Can one person in Florida sit on a county licensing board and two advisory boards at the same time without breaking the dual office-holding ban?

Subject

Dual Office-holding -- Advisory Boards

Plain-English summary

A Brevard County resident sat, or wanted to sit, on three bodies at once: the Port St. John Dependent Special District, the Port St. John Public Library Advisory Board, and the Brevard County Contractors' Licensing Board. He asked whether holding all three violated Florida's dual office-holding prohibition, which bars one person from holding more than one "office" under state, county, or municipal government at the same time.

The AG separated the three. The Contractors' Licensing Board is an office: its jurisdiction over examining, qualifying, regulating, and controlling people who want to do business in unincorporated Brevard County is an exercise of the county's sovereign power. The requester himself acknowledged that. The other two bodies are different. The special district makes only non-binding recommendations to the county commission and holds no part of the county's sovereign power, and the library advisory board only advises the commission on running the Port St. John library. Both fit the constitutional exception for a "statutory body having only advisory powers." Because neither advisory board exercises sovereign power, the prohibition did not stop the requester from serving on either or both of them while also sitting on the licensing board. The key line the opinion draws, from earlier AG opinions, is that the exception covers only bodies with exclusively advisory powers, not bodies whose powers are merely "substantially or predominately" advisory.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 2013. Subsequent statutory amendments, court decisions, or later AG opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current legal advice. Verify current law before relying on any specific rule, deadline, or remedy mentioned here.

Common questions

What makes a board seat an "office" rather than just a position?
The opinion applies the test from Florida case law: an "office" involves a delegation of part of the sovereign power, with tenure, duration, and duties defined by law, while an "employment" or advisory role does not. The reviewer looks at the actual powers a position holds under the statute, charter, or ordinance creating it.

Why is the Contractors' Licensing Board an office?
Because it has authority over the examination, qualification, regulation, and control of people and firms wanting to do business in the unincorporated county. The opinion treats that regulatory power as an exercise of the county's sovereign power, which makes a seat on the board an office subject to the prohibition.

Why do the special district and library advisory board escape the ban?
The opinion explains that both only make non-binding recommendations to the county commission and have not been delegated any portion of the county's sovereign power. That places them within the constitutional exception for statutory bodies having only advisory powers.

Does a body avoid being an "office" just by calling itself advisory?
No. The opinion notes (citing AGO 98-36) that a board which exercises substantive powers can be an office despite an advisory-sounding name. Only bodies with exclusively advisory powers qualify for the exception; a body that exercises some sovereign power does not, even if its powers are mostly advisory.

Background and statutory framework

Article II, section 5(a) of the Florida Constitution prohibits a person from holding more than one office at the same time under the government of the state and its counties and municipalities. The prohibition reaches both elected and appointed offices, and the two offices need not be in the same governmental unit. The provision carves out narrow exceptions, including for a notary public, a military officer, and membership on a "statutory body having only advisory powers."

Because the Constitution does not define "office," courts and the AG rely on the office-versus-employment distinction from cases like State ex rel. Holloway v. Sheats and Blackburn v. Brorein: an office carries a delegation of sovereign power. Applying that test position by position, the opinion classified the licensing board as an office and the two Port St. John boards as advisory, then concluded the combination was permissible.

Citations

• s. 5(a), Art. II, Fla. Const. (dual office-holding prohibition and advisory-body exception)
• State ex rel. Holloway v. Sheats, 83 So. 508, 509 (Fla. 1919) (office vs. employment test)
• Blackburn v. Brorein, 70 So. 2d 293, 296 (Fla. 1954) (manner of selection not the test for an office)
• Ops. Att'y Gen. Fla. 05-59, 08-15, 89-25, 90-33, 98-36, 04-07, 05-29

Source

• Landing page: https://www.myfloridalegal.com/ag-opinions/dual-office-holding-advisory-boards
• Original PDF: https://www.myfloridalegal.com/print/pdf/node/1561

Original opinion text

Mr. Vaughan Kimberling

5993 Ackard Avenue

Port St. John, Florida 32927-9101

RE: DUAL OFFICE-HOLDING – COUNTIES – ADVISORY BOARDS – simultaneous service on advisory boards does not violate dual office-holding. s. 5(a), Art. II, Fla. Const.

Dear Mr. Kimberling:

You ask substantially the following question:

Does simultaneous service as a member of the Port St. John Dependent Special District, the Port St. John Public Library Advisory Board, and the Brevard County Contractors’ Licensing Board violate the dual office-holding prohibition in section 5(a), Article II, Florida Constitution.

In sum:

While a service on the Brevard County Contractors’ Licensing Board would be an office, the Port St. John Dependent District and the Port St. John Public Library Advisory Board would appear to be advisory boards which fall within the exemption from the dual office-holding prohibition in section 5(a), Article II, Florida Constitution.

Section Article II, section 5(a) of the Florida Constitution, provides:

"No person holding any office of emolument under any foreign government, or civil office of emolument under the United States or any other state, shall hold any office of honor or of emolument under the government of this state. No person shall hold at the same time more than one office under the government of the state and the counties and municipalities therein, except that a notary public or military officer may hold another office, and any officer may be a member of a constitution revision commission, taxation and budget reform commission, constitutional convention, or statutory body having only advisory powers." (e.s.)

