.7City of Florence, Alabama. City of Florence – Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 That same October 2025 session authorized general obligation bonds of up to $15 million for a downtown streetscape renovation and set the annual ad valorem tax levy. Florence also collects a 4.5% city sales tax on top of the state and county rates.
Large city spending is not left to discretion. Alabama’s competitive bidding law requires any municipal expenditure of $30,000 or more for labor, services, equipment, or supplies to go through sealed competitive bidding to the lowest responsible bidder.8Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 41-16-50 – Contracts for Which Competitive Bidding Required Public works contracts fall under separate bidding rules in Title 39.
When and Where the Council Meets
Regular sessions take place on the first and third Tuesday of each month at the City Auditorium, 109 South Pine Street, Florence, AL 35630.9City Of Florence. Meeting Schedule/Agenda Start times vary from session to session, so check the agenda on the city website before you go. Agendas are posted ahead of each meeting.
If you can’t attend in person, archived recordings are available through the city’s Granicus video portal, linked from the meeting schedule page.9City Of Florence. Meeting Schedule/Agenda The archive is useful if you want to see how a specific vote went.
How to Speak at a Meeting
Any citizen, group, or organization within the city can request time to address the council on a matter related to municipal services and operations.10City of Florence. Speak At Council The deadline is firm: your request must reach the City Council’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday five days before the Tuesday meeting, and it must state the subject and purpose of your remarks.
Each speaker addressing an item on the agenda is limited to five minutes.10City of Florence. Speak At Council The council does not typically debate or respond during the same meeting. If your issue calls for council action, it gets placed on a future agenda, so don’t expect a vote the night you speak.
The same notification process applies if you want to speak at a work session, where the council discusses upcoming business more informally before voting at regular sessions.
Running for a Seat
To run for the Florence City Council, you must be at least 18 years old, a registered voter, and a resident of the city for at least 90 days before the election.11Alabama Legislature. Constitution of Alabama 2022 – Section 177 You also have to live within the district you’re seeking to represent and stay there throughout your term.
Alabama’s Constitution disqualifies anyone convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude from voting or holding office until their civil and political rights are restored. The state keeps a defined list of qualifying offenses, including murder, assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, and robbery.12Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 17-3-30.1 – Disqualification of Electors for Felonies Involving Moral Turpitude
Candidates qualify by filing a statement of candidacy after the mayor publishes notice of the election, which happens on the first Tuesday in July before the election. Within five days after the qualifying deadline, every municipal candidate must also file a Statement of Economic Interests with the Alabama Ethics Commission, or submit proof of a current filing already on record.13Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 36-25-15 – Candidates Required to File Statement of Economic Interests The city may charge a qualifying fee; state law caps that fee between $10 and $50 depending on the office.
One warning for city employees thinking of running: Alabama law requires any municipal employee who runs for office with their own city to take unpaid leave or use accrued vacation or overtime from qualification through certification of results, and violating that rule costs you the job.