The Florida Senate

218.32  Annual financial reports; local governmental entities.--

(1)(a)  Each local governmental entity that is determined to be a reporting entity, as defined by generally accepted accounting principles, and each independent special district as defined in s. 189.403, shall submit to the department a copy of its annual financial report for the previous fiscal year in a format prescribed by the department. The annual financial report must include a list of each local governmental entity included in the report and each local governmental entity that failed to provide financial information as required by paragraph (b). The chair of the governing body and the chief financial officer of each local governmental entity shall sign the annual financial report submitted pursuant to this subsection attesting to the accuracy of the information included in the report. The county annual financial report must be a single document that covers each county agency.

(b)  Each component unit, as defined by generally accepted accounting principles, of a local governmental entity shall provide the local governmental entity, within a reasonable time period as established by the local governmental entity, with financial information necessary to comply with the reporting requirements contained in this section.

(c)  Each regional planning council created under s. 186.504, each local government finance commission, board, or council, and each municipal power corporation created as a separate legal or administrative entity by interlocal agreement under s. 163.01(7) shall submit to the department a copy of its audit report and an annual financial report for the previous fiscal year in a format prescribed by the department.

(d)  Each local governmental entity that is required to provide for an audit in accordance with s. 218.39(1) must submit the annual financial report with the audit report. A copy of the audit report and annual financial report must be submitted to the department within 45 days after the completion of the audit report but no later than 12 months after the end of the fiscal year.

(e)  Each local governmental entity that is not required to provide for an audit report in accordance with s. 218.39 must submit the annual financial report to the department no later than April 30 of each year. The department shall consult with the Auditor General in the development of the format of annual financial reports submitted pursuant to this paragraph. The format shall include balance sheet information to be utilized by the Auditor General pursuant to s. 11.45(7)(f). The department must forward the financial information contained within these entities' annual financial reports to the Auditor General in electronic form. This paragraph does not apply to housing authorities created under chapter 421.

(f)  If the department does not receive a completed annual financial report from a local governmental entity within the required period, it shall notify the Legislative Auditing Committee of the local governmental entity's failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The committee shall proceed in accordance with s. 11.40(5).

(2)  The department shall annually by December 1 file a verified report with the Governor, the Legislature, the Auditor General, and the Special District Information Program of the Department of Community Affairs showing the revenues, both locally derived and derived from intergovernmental transfers, and the expenditures of each local governmental entity, regional planning council, local government finance commission, and municipal power corporation that is required to submit an annual financial report. The report must include, but is not limited to:

(a)  The total revenues and expenditures of each local governmental entity that is a component unit included in the annual financial report of the reporting entity.

(b)  The amount of outstanding long-term debt by each local governmental entity. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "long-term debt" means any agreement or series of agreements to pay money, which, at inception, contemplate terms of payment exceeding 1 year in duration.

(3)  The department shall notify the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of any municipality that has not reported any financial activity for the last 4 fiscal years. Such notice must be sufficient to initiate dissolution procedures as described in s. 165.051(1)(a). Any special law authorizing the incorporation or creation of the municipality must be included within the notification.

History.--s. 2, ch. 73-349; s. 15, ch. 77-165; s. 46, ch. 79-164; s. 5, ch. 79-183; s. 4, ch. 79-589; s. 42, ch. 80-274; s. 18, ch. 81-167; s. 16, ch. 83-55; s. 2, ch. 83-106; s. 43, ch. 89-169; s. 55, ch. 91-45; s. 93, ch. 92-152; s. 90, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 36, ch. 94-249; s. 18, ch. 96-324; s. 8, ch. 2000-152; s. 5, ch. 2000-264; s. 62, ch. 2001-266; s. 26, ch. 2004-305.