The Florida Senate

288.9602  Findings and declarations of necessity.--The Legislature finds and declares that:

(1)  There is a need to enhance economic activity in the cities and counties of the state by attracting manufacturing, development, redevelopment of brownfield areas, business enterprise management, and other activities conducive to economic promotion in order to provide a stronger, more balanced, and stable economy in the cities and counties of the state.

(2)  A significant portion of businesses located in the cities and counties of the state or desiring to locate in the cities and counties of the state encounter difficulty in obtaining financing on terms competitive with those available to businesses located in other states and nations or are unable to obtain such financing at all.

(3)  The difficulty in obtaining such financing impairs the expansion of economic activity and the creation of jobs and income in communities throughout the state.

(4)  The businesses most often affected by these financing difficulties are small businesses critical to the economic development of the cities and counties of Florida.

(5)  The economic well-being of the people in, and the commercial and industrial resources of, the cities and counties of the state would be enhanced by the provision of financing to businesses on terms competitive with those available in the most developed financial markets worldwide.

(6)  In order to improve the prosperity and welfare of the cities and counties of this state and its inhabitants, to improve and promote the financing of projects related to the economic development of the cities and counties of this state, including redevelopment of brownfield areas, and to increase the purchasing power and opportunities for gainful employment of citizens of the cities and counties of this state, it is necessary and in the public interest to facilitate the financing of such projects as provided for in this act and to do so without regard to the boundaries between counties, municipalities, special districts, and other local governmental bodies or agencies in order to more effectively and efficiently serve the interests of the greatest number of people in the widest area practicable.

(7)  In order to promote and stimulate development and advance the business prosperity and economic welfare of the cities and counties of this state and its inhabitants; to encourage and assist new business and industry in this state through loans, investments, or other business transactions; to rehabilitate and assist existing businesses; to stimulate and assist in the expansion of all kinds of business activity; and to create maximum opportunities for employment, encouragement of thrift, and improvement of the standard of living of the citizens of Florida, it is necessary and in the public interest to facilitate the cooperation and action between organizations, public and private, in the promotion, development, and conduct of all kinds of business activity in the state.

(8)  In order to efficiently and effectively achieve the purposes of this act, it is necessary and in the public interest to create a special development finance authority to cooperate and act in conjunction with public agencies of this state and local governments of this state, through interlocal agreements pursuant to the Florida Interlocal Cooperation Act of 1969, in the promotion and advancement of projects related to economic development, including redevelopment of brownfield areas, throughout the state.

(9)  The purposes to be achieved by the special development finance authority through such projects and such financings of business and industry in compliance with the criteria and the requirements of this act are predominantly the public purposes stated in this section, and such purposes implement the governmental purposes under the State Constitution of providing for the health, safety, and welfare of the people, including implementing the purpose of s. 10(c), Art. VII of the State Constitution and simultaneously provide new and innovative means for the investment of public trust funds in accordance with s. 10(a), Art. VII of the State Constitution.

History.--ss. 26, 62, ch. 93-187; s. 1, ch. 93-402; s. 11, ch. 98-75.