Florida Senate - 2015                                     SB 278
       
       
        
       By Senator Diaz de la Portilla
       
       
       
       
       
       40-00333-15                                            2015278__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to downtown development districts;
    3         amending s. 166.0497, F.S.; authorizing the governing
    4         body of a municipality that has created a downtown
    5         development district to levy an ad valorem tax on all
    6         real and personal property in the district to finance
    7         the district’s operation; limiting the tax to a
    8         specified percentage; providing for limitation of the
    9         district’s millage; providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Section 166.0497, Florida Statutes, is amended
   14  to read:
   15         166.0497 Alteration, amendment, or expansion of established
   16  downtown development district; procedures; authorization to levy
   17  ad valorem tax.—
   18         (1) Whenever the governing body of a municipality that has
   19  created a downtown development district pursuant to chapter 65
   20  1090, Laws of Florida, determines that it is necessary to alter,
   21  amend, or expand the boundaries of the established district by
   22  the inclusion of additional territory or the exclusion of lands
   23  from the limits of the established district, in order to
   24  revitalize and preserve property values or to prevent
   25  deterioration in the original district or its surrounding areas,
   26  it shall, by resolution, declare its intention to do so.
   27         (2) In the resolution of intent, the governing body shall
   28  set a date for a public hearing on adoption of an ordinance
   29  altering, amending, or expanding the district and describing the
   30  new proposed district. Upon the adoption of the resolution, the
   31  governing body shall cause a notice of the public hearing to be
   32  published in a newspaper of general circulation published in the
   33  municipality, which notice shall be published one time not less
   34  than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the date of the hearing.
   35  The notice shall set forth the date, time, and place of the
   36  hearing and shall describe the new proposed boundaries of the
   37  district. Any citizen, taxpayer, or property owner shall have
   38  the right to be heard in opposition to the proposed amendment or
   39  expansion of the district. After the public hearing, if the
   40  governing body intends to proceed with the amendment or
   41  expansion of the district, it shall, in the manner authorized by
   42  law, adopt an ordinance defining the new district. The governing
   43  body shall not incorporate land into the district not included
   44  in the description contained in the resolution and the notice of
   45  public hearing, but it may eliminate any lands from that
   46  description when it adopts the ordinance containing the final
   47  determination of the boundaries.
   48         (3) The governing body may levy an ad valorem tax on all
   49  real and personal property in the district of up to 0.5 mill on
   50  the taxable value of the property for the purpose of financing
   51  the operation of the district. The district’s millage is limited
   52  as provided under s. 200.001(8)(d).
   53         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.