Photo by Patrick Heinzen
Gulfport City Council unanimously approved a new censure policy July 7 that allows members to formally investigate allegations of misconduct and publicly reprimand elected or appointed officials after a structured review process.
Resolution 2026-46 allows any Council member to propose a censure during council comments. A majority vote is required to begin the process, after which the accused official must receive written notice, supporting documents, and an opportunity to respond before the Council votes.
A first violation may result only in a written warning. After a second violation, the Council may impose administrative actions permitted under Florida law, such as removing an official from committee assignments, though it cannot remove an elected official from office.
Mayor Karen Love said the policy gives Council a way to address misconduct while recognizing that City administrators cannot discipline the elected officials who employ them.
“The City Manager, the City Attorney, and the City Clerk work for us,” Love said. “We don’t work for them.”
Because of that structure, Love said City staff cannot simply direct elected officials to change their behavior.
“This was the attempt to kind of get past that situation and yet not allow for total lack of accountability,” Love said.
First Violation Brings Written Warning
Before voting on a censure, the Council may ask the City Attorney to conduct a fact-finding review, direct the City Manager, or an independent investigator to gather information or hold a special meeting to review the findings. The policy uses the word “may,” allowing the Council to determine which investigative steps are appropriate in each case.
Ward III Council member Jennifer Webb supported that flexibility, but said she would want Council to use every available review option if someone falsely accused her.
“If I was accused falsely of something, I would want y’all to do all three things so that I can have a full vetting,” Webb said. “I really appreciate you using ‘may’ there.”
Vice Mayor Marlene Shaw questioned whether the written warning should appear earlier in the policy, similar to a traditional progressive discipline process.
City Attorney Andrew Salzman said the City did not structure the policy like an employee disciplinary system because Council members do not supervise one another.
“If you’re found in violation of a first offense, the most you can get is a written warning, period,” Salzman said.
He said Council could take additional action only after a second violation.
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That’s not all that happened at the July 7 Gulfport City Council meeting. Read about approvals, pension credit changes, the half century time capsule, and what we overheard.
Questioning the Process
During public comment, former Vice Mayor April Thanos questioned whether the City should conduct a formal investigation and hearing when an informal warning might resolve a minor issue.
Referring to an earlier complaint involving emails she had sent, Thanos said the matter could have been addressed without beginning a formal censure proceeding.
“If somebody had just given me a written warning saying, ‘Don’t write emails like that,’ then I would have stopped, and it would have been the end of it,” Thanos said.
Salzman said the policy applies only when Council believes an allegation is serious enough to warrant formal censure. It does not prevent officials from informally asking one another to change minor conduct.
“This policy is when it’s a matter that needs to come before you, that somebody’s brought up and said, ‘This is a censure. This is a serious issue,’” Salzman said.
He added that Council must provide due process before finding an official in violation, even when the only available penalty for a first offense is a written warning.
Photo by Cameron Healy
Council Retains Discretion After Second Violation
Thanos also questioned why the resolution does not specify the penalties available after a second violation.
Salzman said the City intentionally left the language broad because the appropriate response depends on the circumstances. Potential actions could include removing an official from committee assignments or other responsibilities, although he noted that operational needs might limit those options if no other council member could fulfill a particular role.
“It is wide open because it turns on the facts,” Salzman said.
He described censure as “a public admonishment” intended to hold officials accountable rather than remove them from office.
City Will Record Censure Votes
During a censure hearing, the initiating council member or an investigator would present the allegations and findings. The accused official would have the opportunity to respond, present evidence, and answer questions before public comment and a final Council vote. A majority of the remaining council members must approve the censure.
Shaw asked whether failed censure motions would also become part of the public record. Salzman said meeting minutes would reflect the motion, second and vote regardless of the outcome, but the City would place the full censure resolution in the official record and post it on its website only if Council approved it.
Council members Jennifer Daunch (Ward I), Jennifer Webb (Ward III), and Nancy Earley (Ward IV) joined Shaw and Love in approving the policy.
The Gulfport City Council’s next meeting is July 21 at 6 p.m.
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