Section 8.01. Continuation of charter provisions. All provisions of Chapter 5864, Laws of Florida (the former charter) as amended, which are not embraced herein and which are not inconsistent with this Amended Charter shall become ordinances of the city subject to modification or repeal in the same manner as other ordinances of the city.
Section 8.02. Rights of officers and employees. Nothing in this Amended Charter, except as otherwise specifically provided, shall affect or impair the rights or privileges of persons who are city officers or employees at the time of adoption. Elected or appointed officers shall continue to hold their offices and discharge the duties hereof until their successors are elected, or appointed as provided for in this Amended Charter.

Section 8.03. Time of taking effect. This Amended Charter shall be in full force and effect immediately upon ratification by the electorate of the City of Wauchula, and compliance with the statutes of the State of Florida.

Section 8.04. First election. At the time of its adoption, this Amended Charter shall be in effect to the extent necessary in order that the first election for members of the city commission may be conducted in accordance with the provisions herein. The first election shall be held to coincide with any regular or special federal, state or county election to be held in the city in the same year following the adoption of this Amended Charter.

Section 8.05. Severability. If any part of this Amended Charter is held to be invalid or unconstitutional, it shall not be held to invalidate or impair the validity, force or effect of any other part of said Amended Charter unless it clearly appears that such other part is wholly or necessarily dependent for its operation upon the part held to be unconstitutional or invalid.

Section 8.06. Oath of office. Every elected official of the city shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take or subscribe to an oath or affirmation before the city clerk, who shall retain a copy thereof; which oath shall be in the form herein prescribed as follows:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I am a citizen of the United States, and the State of Florida, and the City of Wauchula, and have all the qualifications as required by the Amended Charter for the office upon which I am about to enter and that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Florida, and the ordinances of the City of Wauchula, and that I will faithfully perform the duties of the office upon which I am now about to enter. So help me, God."

Section 8.07. Deletion of obsolete sections. The city commission shall have power, by resolution, to delete from this revision any section of this Article VIII, including this section, when all events to which the section to be deleted is or could become applicable have occurred.

Section 8.08. Charter superseded. Articles 1 through 14 of the charter of the City of Wauchula, being Chapter 5864, Laws of Florida (1907), as amended from time to time, are superseded by this revision.

Section 8.09. Transition elections and terms. In order to effect transition from a city council form of government to a commission-manager form of government, the term of office for council seats, now city commission district seats one (1), three (3), five (5), and seven (7), which will be filled as the result of the November 2004 election, shall be for four (4) year terms. During the November 2006 election, the term of office for council seats, now city commission seats two (2), four (4), and six (6), shall be four (4) years.