House Bill 1503c2
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h1500-99
h1503
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 CS/CS/HB 1503
By the Committees on Finance & Taxation, 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; providing
6 application of certain provisions of general
7 law; authorizing the board to levy up to 1 mill
8 ad valorem tax per year for 10 years; providing
9 for assessment and collection; providing
10 legislative intent with respect to state
11 funding for Miami-Dade Community College;
12 prohibiting establishment of certain
13 differentiated fees; providing for a
14 referendum; providing an effective date.
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16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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18 Section 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to
19 authorize the District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade
20 Community College, a community college district consisting of
21 Dade County, to levy a special ad valorem tax upon approval by
22 vote of the qualified electors of Dade County for the purpose
23 of raising revenue to be used for the enhancement of academic
24 excellence programs, completion of technology infrastructure,
25 renovation and upgrade of facilities, deferred maintenance,
26 programs serving students with disabilities, and the
27 enhancement of services and programs at all its sites in Dade
28 County. Such funds may not be used for new construction or
29 employee salaries, and the ad valorem taxes collected must be
30 set aside and invested as permitted by law, with the principal
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 CS/CS/HB 1503
696-121-98
1 and income to be used for the purposes listed in this section
2 as the district board of trustees directs.
3 Section 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of s.
4 189.403(1), Florida Statutes, and for the purposes of this
5 act, the District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade Community
6 College shall be an independent special district within the
7 geographic boundaries of Dade County, for the purposes set
8 forth in s. 9, Art. VII of the State Constitution. This act
9 shall constitute the charter for the special district created
10 by this act. Unless reauthorized by legislative act and
11 referendum, the special district created by this act shall
12 dissolve without further action 12 years after the referendum
13 approval of this act. Upon dissolution, any remaining assets
14 and liabilities of the special district shall be transferred
15 to the District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade Community
16 College. In the interim, the Legislature may amend the charter
17 for the special district created by this act. The District
18 Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade Community College shall act as
19 the governing board of the special district, in accordance
20 with the provisions of part III of chapter 240, Florida
21 Statutes, and rules adopted thereunder. The trustees shall
22 serve without compensation in their role as governing board of
23 the special district. The financial disclosure required of
24 trustees shall also serve as the financial disclosure required
25 of special district governing board members. The reporting and
26 meeting notice required of Miami-Dade Community College
27 pursuant to part III of chapter 240, Florida Statutes, and
28 other general law, and rules of the State Board of Education
29 shall serve to fulfill the special district reporting and
30 notice requirements of chapter 189, Florida Statutes.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 CS/CS/HB 1503
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1 Section 3. The District Board of Trustees of
2 Miami-Dade Community College may levy an ad valorem tax on the
3 taxable property in Dade County of up to 1 mill per year for
4 10 years. Property taxes determined and levied under this
5 section shall be certified by the District Board of Trustees
6 of Miami-Dade Community College to the county property
7 appraiser and extended, assessed, and collected in the same
8 manner as the other ad valorem taxes in the county. The levy
9 may be made for 10 years only, pursuant to resolution of the
10 district board of trustees duly entered upon its minutes.
11 Section 4. The annual apportionment of state funds for
12 the support of Miami-Dade Community College under ss. 240.345,
13 240.347, and 240.359, Florida Statutes, or any other provision
14 of general law, may not be reduced because the college has
15 received funds pursuant to an ad valorem levy under section 3.
16 Section 5. The Miami-Dade Community College Board of
17 Trustees shall not establish differentiated fees as a result
18 of this act for the purpose of charging higher fees for those
19 Florida residents living beyond the boundaries of Dade County.
20 Section 6. This act, except for this section, which
21 shall take effect upon this act becoming a law, shall take
22 effect only upon approval by a vote of the electors of Dade
23 County voting in a referendum election that is called and held
24 by the District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade Community
25 College. If the District Board of Trustees of Miami-Dade
26 Community College chooses to call a special election, the
27 expense of the election may not be paid with student fees or
28 moneys the college receives from distribution of state tax
29 revenues, but the expense may be paid with funds received from
30 private sources or with college auxiliary funds. There shall
31 be at least 30 days' notice of the election as provided by s.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 CS/CS/HB 1503
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1 100.342, Florida Statutes. The board's authority to call a
2 referendum election expires November 7, 2000. The board may
3 cancel the referendum election after it has been called, but
4 any expense resulting from the cancellation must be borne by
5 the board.
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