Bill Text: FL S1512 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Local Government Reporting
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2020-03-14 - Died in Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government [S1512 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S1512-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1512 By Senator Diaz 36-01765-20 20201512__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to local government reporting; 3 amending ss. 129.03 and 166.241, F.S.; deleting an 4 annual requirement for county budget officers and 5 municipal budget officers, respectively, to report 6 specified budget information to the Office of Economic 7 and Demographic Research; creating s. 218.323, F.S.; 8 providing legislative intent; requiring each county 9 and municipality to annually report specified fiscal 10 and economic information to the Department of 11 Financial Services; requiring the department to adopt 12 rules; requiring the department to establish a certain 13 website by a specified date; requiring the department 14 to annually generate and distribute to residents a 15 specified local government report; specifying 16 requirements for preparing and distributing the 17 report; specifying required information in the report; 18 specifying required information on the department’s 19 website; authorizing the department to select 20 contractors for certain purposes; providing a 21 procurement requirement; providing an effective date. 22 23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 24 25 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section 26 129.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 27 129.03 Preparation and adoption of budget.— 28 (3) The county budget officer, after tentatively 29 ascertaining the proposed fiscal policies of the board for the 30 next fiscal year, shall prepare and present to the board a 31 tentative budget for the next fiscal year for each of the funds 32 provided in this chapter, including all estimated receipts, 33 taxes to be levied, and balances expected to be brought forward 34 and all estimated expenditures, reserves, and balances to be 35 carried over at the end of the year. 36(d) By October 15, 2019, and each October 15 annually37thereafter, the county budget officer shall electronically38submit the following information regarding the final budget and39the county’s economic status to the Office of Economic and40Demographic Research in the format specified by the office:411. Government spending per resident, including, at a42minimum, the spending per resident for the previous 5 fiscal43years.442. Government debt per resident, including, at a minimum,45the debt per resident for the previous 5 fiscal years.463. Median income within the county.474. The average county employee salary.485. Percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for49county employees.506. Number of special taxing districts, wholly or partially,51within the county.52 Section 2. Subsections (4) and (6) of section 166.241, 53 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 54 166.241 Fiscal years, budgets, and budget amendments.— 55(4) Beginning October 15, 2019, and each October 1556thereafter, the municipal budget officer shall electronically57submit the following information regarding the final budget and58the municipality’s economic status to the Office of Economic and59Demographic Research in the format specified by the office:60(a) Government spending per resident, including, at a61minimum, the spending per resident for the previous 5 fiscal62years.63(b) Government debt per resident, including, at a minimum,64the debt per resident for the previous 5 fiscal years.65(c) Average municipal employee salary.66(d) Median income within the municipality.67(e) Number of special taxing districts wholly or partially68within the municipality.69(f) Percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for70municipal employees.71 (5)(6)If the governing body of a municipality amends the 72 budget pursuant to paragraph (4)(c)(5)(c), the adopted 73 amendment must be posted on the official website of the 74 municipality within 5 days after adoption and must remain on the 75 website for at least 2 years. If the municipality does not 76 operate an official website, the municipality must, within a 77 reasonable period of time as established by the county or 78 counties in which the municipality is located, transmit the 79 adopted amendment to the manager or administrator of such county 80 or counties who shall post the adopted amendment on the county’s 81 website. 82 Section 3. Section 218.323, Florida Statutes, is created to 83 read: 84 218.323 County and municipal fiscal and economic 85 information; reporting requirement.— 86 (1) The Legislature intends to create an interactive 87 repository for county and municipal financial information and to 88 distribute a report that enables residents to compare the final 89 budget and economic status of counties and municipalities. 90 (2) By October 15, 2020, and each October 15 thereafter, 91 each county and each municipality shall electronically submit 92 the information required under subsection (3) to the department 93 in the method and format established by department rule. 94 (3)(a) By January 15, 2021, the department must establish 95 an interactive website that allows residents to compare certain 96 information about counties and municipalities. By January 15, 97 2021, and each January 15 thereafter, the department must 98 generate and distribute a local government report depicting the 99 fiscal and economic status of each county and municipality and 100 providing a comparative ranking with all other counties and 101 municipalities in this state. 102 (b) The local government report must be mailed to each 103 household with a registered voter at the address. The local 104 government report must be specific to the household’s 105 municipality and county. Each household not residing within a 106 municipality must receive a local government report specific to 107 the household’s county. The local government report must assist 108 the household in making direct comparisons of fiscal and 109 economic metrics, must be a single page and use colorful 110 graphics, and must provide the following information in an easy 111 to understand format: 112 1. The government spending per resident, including the per 113 resident spending for the past 5 fiscal years. The local 114 government report must depict the total per-resident spent and 115 the rank for the municipality compared to all municipalities. 116 For each county, such report must depict the total per-resident 117 spent and the rank for the county compared to all counties. 118 2. The government debt per resident, including the per 119 resident debt for the previous 5 fiscal years. The local 120 government report must depict the total debt and the rank for 121 the municipality compared to all municipalities. For each 122 county, such report must depict the total debt and the rank for 123 the county compared to all counties. 124 3. The average county or municipal employee salary, as 125 applicable. The local government report must depict the average 126 county or municipal employee salary, as applicable, and the rank 127 for the county or municipality compared to all counties or 128 municipalities, as applicable. 129 4. The median income. The local government report must 130 depict the median income for the county or municipality, as 131 applicable, and the rank for the county or municipality compared 132 to all counties or municipalities, as applicable. 133 5. The average school grade for the county or municipality, 134 as applicable. 135 6. The crime rate for the county and the rank for the 136 county compared to all counties. 137 (c) In addition to the information included in the local 138 government report required under paragraph (b), the interactive 139 website must, at a minimum, include the following information: 140 1. The population of the county or municipality, as 141 applicable. 142 2. The unemployment rate for the county or municipality, as 143 applicable. 144 3. The percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for 145 county or municipal employees, as applicable. The website must 146 depict the percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for 147 the county or municipality, as applicable, and the rank for the 148 county or municipality compared to all counties or 149 municipalities, as applicable. 150 4. The number of special taxing districts, wholly or 151 partially, within the county or municipality, as applicable. 152 5. The government revenue per resident for the county or 153 municipality, as applicable, and the rank for the county or 154 municipality compared to all counties or municipalities, as 155 applicable. 156 (4) The department may choose one or more contractors to 157 design and distribute the local government report to enable 158 residents to compare the final budget and economic status data 159 reported by each county and municipality, and to create the 160 interactive website. The department must select contractors 161 through an open request for proposal process pursuant to chapter 162 287. 163 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.