Bill Text: FL H0859 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Broward County

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [H0859 Detail]

Download: Florida-2011-H0859-Introduced.html
HB 859

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to Broward County; authorizing
3municipalities in Broward County to levy special
4assessments to fund law enforcement services; providing
5legislative findings; providing for a reduction in ad
6valorem taxes when a law enforcement special assessment is
7levied pursuant to this act; providing an effective date.
8
9Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11     Section 1.  Legislative findings.-Broward County is the
12second most populous county in the state, with 31 municipalities
13and little unincorporated area within the developed portion of
14the county. Law enforcement is a vital municipal service,
15because it protects both persons and property from crime. In
16urban areas such as Broward County, property crimes, including
17burglary, vandalism, trespassing, and arson, have a dramatic
18impact on property owners and the value of real property. Law
19enforcement services help prevent these significant property
20crimes and, thus, prevent the loss of property values and use.
21Moreover, after a property crime occurs, law enforcement efforts
22to solve such crimes prevent additional property crimes from
23occurring in the community. Finally, law enforcement provides
24protection for unoccupied properties and prevents additional
25losses to property owners, especially in times of economic
26distress. As a result, the Legislature finds that there is a
27logical relationship between law enforcement services
28attributable to the protection of real property, the prevention
29of real property crimes, and the benefit to real property.
30     Section 2.  A municipality may fund the costs of law
31enforcement services, in whole or in part, through the levy of a
32law enforcement services special assessment, provided the
33governing body of the municipality:
34     (1)  Adopts a law enforcement services assessment ordinance
35that authorizes the special assessment, requires the special
36assessment to be levied by resolution each year, and apportions
37the assessable costs among the property based on a methodology
38that charges a parcel a rate that is reasonably proportioned to
39its benefits; and
40     (2)  In the initial year of implementation, reduces its
41total ad valorem tax revenue, as projected for the upcoming
42fiscal year and calculated as if there were no law enforcement
43services assessment, by an amount equal to the amount of the law
44enforcement services assessment, except that no municipality
45shall be required to reduce its millage rate, excluding millage
46approved by a vote of the electors and millage pledged to repay
47bonds, by more than 75 percent. Thereafter, such assessment may
48be increased only in the same manner as ad valorem revenue is
49permitted to be increased pursuant to section 200.065, Florida
50Statutes. The initial reduction in millage rate, excluding
51millage approved by a vote of the electors and millage pledged
52to repay bonds, shall be limited to no more than 50 percent if
53the implementing resolution is adopted by an extraordinary
54majority vote of the governing body.
55     Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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