The Ocala City Council will reconsider revising the city charter to include feminine pronouns at its next meeting.
The council will hear the proposed ordinance during their June 1 meeting.
The ordinance will change the city charter, in its entirety, to revise “masculine pronouns to include the female equivalent.” The revision replaces words like “he” or “his” with “he or she” and “his or her.” In addition, it will change words like “councilman” to “council member” and “policeman” to “police officer.”
During the Ocala City Council’s previous meeting on May 18, one resident who claimed to represent hundreds of other residents indicated that the change would better reflect the government’s composition, which has seen the hiring of females across virtually every department.
Under the Home Rule Powers Act, local governments can amend some charter provisions without a referendum.
Because the proposed changes concern the amendment of sections of the charter that have been “adopted or readopted since 1973,” the amendment will require a referendum vote. That vote is scheduled for September 21, 2021.
For more information on the ordinance or the charter, visit the City of Ocala website.