When it comes to local government cities and counties pretty much follow the rules set by the state, unless they write their own charter.
That's exactly what Pasco County is considering.
It’s pretty clear the vision of a charter government in Pasco County is uncharted territory.
“I had no idea what it was," community member Dorothy Wood said. "I'm still not completely sure what it is."
“How do people vote on something that they don’t know what they are voting for?” said community member Carol Cruiz.
Even the commissioners have questions.
Rep. Richard Corcoran, a proponent of the charter, tried to explain to commissioners why a charter government was a good thing.
“We cannot have term limits under the Tallahassee system," he said. "We cannot have recall, we cannot have our administrator elected. But if we write our charter, we can have all of those things.”
Under a charter, the county has more control, but the debate didn’t come without opposition.
County tax collector and former state senator Mike Fasano was part of what looked like a boxing match of pros and cons.
“You’re going to have more government and more layers of government,” said Fasano. ”Taxpayers have to pay for that.”
Fasano seemed to be a crowd favorite at the commission meeting and was met with applause.
A charter government certainly gives the county more power to write rules to suit its own needs, but it also means more seats at the table in the shape of a charter committee and possibly a county mayor.
Some people at the commission meeting said they just want a voice and to understand how a charter can benefit them.
“They need to have a number of workshops so we can all understand what we are going to vote on,” said Wood.
The commission felt the same way and decided to hold a workshop before taking any steps to create a charter.
Even if the county decides to go forward with the charter at some point, voters will still have to approve the plan. Commissioners would like to see it on the general election within the next couple of years to avoid a special election.
Sheriff Chris Nocco says he is in favor of Pasco County transitioning into becoming a charter county.
Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are two examples of a charter government in the Bay Area.