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House Bill 0295




    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                 HB 295

        By Representative Gay






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Lee and Charlotte Counties;

  3         amending chapter 96-507, Laws of Florida, the

  4         Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority Act;

  5         revising the powers and duties of the authority

  6         to eliminate the requirement that electors

  7         authorize the maximum toll and maximum ad

  8         valorem tax in a single vote of the electors;

  9         eliminating the requirement that the proceeds

10         of tolls and ad valorem taxes may only be used

11         for certain purposes; providing an effective

12         date.

13

14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

15

16         Section 1.  Subsections (3), (13), and (21) of section

17  6 of chapter 96-507, Laws of Florida, are amended to read:

18         Section 6.  POWERS AND DUTIES OF AUTHORITY.--The

19  authority shall have the following powers and duties, in

20  addition to and supplementing other powers granted in this act

21  and powers granted to authorities by general law:

22         (3)  To fix, modify, charge and collect toll rates and

23  user fees from persons for the use of the bridge and causeway

24  system at such levels as the authority deems appropriate

25  regardless of the costs associated with the bridge and

26  causeway system; provided, however, in no event shall tolls

27  for automobiles exceed $5.00 per roundtrip for a period of 10

28  years after the effective date of this special act. The

29  authority shall be subject to the provisions of s. 338.165,

30  Florida Statutes, authorizing the continuation of tolls except

31  that the authority may use any remaining toll revenue after

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                 HB 295

    549-119A-97






  1  payments for debt service and the annual cost of operation,

  2  maintenance, and improvement of the bridge and causeway only

  3  for the purposes enumerated in this act.  The authority may

  4  only impose this toll after submitting the maximum toll

  5  authorized under this subsection and the maximum ad valorem

  6  taxes authorized under subsection (13) to a single vote of the

  7  electors.

  8         (13)  The authority may assess and impose upon lands in

  9  the district ad valorem taxes of no greater than 2 mills of

10  assessed value per year, as provided by this act and chapter

11  197, Florida Statutes. The authority may only impose ad

12  valorem taxes if both of the following conditions are met:

13         (a)  Following a referendum in which a majority of the

14  electors of the district voting in the election approve of the

15  levy of the maximum ad valorem tax authorized under this

16  subsection and the maximum toll authorized under subsection

17  (3).

18         (b)  The authority determines that the bridge tolls

19  being collected may be insufficient to repair, replace, or

20  maintain the bridge and causeway.

21

22  The authority may conduct a special election, if necessary, in

23  order to seek voter approval of the ad valorem tax levy and

24  tolls.

25         (21)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this act,

26  the proceeds of the tolls and ad valorem taxes may only be

27  used for operation, maintenance, replacement, and debt service

28  of the bridge and causeway.

29         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

30  law.

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