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House Bill 1503c1

Florida House of Representatives - 1997 CS/HB 1503 By the Committee on Community Colleges & Career Prep and Representative Morse 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to Miami-Dade Community 3 College, Dade County; designating the district 4 board of trustees of the college as a special 5 district for a specified period; authorizing 6 the board to levy up to 1 mill ad valorem tax 7 per year for 10 years; providing for assessment 8 and collection; providing legislative intent 9 with respect to state funding for Miami-Dade 10 Community College; prohibiting establishment of 11 certain differentiated fees; providing for a 12 referendum; providing an effective date. 13 14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15 16 Section 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to 17 authorize the District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade 18 Community College, a community college district consisting of 19 Dade County, to levy a special ad valorem tax upon approval by 20 vote of the qualified electors of Dade County for the purpose 21 of raising revenue to be used for the enhancement of academic 22 excellence programs, completion of technology infrastructure, 23 renovation and upgrade of facilities, deferred maintenance, 24 programs serving students with disabilities, and the 25 enhancement of services and programs at all its sites in Dade 26 County. Such funds may not be used for new construction or 27 employee salaries, and the ad valorem taxes collected must be 28 set aside and invested as permitted by law, with the principal 29 and income to be used for the purposes listed in this section 30 as the district board of trustees directs. 31 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 CS/HB 1503 613-108-97 1 Section 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 2 189.403(1), Florida Statutes, and for the purpose of this act, 3 the District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade Community College 4 shall be a special district within the geographic boundaries 5 of Dade County, for the purposes set forth in s. 9, Art. VII 6 of the State Constitution, and shall remain as such for a 7 period of up to 12 years. The District Board of Trustees of 8 Miami-Dade Community College may levy an ad valorem tax on the 9 taxable property in Dade County of up to 1 mill per year for 10 10 years. Property taxes determined and levied under this 11 section shall be certified by the District Board of Trustees 12 of Miami-Dade Community College to the county property 13 appraiser and extended, assessed, and collected in the same 14 manner as the other ad valorem taxes in the county. The levy 15 may be made for 10 years only, pursuant to resolution of the 16 district board of trustees duly entered upon its minutes. 17 Section 3. The annual apportionment of state funds for 18 the support of Miami-Dade Community College under ss. 240.345, 19 240.347, and 240.359, Florida Statutes, or any other provision 20 of general law, may not be reduced because the college has 21 received funds pursuant to an ad valorem levy under section 2. 22 Section 4. The Miami-Dade Community College Board of 23 Trustees shall not establish differentiated fees as a result 24 of this act for the purpose of charging higher fees for those 25 Florida residents living beyond the boundaries of Dade County. 26 Section 5. This act, except for this section, which 27 shall take effect upon this act becoming a law, shall take 28 effect only upon approval by a vote of the electors of Dade 29 County voting in a referendum election that is called and held 30 by the District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade Community 31 College. If the District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade 2 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida House of Representatives - 1997 CS/HB 1503 613-108-97 1 Community College chooses to call a special election, the 2 expense of the election may not be paid with student fees or 3 moneys the college receives from distribution of state tax 4 revenues, but the expense may be paid with funds received from 5 private sources or with college auxiliary funds. There shall 6 be at least 30 days' notice of the election as provided by s. 7 100.342, Florida Statutes. The board's authority to call a 8 referendum election expires November 4, 1999. The board may 9 cancel the referendum election after it has been called, but 10 any expense resulting from the cancellation must be borne by 11 the board. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 3