Downloads
CS/CS/HB 1329 — Local Government Finances
by State Affairs Committee; Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee; and Rep. Benarroch and others (CS/CS/CS/SB 1566 by Rules Committee; Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government; Community Affairs Committee; and Senator DiCeglie)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Community Affairs Committee (CA)
The bill provides that the act may be cited as the “Local Government Financial Transparency and Accountability Act.”
The bill requires county and municipal tentative, adopted tentative, and final budgets, be posted on their official websites in PDF or similar downloadable form. Posted budgets must include minimum data specified under the bill, including, among other things, a budget overview and summaries of expenses by fund, department, and program, as well as expenditures related to debt obligations and capital projects.
The bill revises timeframes for posting budget information and noticing public budget hearings. Tentative budgets and proposed budget amendments must be posted 5 days, rather than 2 days under current law, before the hearing. Final budgets and adopted amendments must be posted for 5 years, rather than 2 years, following adoption. Counties and municipalities are also required to conduct a budget reduction strategy workshop and post quarterly employee compensation summaries and a budget development calendar.
The bill implements new requirements for local governments seeking to increase impact fee rates beyond the ordinary phase-in limitations due to extraordinary circumstances. Under the bill, the demonstrated-need study required to show extraordinary circumstances justifying an impact fee rate increase must specify the standards used to support the existence of such extraordinary circumstances and be accompanied by a declaration of the method and timeframe by which the impact fee increase will increase capacity.
The bill also prohibits a local government, including a school or special district, from increasing an impact fee rate utilizing the extraordinary circumstances provisions by more than 100 percent in a 4-year period. The bill provides for procedures related to impact fee payor requests for refunds and for the expiry of certain interlocal agreements.
If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor's signature, these provisions take effect on January 1, 2027.
Vote: Senate 34-0; House 87-19