HB 379

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to small municipalities; amending s.
3163.3164, F.S.; defining the term "municipality of special
4financial concern"; amending s. 163.3177, F.S.; requiring
5the state land planning agency to grant a waiver from
6requirements relating to updating the capital improvements
7element of the comprehensive plan and amendments updating
8the regional water supply plan to certain municipal
9applicants who meet specified criteria; amending s.
10163.3191, F.S.; requiring the state land planning agency
11to grant a waiver of requirements to certain municipal
12applicants who meet specified criteria; amending s.
13218.39, F.S.; revising the amount of municipal revenues or
14expenditures and expenses that require a municipality to
15complete a financial audit of its accounts and records;
16providing an effective date.
17
18Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20     Section 1.  Subsection (35) is added to section 163.3164,
21Florida Statutes, to read:
22     163.3164  Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land
23Development Regulation Act; definitions.-As used in this act:
24     (35)  "Municipality of special financial concern" means:
25     (a)  Any municipality of special financial concern, as
26defined in s. 200.185(1)(b), with a per capita taxable value of
27assessed property of $58,000 or less; or
28     (b)  Any municipality that has a population under 20,000
29with a per capita taxable value of assessed property of $46,000
30or less.
31     Section 2.  Subsection (16) is added to section 163.3177,
32Florida Statutes, to read:
33     163.3177  Required and optional elements of comprehensive
34plan; studies and surveys.-
35     (16)(a)  A municipality of special financial concern or
36with annual revenues or expenditures of less than $1 million may
37apply to the state land planning agency for a waiver from the
38updating requirements of subsection (3) applicable to the
39existing capital improvements element and schedule, and the
40agency must grant the waiver upon finding that the municipality
41has acknowledged in the application that it recognizes that any
42future amendments to the comprehensive plan require a
43determination of any necessary capital improvements and that the
44municipality meets one or more of the following criteria:
45     1.  There is vacant property equaling 15 percent or less of
46the total land area of the municipality or a total of 25 acres;
47     2.  There are no scheduled capital improvements; or
48     3.  The municipality has not experienced one or more of the
49following:
50     a.  Annexation activity within the last year.
51     b.  New development since the last update of the capital
52improvements element and schedule.
53     c.  Change to its comprehensive plan since the last review
54of the capital improvements element.
55     (b)  A municipality of special financial concern or with
56annual revenues or expenditures of less than $1 million may
57apply to the state land planning agency for a waiver from the
58requirements of this section applicable to amendments to update
59the regional water supply plan, and the agency must grant the
60waiver upon finding that the municipality has acknowledged in
61the application that it recognizes that any future amendments to
62the comprehensive plan require a determination of any necessary
63capital improvements and that the municipality has demonstrated
64no significant impact by meeting one or more of the following
65criteria:
66     1.  There is vacant property equaling 15 percent or less of
67the total land area of the municipality or a total of 25 acres;
68     2.  There are no scheduled capital improvements; or
69     3.  The municipality did not experience one or more of the
70following:
71     a.  Annexation activity within the last year.
72     b.  New development since the last update of the capital
73improvements element and schedule.
74     c.  Change to its comprehensive plan since the last review
75of the capital improvements element.
76     Section 3.  Subsection (15) is added to section 163.3191,
77Florida Statutes, to read:
78     163.3191  Evaluation and appraisal of comprehensive plan.-
79     (15)  A municipality of special financial concern or with
80annual revenues or expenditures of less than $1 million may
81apply to the state land planning agency for a waiver of the
82scoping meeting requirement of subsection (3) or other
83requirements of this section, and the agency must grant the
84waiver upon finding that the municipality has acknowledged in
85the application that it recognizes that any future amendments to
86the comprehensive plan require a determination of any necessary
87capital improvements and that the municipality meets one or more
88of the following criteria:
89     (a)  There is vacant property equaling 15 percent or less
90of the total land area of the municipality or a total of 25
91acres;
92     (b)  There are no scheduled capital improvements; or
93     (c)  Has not experienced one or more of the following:
94     1.  Annexation activity within the last year.
95     2.  New development since the last update of the capital
96improvements element and schedule.
97     3.  Change to its comprehensive plan since the last review
98of the capital improvements element.
99     Section 4.  Paragraphs (b) and (g) of subsection (1) of
100section 218.39, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
101     218.39  Annual financial audit reports.-
102     (1)  If, by the first day in any fiscal year, a local
103governmental entity, district school board, charter school, or
104charter technical career center has not been notified that a
105financial audit for that fiscal year will be performed by the
106Auditor General, each of the following entities shall have an
107annual financial audit of its accounts and records completed
108within 12 months after the end of its fiscal year by an
109independent certified public accountant retained by it and paid
110from its public funds:
111     (b)  Any municipality with revenues or the total of
112expenditures and expenses of $1 million or more in excess of
113$250,000.
114     (g)  Each municipality with revenues or the total of
115expenditures and expenses less than $1 million between $100,000
116and $250,000 that has not been subject to a financial audit
117pursuant to this subsection for the 2 preceding fiscal years.
118     Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.


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