ENROLLED HB 0445, Engrossed 1 2003 Legislature
   
1 A bill to be entitled
2          An act relating to the Fort Myers Beach Public Library
3    District; codifying, amending, and reenacting special acts
4    relating to the district; providing membership, powers,
5    and duties of the governing board of the district;
6    providing for the levying of non ad-valorem assessments
7    and the issuance of bonds; providing for the collection of
8    taxes and assessments; providing construction; providing
9    severability; repealing chapters 65-1823, 75-418, 79-489,
10    79-491, 81-414, 85-441, and 91-404, Laws of Florida;
11    providing an effective date.
12         
13          Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14         
15          Section 1. Pursuant to section 189.429, Florida Statutes,
16    this act constitutes the codification of all special acts
17    relating to the Fort Myers Beach Public Library District. It is
18    the intent of the Legislature in enacting this law to provide a
19    single, comprehensive special act charter for the district,
20    including all current legislative authority granted to the
21    district by its several legislative enactments and any
22    additional authority granted by this act.
23          Section 2. Chapters 65-1823, 75-418, 79-489, 79-491, 81-
24    414, 85-441, and 91-404, Laws of Florida, are codified,
25    reenacted, amended, and repealed as herein provided.
26          Section 3. The Fort Myers Beach Public Library District is
27    re-created, and the charter for such District is re-created and
28    reenacted to read:
29          Section 1. Creation.--There is hereby made, created, and
30    established the Fort Myers Beach Public Library District, an
31    independent special district, hereinafter referred to as "the
32    District,” through the codification and reenactment of the
33    District’s several legislative enactments, which shall include
34    the following described land:
35         
36          All that part of Lee County that is located and situated
37    within San Carlos Island; Estero Island; the easterly one-half
38    (1/2) of Section 13, Township 46 South, Range 23 East; Section
39    18, Township 46 South, Range 24 East; and Section 7, Township 46
40    South, Range 24 East, except that part which is located and
41    situated North of the old railroad grade.
42         
43          Section 2. Governing body.--The District shall be governed
44    by a board which shall consist of seven qualified residents.
45    Candidates shall be required to open depositories and appoint
46    treasurers prior to accepting any contributions or expending any
47    funds, provided that where a candidate accepts no contributions
48    and does no advertising and the only expenditure is the filing
49    fee or the fee required for checking signatures, the candidate
50    shall not be required to open a depository or appoint a
51    treasurer. All members of the governing board of the District
52    shall serve for a term of 4 years. Nothing herein shall affect
53    the current term of office or require the early expiration of
54    the current term of office of any current member of the
55    governing board of the District. Each elected member of the
56    governing board shall assume office immediately upon his or her
57    election. Members of the governing board of the District shall
58    receive no compensation. Vacancies on the governing board of the
59    District shall be filled by the Governor for the remainder of
60    the term, and copies of all resignations or vacancies and
61    appointments shall be sent to the Supervisor of Elections. All
62    District elections shall be on the first Tuesday after the first
63    Monday in November of even-numbered years. The registered voters
64    residing within the District shall be permitted to vote. Costs
65    of any election shall be borne by the District. All elections
66    shall be called by resolution of the governing board of the
67    District. Election results shall be determined by a plurality of
68    the votes cast. Candidates shall qualify from noon of the 63rd
69    day through noon of the 49th day prior to the election. The
70    methods of qualifying shall be uniform pursuant to chapter 99,
71    Florida Statutes, and section 189.405, Florida Statutes, as said
72    laws may be amended from time to time. The District may provide
73    for the conduct of District elections by the Supervisor of
74    Elections for Lee County, Florida, or as otherwise described by
75    Florida law, specifically section 189.405, Florida Statutes, as
76    said laws may be amended from time to time.