The constitutional provision prohibits a person from simultaneously holding more than one "office" under the government of the state, counties, and municipalities.[1] The prohibition applies to both elected and appointed offices.[2] It is not necessary that the two offices be within the same governmental unit. Thus, for example, a municipal officer is precluded from simultaneously holding not only another municipal office, but also a state or county office.[3]

The Constitution, however, does not define the terms "office" or "officer" for purposes of the dual office-holding prohibition and the Legislature has not attempted to define the term to clarify the parameters of this constitutional provision. Absent such clarification, the courts and the Attorney General's Office have referred to several early decisions of the Supreme Court of Florida in determining what constitutes an "office" as opposed to an "employment." The Supreme Court of Florida has stated:

"The term 'office' implies a delegation of a portion of the sovereign power to, and the possession of it by, the person filling the office, while an 'employment' does not comprehend a delegation of any part of the sovereign authority. The term 'office' embraces the idea of tenure, duration, and duties in exercising some portion of the sovereign power, conferred or defined by law and not by contract. An employment does not authorize the exercise in one's own right of any sovereign power or any prescribed independent authority of a governmental nature; and this constitutes, perhaps, the most decisive difference between an employment and an office . . . .[4]

It is, therefore, the nature of the powers and duties of a particular position which determines whether it is an "office" or an "employment." Historically, this office has based its determination of whether a particular position is an office upon a review of the particular powers of a position and the language of the statute, charter, or ordinance creating the position.

In this instance, you acknowledge that the powers and duties of the Brevard County Contractors’ Licensing Board would be consistent with those of an "office" subject to the dual office-holding prohibition in section 5(a), Article II, Florida Constitution. The board’s jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to the examination, qualification, regulation, and control of any person or firm desiring to engage in business in the unincorporated area of Brevard County would appear to encompass an exercise of the sovereign power of the county which would make a position on the board an office subject to section 5(a), Article II, Florida Constitution.[5]

The materials you have provided indicate that the Brevard County Attorney’s Office has opined that the activities of the Port St. John Dependent Special District (PSJDSD) and the Port St. John Public Library Advisory Board (PSJPLAB) are advisory in nature. The PSJDSD makes non-binding recommendations to the county commission and has not been delegated any portion of the county’s sovereign power.[6] You indicate that the PSJPLAB only advises the county commission on the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the Port St. John Public Library.[7]

As discussed above, statutory bodies having only advisory powers are exempt from the constitutional dual office-holding prohibition. This exception has been interpreted by this office. For example, in Attorney General Opinion 05-59, this office stated that a municipal committee that merely makes non-binding recommendations and has not otherwise been delegated any powers to make factual determinations or exercise any portion of the municipality's sovereign power did not appear to be an office. In Attorney General Opinion 08-15, this office concluded that a county advisory board could be considered a "statutory body having only advisory powers" within the constitutional exception if it has been created by legislative enactment of the governing body.

As this office noted in Attorney General Opinions 89-25 and 90-33, only those statutory bodies which possess exclusively advisory powers are excepted; Article II, section 5(a), Florida Constitution, does not provide for or recognize an exception for statutory bodies which exercise a portion of the sovereign powers, but whose powers may be substantially or predominately advisory.[8]

Inasmuch as neither the Port St. John Dependent Special District nor the Port St. John Public Library Advisory Board appears to exercise a portion of the sovereign power of the county and instead merely serve as advisory boards to the Brevard County Commission, the dual office-holding prohibition in section 5(a), Article II, Florida Constitution, would not preclude your simultaneously serving on either or both of the boards and as a member of the Brevard County Contractors’ Licensing Board.

Sincerely,

Pam Bondi

Attorney General

PB/tals

[1] Earlier state Constitutions contained limited prohibitions against dual office-holding. See, e.g., Art. VI, s. 18, Fla. Const. 1838; Art. VI, s. 14, Fla. Const. 1861; and Art. VI, s. 14, Fla. Const. 1865. Article II, s. 5(a) of the 1968 Constitution substantially reproduces Art. XVI, s. 15 of the 1885 Constitution except that the 1968 Constitution includes municipal officers. Court decisions under the 1885 Constitution had excluded municipal officers from its coverage. See, e.g., Attorney General ex rel.Wilkins v. Connors, 9 So. 7, 8 (Fla. 1891).

[2] See Blackburn v. Brorein, 70 So. 2d 293, 296 (Fla. 1954), noting that "election by the people or the appointment by the Governor is not the true test in determining whether . . . an office exists and the individual filling the position is an officer [rather than] an employee[;]" Ops. Att'y Gen. Fla. 94-66 (1994), 80-97 (1980), and 69-2 (1969).

[3] See, e.g., Op. Att’y Gen. Fla. 05-29 (2005) (special magistrate for a county value adjustment board could not simultaneously serve on city’s code enforcement board).

[4] State ex rel. Holloway v. Sheats, 83 So. 508, 509 (Fla. 1919). And see State ex rel. Clyatt v. Hocker, 22 So. 721 (Fla. 1897).

[5] Cf. Op. Att’y Gen. Fla. 04-07 (2004) (city’s building official who administered building code, issuing permits and certificates of occupancy, constitutes an office).

[6] See s. 98-105, Brevard County Code of Ordinances.

[7] See Resolution 90-081 enacted by Brevard County Commission on March 7, 1990; s. 1.3, Art. I, Port St. John Public Library Advisory Board By-laws.

[8] And see Op. Att'y Gen. Fla. 98-36 (1998), concluding that membership on a city water resources advisory board which, despite its name, exercised substantive powers, constituted an "office."