I will try to breakdown the various parts of the proposed charter.
Article III – Elected Positions
Sec. 3.01 Form of Government
* Separates the Mayor from the City Council, reducing the size of the council to nine members—seven single-member districts, two at-large seats. This allows the Mayor to talk with council members about city issues, something that can’t be done if he/she is a member of the council without violating Sunshine laws. There is no change in the boundaries of the districts in the charter.
Sec. 3.02 Election and terms
* Extends terms from two years to four years.
* Terms begin on the fourth Tuesday of November after the election. This eliminates the long lame-duck period of the past council —which was used by staff in 2008 to push through airport hotel agreements and port leases.
* The council terms will be staggered so that the council elections are every two years. Districts 2,4,6 and one at-large are group together; Districts 1,3,5, 7 and the other at-large. There are rules established to set up the staggering.
Sec. 3.03 Term limits
* Mayor can not serve more than three consecutive terms, 12 years. There is no limit now.
* The same is true for council members.
* The term limits begin with the November 2010 election.
Here is the entire document: Final charter