77          Section 3. Officers; meetings; powers.--Within 10 days
78    after the election of the members of the governing board, the
79    members shall meet and elect from their membership a president,
80    vice-president, secretary, corresponding secretary, and
81    treasurer; however, the same member may be both secretary and
82    treasurer. The treasurer of the governing board, when entering
83    upon his or her duties, shall give a sufficient bond to the
84    Governor in the sum of $3,000 for the faithful performance of
85    his or her duties as treasurer, the premium for the bond to be
86    paid by the District. The treasurer shall make a report at each
87    regular meeting of the governing board. Warrants for the payment
88    of labor, equipment, property, or other expenses of the
89    governing board, and in carrying into effect this act and its
90    purposes, shall be payable by the treasurer of the governing
91    board on accounts and vouchers in the manner approved by the
92    governing board. The governing board shall meet regularly at
93    times designated by the governing board for the purpose of
94    carrying out the business of the District. Meetings of the
95    members of the governing board of the District shall be noticed
96    and regulated as provided by chapters 189 and 286, Florida
97    Statutes, or any other applicable general law, as said laws may
98    be amended from time to time. The governing board shall meet
99    each year and prepare a budget of proposed expenditures for the
100    ensuing year and fix a millage rate for the ensuing year in
101    accordance with the provisions of section 200.065, Florida
102    Statutes, as said law may be amended from time to time. The
103    budget shall be limited to a sum which can be raised by the
104    imposition of a tax as provided by section 4 of this charter,
105    and the use thereof shall be limited to library purposes within
106    the District. The District shall have and the governing board
107    may exercise the general powers and special powers prescribed
108    herein and by general law, as said laws may be amended from time
109    to time. In particular, the governing board is authorized to
110    buy, own, lease, and maintain library facilities, equipment,
111    books, and supplies; to acquire, by purchase, lease, gift,
112    dedication, devise, or otherwise, property both real and
113    personal, and any other property as the governing board may deem
114    necessary or proper in order to provide the residents within the
115    District with the most complete library facilities as finances
116    may permit; to make and execute contracts and other instruments
117    necessary or convenient to exercise and carry out the powers of
118    the District, including contracting for the services of
119    consultants; to issue bonds; to borrow money, accept gifts, and
120    apply for and use grants or loans of money or other property
121    from any government agency or person for any District purposes
122    and to enter into agreements required in connection therewith,
123    and to hold, use, sell, and dispose of such moneys or property
124    for any District purpose in accordance with the terms of the
125    gift, grant, loan, or agreement relating thereto; to adopt
126    procedures, ordinances, or resolutions necessary to conduct
127    District business and to satisfy the requirements of the
128    District, including those requirements prescribed in chapter
129    189, Florida Statutes; to invest and reinvest any surplus public
130    funds as provided in chapter 218, Florida Statutes; and to
131    negotiate and contract with any library facility within the
132    District that has been in existence for at least 5 years on the
133    date that this act becomes law and which has been determined by
134    the Internal Revenue Service of the United States Treasury
135    Department to be tax-exempt under the laws of the United States
136    for the purpose of allocating funds to the library facility or
137    property in kind, either real or personal, and in furtherance of
138    providing facilities for the residents within the District.
139          Section 4. Taxes; non-ad valorem assessments; bond
140    issuance.--The District governing board shall fix and cause to
141    be levied on all property of the District a millage sufficient
142    to meet the requirements of the adopted budget; however, 1 mill
143    is the maximum that can be levied in any one year, except as may
144    be provided in any applicable general law, as said laws may be
145    amended from time to time. The District shall have such
146    authority to levy non-ad valorem assessments as prescribed in
147    chapter 189, Florida Statutes, and any other applicable general
148    law, as said laws may be amended from time to time. The District
149    shall have such authority to issue bonds as prescribed in
150    chapter 189, Florida Statutes, and any other applicable general
151    law, as said laws may be amended from time to time, for District
152    purposes. The taxes received by the District herein shall be
153    limited for library purposes within the District, and upon
154    assessment having been made, the assessment shall be in
155    substitution and shall supercede, within the District, any other
156    taxes, whether special or included within the general fund,
157    which the Board of County Commissioners of Lee County may levy
158    or attempt to levy within this District for library purposes.
159          Section 5. Assessment and collection of taxes and
160    assessments.--Taxes and assessments herein provided for shall be
161    assessed and collected in the manner prescribed by applicable
162    general law, as said laws may be amended from time to time. In
163    particular, the taxes provided for herein shall be assessed and
164    collected in the same manner and form as provided for the
165    assessment and collection of county taxes and subject to a 3-
166    percent commission for assessing and a 3-percent commission for
167    collecting same. The tax collector shall distribute taxes
168    collected on behalf of the District pursuant to general law, as
169    said laws may be amended from time to time.
170          Section 4. This act shall be construed as remedial and
171    shall be liberally construed to promote the purpose for which it
172    is intended.
173          Section 5. If any clause or provision of this act is
174    declared as unconstitutional or invalid for any cause or reason,
175    it shall be eliminated from this act, and the remaining portion
176    of this act shall remain in full force and effect as if said
177    unconstitutional or invalid portion had not been incorporated
178    herein.
179          Section 6. Chapters 65-1823, 75-418, 79-489, 79-491, 81-
180    414, 85-441, and 91-404, Laws of Florida, are repealed.
181          Section 7. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.