| 1 | The Committee on Local Government & Veterans' Affairs recommends |
| 2 | the following: |
| 3 |
|
| 4 | Committee Substitute |
| 5 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 6 | A bill to be entitled |
| 7 | An act relating to the St. Lucie County Fire District; |
| 8 | establishing an exemption from payment to redevelopment |
| 9 | trust funds created by community redevelopment agencies; |
| 10 | providing for the St. Lucie County Fire District to |
| 11 | appropriate to the redevelopment trust fund to the extent |
| 12 | funds are insufficient to cover debt service on any bonds |
| 13 | authorized and issued before the effective date of the act |
| 14 | but not after the effective date of the act; providing an |
| 15 | effective date. |
| 16 |
|
| 17 | WHEREAS, the St. Lucie County Fire District is solely |
| 18 | responsible for fire suppression, prevention, rescue, and |
| 19 | emergency medical services throughout St. Lucie County, and |
| 20 | WHEREAS, the St. Lucie County Fire District derives a |
| 21 | substantial portion of its revenues from ad valorem taxes and a |
| 22 | substantial portion of its expenses are personnel costs, and |
| 23 | WHEREAS, the implementation of community redevelopment |
| 24 | plans by community redevelopment agencies in St. Lucie County |
| 25 | creates an increasing demand for fire and rescue services |
| 26 | without providing the revenues to support such services, and |
| 27 | WHEREAS, the continued payments to redevelopment trust |
| 28 | funds created by community redevelopment agencies in St. Lucie |
| 29 | County will adversely affect the ability of the St. Lucie County |
| 30 | Fire District to provide critical public safety services to the |
| 31 | citizens and visitors of St. Lucie County, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 32 |
|
| 33 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 34 |
|
| 35 | Section 1. Effective October 1, 2007, and thereafter, the |
| 36 | St. Lucie County Fire District shall be exempt from payment to |
| 37 | redevelopment trust funds created by community redevelopment |
| 38 | agencies in St. Lucie County. |
| 39 | Section 2. Notwithstanding the exemption provided in |
| 40 | section 1 commencing October 1, 2007, for bonds authorized and |
| 41 | issued under section 163.385, Florida Statutes, prior to the |
| 42 | effective date of this act and which remain outstanding, the St. |
| 43 | Lucie County Fire District shall appropriate to the |
| 44 | redevelopment trust fund established for such outstanding bonds |
| 45 | an amount sufficient to pay, when due, its annual pro rata share |
| 46 | to cover debt service, to the extent funds deposited into the |
| 47 | redevelopment trust fund by other taxing authorities pursuant to |
| 48 | section 163.387, Florida Statutes, are insufficient to cover |
| 49 | debt service. The obligation of the St. Lucie County Fire |
| 50 | District to make such appropriations to a redevelopment trust |
| 51 | fund for any debt service deficiency shall not arise for any |
| 52 | bonds authorized and issued subsequent to the effective date of |
| 53 | this act, pursuant to section 163.385, Florida Statutes. |
| 54 | Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |