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2024 Florida Statutes

Title XXVI PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Chapter 344
COUNTY ROAD AND BRIDGE INDEBTEDNESS
CHAPTER 344
CHAPTER 344
COUNTY ROAD AND BRIDGE INDEBTEDNESS
344.11 Records of indebtedness.
344.13 Apportionment of indebtedness.
344.17 Depositories and investments.
344.20 State of Florida not obligated.
344.21 Certain bond trustees to continue other functions.
344.24 Disposition of excess funds in county accounts.
344.26 State Board of Administration; duties concerning debt service.
344.261 State Board of Administration; debt service; approval of bonds or debentures and plan for their retirement.
344.11 Records of indebtedness.—The clerk of the circuit court of each county shall be the official custodian of all records pertaining to outstanding indebtedness of the county, and also of all bonded indebtedness of special road and bridge districts, and shall make a complete record of each issue of such bonds outstanding on June 21, 1929, including all county bonds and special road and bridge district bonds. This record shall contain the information with relation to each issue in a well-bound book, which shall be a public record in the office of the clerk of the circuit court.
History.—s. 11, ch. 14486, 1929; CGL 1936 Supp. 2470(11); s. 27, ch. 63-572.
344.13 Apportionment of indebtedness.—If any special road and bridge district shall contain lands in more than one county, the amount of the bonded indebtedness of such special road and bridge district shall be, for the purposes of this chapter, apportioned between or among such counties in the proportion that the assessed valuation of the area of each county included within such special road and bridge district shall bear to the total assessed valuation of such special road and bridge district.
History.—s. 13, ch. 14486, 1929; CGL 1936 Supp. 2470(13); s. 1, ch. 57-749.
344.17 Depositories and investments.—All moneys received by the Chief Financial Officer as treasurer of the State Board of Administration, a body corporate under s. 4, Art. IV of the State Constitution, shall be deposited by the treasurer in a solvent bank or banks, to be approved and accepted for such purposes by the board. In making such deposits, he or she shall follow the method for the deposit of state funds. Each bank receiving any portion of such funds shall be required to deposit with such treasurer satisfactory bonds or treasury certificates of the United States; bonds of the several states; special tax school district bonds; bonds of any municipality eligible to secure state deposits as provided by law; bonds of any county or special road and bridge district of this state entitled to participate under the provisions of s. 16, Art. IX of the State Constitution of 1885, as adopted by the State Constitution, and of s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution; bonds issued under the provisions of s. 18, Art. XII of the State Constitution of 1885, as adopted by s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution; or bonds, notes, or certificates issued by the Florida State Improvement Commission or its successors, the Florida Development Commission and the Division of Bond Finance of the State Board of Administration, which contain a pledge of the 80-percent surplus 2-cent constitutional gasoline tax accruing under s. 16, Art. IX of the State Constitution of 1885, as adopted by the State Constitution, and under s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution, which shall be equal to the amount deposited with such bank. Such security shall be in the possession of such treasurer; or the treasurer is authorized to accept, in lieu of the actual depositing with him or her of such security, trust or safekeeping receipts issued by any Federal Reserve Bank, or member bank thereof, or by any bank incorporated under the laws of the United States; provided the member bank or bank incorporated under the laws of the United States has been previously approved and accepted for such purposes by the State Board of Administration and the trust or safekeeping receipts are in substantially the same form as that which the Chief Financial Officer is authorized to accept in lieu of securities given to cover deposits of state funds.
History.—s. 17, ch. 14486, 1929; CGL 1936 Supp. 2470(17); s. 1, ch. 17889, 1937; s. 2, ch. 20302, 1941; s. 1, ch. 20946, 1941; s. 7, ch. 22858, 1945; s. 2, ch. 57-749; ss. 22, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 18, ch. 69-216; s. 44, ch. 83-3; s. 286, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 510, ch. 95-148; s. 376, ch. 2003-261; s. 55, ch. 2013-15.
344.20 State of Florida not obligated.—It is not the purpose or intention of this chapter or any part hereof to obligate the state, directly or indirectly or contingently, for the payment of the obligations of any counties or the obligations of any special road and bridge district, or that the state should assume the payment thereof; and this chapter is not to be construed as obligating the state to the holders of said bonds to make any payment of the same, nor shall such holders have any rights to enforce the appropriation of the moneys hereinabove provided for. Appropriations are made specifically for the benefit of the taxpayers and property owners of the state and for the purpose of rendering assistance to the various state agencies which have already performed part of the functions resting upon the state, and this chapter shall be subject to amendment, alteration or repeal at any time.
History.—s. 20, ch. 14486, 1929; CGL 1936 Supp. 2470(20).
