Title XIII, Planning and Development

(1) Within 30 days after the first meeting of its governing body, each special district in the state shall designate a registered office and a registered agent and file such information with the local governing authority or authorities and with the department. The registered agen…

(1) The governing body of each special district shall file quarterly, semiannually, or annually a schedule of its regular meetings with the local governing authority or authorities. The schedule shall include the date, time, and location of each scheduled meeting. The schedule sh…

(1) When a new special district is created, the district must forward to the department, within 30 days after the adoption of the special act, rule, ordinance, resolution, or other document that provides for the creation of the district, a copy of the document and a written state…

The department may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this chapter.History.—s. 59, ch. 89-169; s. 22, ch. 97-255; s. 67, ch. 2011-142; s. 46, ch. 2014-22.Note.—Former s. 189.425.

The department, by rule, shall establish a schedule of fees to pay one-half of the costs incurred by the department in administering this act, except that the fee may not exceed $175 per district per year. The fees collected under this section shall be deposited in the Grants and…

(1) Each district, by December 1, 2004, shall submit to the Legislature a draft codified charter, at its expense, so that its special acts may be codified into a single act for reenactment by the Legislature, if there is more than one special act for the district. The Legislature…

(1) A charter for the creation of a dependent special district created after September 30, 1989, shall be adopted only by ordinance of a county or municipal governing body having jurisdiction over the area affected.(2) A county is authorized to create dependent special districts …

If a dependent special district has levied assessments for an improvement or specialized function for which it was created; no bonds have been issued against which the special assessments are pledged; and the county or municipality which created the special district determines th…

The charter of a newly created dependent special district shall contain, and where practical and feasible, the charter of an existing dependent special district shall be amended to contain, a reference to the status of the special district as dependent. When necessary, the status…

(1) The Legislature finds that:(a) There is a need for uniform, focused, and fair procedures in state law to provide a reasonable alternative for the establishment, powers, operation, and duration of independent special districts.(b) It is in the public interest that any independ…

(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—It is the intent of the Legislature that, after September 30, 1989, at a minimum, the requirements of subsection (3) must be satisfied when an independent special district is created.(2) SPECIAL ACTS PROHIBITED.—Pursuant to s. 11(a)(21), Art. III of the St…

(1) Notwithstanding any general law, special act, or ordinance of a local government to the contrary, any independent special district charter enacted after September 30, 1989, shall contain the information required by s. 189.031(3). Recognizing that the exclusive charter for a c…

(1) A member elected by the qualified electors of the district to the governing body of an independent special district may not serve for more than 12 consecutive years, unless the district’s charter provides for more restrictive terms of office. Service of a term of office that …

Notwithstanding any special law or general law of local application to the contrary, the boundaries of an independent special district shall only be changed by general law or special act. This section does not apply to a community development district established pursuant to chap…

If the governing body of an independent special district that provides water, wastewater, and sanitation services in a disproportionally affected county determines that a new user or the expansion of an existing user of one or more of its utility systems will provide a significan…

(1) If a dependent special district has an elected governing body, elections shall be conducted by the supervisor of elections of the county wherein the district is located in accordance with the Florida Election Code, chapters 97-106.(2)(a) Any independent special district locat…

(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section:(a) “Qualified elector” means any person at least 18 years of age who is a citizen of the United States, a permanent resident of Florida, and a freeholder or freeholder’s spouse and resident of the district who registers with the superviso…

Where required by the State Constitution or general law, special district bond referenda shall be conducted according to ss. 100.211 and 100.221. The provisions of this section shall not apply to community development districts established pursuant to chapter 190.History.—s. 15, …

Community development districts may and other special districts shall provide for the collection of annual non-ad valorem assessments in accordance with chapter 197 or monthly non-ad valorem assessments in accordance with chapter 170.History.—s. 14, ch. 89-169; s. 30, ch. 2014-22…

If a referendum is not required, the district shall ensure that, at the time of the closing, the bonds met at least one of the following criteria:(1) The bonds were rated in one of the highest four ratings by a nationally recognized rating service;(2) The bonds were privately pla…

1When an independent or dependent special district levies an assessment on a facility regulated under chapter 513, the assessment may not be based on the assertion that the facility is comprised of residential units. Instead, facilities regulated under chapter 513 shall be assess…

Special districts may purchase commodities and contractual services, other than services the acquisition of which is governed by s. 287.055, from the purchasing agreements of other special districts, municipalities, or counties which have been procured pursuant to competitive bid…

No dependent or independent special district may purchase or sell a water, sewer, or wastewater reuse utility that provides service to the public for compensation, or enter into a wastewater facility privatization contract for a wastewater facility until the governing body of the…

For the purpose of s. 196.199(1), special districts shall be treated as municipalities.History.—s. 53, ch. 2014-22.

