House Bill 1747

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.







    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1747

        By Representative Ritchie






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to water management; amending

  3         s. 373.503, F.S.; revising the maximum total

  4         millage rate for the Northwest Florida Water

  5         Management District; requiring a portion of tax

  6         proceeds to be used for water quality

  7         improvement; providing a contingent date.

  8

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

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11         Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 373.503, Florida

12  Statutes, is amended to read:

13         373.503  Manner of taxation.--

14         (3)(a)  The districts may levy ad valorem taxes on

15  property within the district solely for the purposes of this

16  chapter and of chapter 25270, 1949, Laws of Florida, as

17  amended, and chapter 61-691, Laws of Florida, as amended. The

18  authority to levy ad valorem taxes as provided in this act

19  shall commence with the year 1977.  However, the taxes levied

20  for 1977 by the governing boards pursuant to this section

21  shall be prorated to ensure that no such taxes will be levied

22  for the first 4 days of the tax year, which days will fall

23  prior to the effective date of the amendment to s. 9(b), Art.

24  VII of the State Constitution, which was approved March 9,

25  1976.  When appropriate, taxes levied by each governing board

26  may be separated by the governing board into a millage

27  necessary for the purposes of the district and a millage

28  necessary for financing basin functions specified in s.

29  373.0695.  Beginning with the taxing year 1977, and

30  notwithstanding the provisions of any other general or special

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1747

    714-117-00






  1  law to the contrary, the maximum total millage rate for

  2  district and basin purposes shall be:

  3         1.  Northwest Florida Water Management District:  0.50

  4  0.05 mill.

  5         2.  Suwannee River Water Management District:  0.75

  6  mill.

  7         3.  St. Johns River Water Management District:  0.6

  8  mill.

  9         4.  Southwest Florida Water Management District:  1.0

10  mill.

11         5.  South Florida Water Management District:  0.80

12  mill.

13         (b)  The apportionment in the South Florida Water

14  Management District shall be a maximum of 40 percent for

15  district purposes and a maximum of 60 percent for basin

16  purposes, respectively.

17         (c)  Within the Southwest Florida Water Management

18  District, the maximum millage assessed for district purposes

19  shall not exceed 50 percent of the total authorized millage

20  when there are one or more basins in the district, and the

21  maximum millage assessed for basin purposes shall not exceed

22  50 percent of the total authorized millage.

23         (d)  Within the Northwest Florida Water Management

24  District, at least one-third of the ad valorem tax proceeds

25  collected under this section must be used for the development

26  and implementation of actions to control water pollution and

27  improve water quality.

28         Section 2.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2001,

29  if the electors of this state approve an amendment to Section

30  9 of Article VII of the State Constitution to remove the ad

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1747

    714-117-00






  1  valorem tax limit specifically applicable to water management

  2  purposes in the northwest portion of the state.

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  4            *****************************************

  5                          SENATE SUMMARY

  6    Establishes the maximum statutory millage limit for the
      Northwest Florida Water Management District, contingent
  7    upon an amendment to the State Constitution. Requires
      that a portion of tax proceeds be used for water quality
  8    improvement.

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