344.21 Certain bond trustees to continue other functions.—In the case of bond trustees, who not only handle the money and funds of such county or district, but who also govern and administer the affairs of their respective county or district, including the issuance and sale of bonds and the building and construction and maintenance of the roads and bridges thereof, then the provisions of this chapter shall apply only to the interest and sinking funds thereof, and such bond trustees shall continue in office and in the performance of their duties in the administration of the affairs and business of such district as may be authorized by law.
History.—s. 21, ch. 14486, 1929; CGL 1936 Supp. 2470(21).
344.24 Disposition of excess funds in county accounts.—
(1) If in any case in which a levy of ad valorem taxes has been or may hereafter be laid and collected by or for any county or special road and bridge district, or other taxing district in this state, for the servicing of road and bridge bonded indebtedness being administered by the State Board of Administration, and the proceeds of which have been remitted to the State Board of Administration, or if on account of profits realized from investments by the State Board of Administration or its predecessor, the statutory Board of Administration, or if on account of tax redemption funds collected and remitted to the State Board of Administration or its predecessor, the statutory Board of Administration, there has been or shall hereafter be created an amount of funds in excess of the requirements for which such tax levies were or may be laid and upon which such tax redemptions may be based, or of the account for which such profits upon investments have been or may be realized, all such excess funds shall be transferred and applied as follows:
(a) If created for countywide bonds or obligations, to the credit of the county, and applied by the State Board of Administration as gasoline and other fuel tax funds are applied, as required by s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution.
(b) If created for special road and bridge district or other special taxing district bonds or obligations, to the credit of the interest and sinking funds of the respective districts, and applied to other district bonds or obligations being administered by the State Board of Administration; provided, that if there are no such other bonds or obligations of districts, then and in that event, such excess funds shall be transferred to the credit of the county in which such district is located, and applied as provided in paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(2) All funds transferred under the provisions of this section shall be under the control and supervision of the State Board of Administration, as are all other funds made available to and administered by it under s. 9, Art. XII of the State Constitution.
History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 21640, 1943; s. 18, ch. 69-216.
344.26 State Board of Administration; duties concerning debt service.—
(1)(a) The constitutional State Board of Administration shall take over the management, control, bond trusteeship, administration, custody, and payment of all debt service or other funds or assets now or hereafter available for all bonds or debentures issued to finance the construction or purchase of bridges, highways, or other transportation facilities which are now or hereafter leased for a term of more than one year or purchased under installment purchase agreements by the State Road Department or Department of Transportation from any public body, county, district, municipality, or other public bridge authority.
(b) Said State Board of Administration shall succeed to all the statutory powers of the respective officials of such public bodies, counties, districts, municipalities or other public authorities with regard to said bonds and debentures, including the power to issue refunding bonds for any of such bonds or debentures or interest coupons thereon, except that in case any ad valorem levies are necessary to service any of said bonds containing ad valorem tax pledges, such tax levies shall be made and collected by the taxing officials now authorized by law to levy and collect the same, who shall promptly remit such collections to the State Board of Administration.
(c) Said levies shall be made upon and by direction of appropriate and seasonable resolutions adopted by the State Board of Administration, setting forth the amounts to be levied and collected and the necessity for same.
(d) It shall be the duty of all officials of any such public body, county, district, municipality or other public authority to turn over to said State Board of Administration within 30 days after the execution of any such lease or purchase agreement by the Department of Transportation all moneys or other assets applicable to, or available for, the payment of said bonds or debentures, together with all records, books, documents or other papers pertaining to said bonds or debentures.
(e) Any funds or other assets which hereafter become applicable to the payment of such bonds or debentures and come into the hands of any such officials shall be immediately remitted to said State Board of Administration.
(2) The Department of Transportation shall pay all rentals or purchase installments for bridges or highways direct to the State Board of Administration for application by said board as provided under the terms of said leases or purchase agreements.
History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 21853, 1943; ss. 23, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 8, ch. 70-239; s. 34, ch. 2018-110.
344.261 State Board of Administration; debt service; approval of bonds or debentures and plan for their retirement.—
(1) Before entering into a lease-purchase agreement with any county, road and bridge district, or any other agency covering any road, bridge, ferry, or other transportation facility or facilities, which agreement pledges rental and purchase payments by the Department of Transportation to apply on retirement of the debt incurred or to be incurred for the construction or supplying of such transportation facility, and which debt will, in consequence of s. 344.26, be administered by the State Board of Administration, the department shall first secure from the State Board of Administration a statement approving the legal and fiscal sufficiency of such bonds or debentures and the plan for their retirement.
(2) This section shall be considered as supplementing and cumulative to existing laws and shall be effective as to any agreements entered into after June 9, 1951.
History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 26954, 1951; ss. 23, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 9, ch. 70-239.