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the revitalization of downtown areas within large municipalities where the societal ills associated with urban blight are most prevalent. However, in recognition of the traditionally broad home rule power exercised by charter c…

It is the intent of the Legislature through the adoption of this chapter to have one centralized location for all legislation governing special districts and to:(1) Improve the enforcement of statutes currently in place that help ensure the accountability of special districts to …

(1)(a) The department shall maintain the official list of special districts. The official list of special districts shall include all special districts in this state and shall indicate the independent or dependent status of each district. All special districts on the list shall b…

(1) The department shall declare inactive any special district in this state by documenting that:(a) The special district meets one of the following criteria:1. The registered agent of the district, the chair of the governing body of the district, or the governing body of the app…

(1) The department may provide, contract for, or assist in conducting education programs, as its budget permits, for all newly elected or appointed members of district governing bodies. The education programs shall include, but are not limited to, courses on the code of ethics fo…

The Special District Accountability Program of the department has the following duties:(1) Electronically publishing special district noncompliance status reports from the Department of Management Services, the Department of Financial Services, the Division of Bond Finance of the…

Any state agency administering funding programs for which special districts are eligible shall be responsible for oversight of the use of such funds by special districts. The oversight responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to:(1) Reporting the existence of the progra…

(1) This section applies to any special district created by special act of the Legislature.(2) If a special district fails to file required reports or requested information under s. 11.45(6) or (7), s. 218.32, s. 218.38(3), s. 218.39, or s. 218.503(3) with the appropriate state a…

(1) This section applies to any special district created by local ordinance or enacted by local resolution.(2) If a special district fails to file required reports or requested information under s. 11.45(6) or (7), s. 218.32, s. 218.38(3), s. 218.39, or s. 218.503(3) with the app…

Before the public hearing as provided in s. 189.0651(2) or s. 189.0652(2) is held, the special district shall provide the following information at the request of the local general-purpose government or the Legislative Auditing Committee, as appropriate:(1) The district’s annual f…

(1) If an independent special district fails to file the reports or information required under s. 189.014, s. 189.015, s. 189.016(9), or s. 189.08 with the local general-purpose government or governments in which it is located, the person authorized to receive and read the report…

(1)(a) If notified pursuant to s. 189.066(1), (4), or (5), the department shall attempt to assist a special district in complying with its financial reporting requirements by sending a certified letter to the special district, and, if the special district is dependent, sending a …

(1) The Legislature finds it to be in the public interest to establish an oversight review process for special districts wherein each special district in the state may be reviewed by the appropriate oversight entity as provided in this part. The Legislature further finds and dete…

(1) Beginning on October 1, 2015, or by the end of the first full fiscal year after its creation, each special district shall maintain an official website containing the information required by this section. Each special district shall submit its official website address to the d…

(1) Beginning October 1, 2024, or by the end of the first full fiscal year after its creation, whichever is later, each special district must establish goals and objectives for each program and activity undertaken by the district, as well as performance measures and standards to …

(1) For purposes of this section, the term “performance review” means an evaluation of an independent special district and its programs, activities, and functions. The term includes research and analysis of the following:(a) The special district’s purpose and goals as stated in i…

As used in this part, the term:(1) “Component independent special district” means an independent special district that proposes to be merged into a merged independent district, or an independent special district as it existed before its merger into the merged independent district…

(1) The merger or dissolution of a dependent special district may be effectuated by an ordinance of the local general-purpose governmental entity wherein the geographical area of the district or districts is located. However, a county may not dissolve a special district that is d…

(1) VOLUNTARY DISSOLUTION.—If the governing body of an independent special district created and operating pursuant to a special act elects, by a majority vote plus one, to dissolve the district, the voluntary dissolution of an independent special district created and operating pu…

The Legislature, by special act, may merge independent special districts created and operating pursuant to special act.History.—s. 1, ch. 2012-16; s. 20, ch. 2014-22.Note.—Former s. 189.4042(4).

Two or more contiguous independent special districts created by special act which have similar functions and elected governing bodies may elect to merge into a single independent district through the act of merging the component independent special districts.(1) INITIATION.—Merge…

(1) INDEPENDENT SPECIAL DISTRICTS CREATED BY SPECIAL ACT.—In order for the Legislature to merge an active independent special district or districts created and operating pursuant to a special act, the special act merging the active independent special district or districts must b…