The Florence City Council is the six-member legislative body that governs Florence, Alabama, alongside a separately elected mayor. It meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at the City Auditorium, 109 South Pine Street, and any resident can request time to speak by contacting the City Council’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday five days before the meeting.1City of Florence. Speak At Council
Who Represents Each District
Florence is divided into six single-member districts. Each council member serves a four-year term and must live in the district they represent, and the mayor serves a concurrent four-year term.2City of Florence. Administration 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
One member of the council is chosen as president and presides over meetings. If you’re not sure which district you live in, the district maps on the city website will tell you.
How to Speak at a Meeting
Any resident, group, or organization within Florence can address the council on a matter related to municipal services and operations. The request has to reach the City Council’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday five days before the Tuesday meeting, and it needs to state the subject and purpose of your remarks.1City of Florence. Speak At Council Miss that window and you won’t be on the agenda.
Speakers get five minutes. The council does not typically debate or respond to public comments during the same meeting; if an issue you raise needs action, it gets placed on a future agenda. Knowing that in advance saves the frustration of expecting a same-night vote. The same notification process applies if you’d rather speak at a work session, which is where the council discusses upcoming business less formally before voting at a regular meeting.
Meeting Schedule and How to Watch
Regular sessions are on the first and third Tuesday of each month at the City Auditorium, 109 South Pine Street, Florence, AL 35630. Start times can vary, so check the posted agenda on the city website before you go.4City Of Florence. Meeting Schedule/Agenda
If you can’t attend in person, archived meeting recordings are available through the city’s Granicus video portal, linked from the meeting schedule page. The archive is useful for tracking how the council voted on a specific ordinance or spending item.
What the Council Decides
Florence operates under a mayor-council form of government. The council handles legislative functions and the mayor serves as chief executive with general supervision over city operations and appointment authority for positions not otherwise assigned by law.5Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 11-43-81 – Designated Chief Executive; Powers
The council’s legislative powers include creating administrative departments, adopting the annual budget, authorizing bonds and warrants, levying property and sales taxes, investigating any city office or department, and appointing members to municipal boards.6Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 11-44D-4 – Mayor-Council Form of Government Florence maintains more than a dozen boards and commissions covering areas like planning, zoning, parks, and utilities.7City of Florence. Boards and Commissions
The biggest recurring action is the annual budget. For fiscal year 2026, the council approved a general fund budget with projected revenues of roughly $90 million.8City 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 collects a 4.5% city sales tax on top of state and county rates, and the council also sets business license fees and zoning regulations.
There’s a limit on how the council can spend. 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.9Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 41-16-50 – Contracts for Which Competitive Bidding Required Public works contracts have separate rules under Title 39.
Running for a Council Seat
To run, a candidate must be at least 18, a registered voter, and a resident of Florence for at least 90 days before the election.10Alabama Legislature. Constitution of Alabama 2022 – Section 177 Because Florence uses single-member districts, you also have to live within the district you want to represent and stay there for the whole 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. State law defines the specific list of qualifying felonies, including murder, assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, and robbery.11Alabama 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. Every candidate for municipal office must also file a Statement of Economic Interests with the Alabama Ethics Commission within five days after the qualifying deadline; if you already have a current statement on file for another reason, proof of that filing is accepted instead.12Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 36-25-15 – Candidates Required to File Statement of Economic Interests The municipality may charge a qualifying fee, which state law caps between $10 and $50 depending on the office.