HB 1097

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to the Lealman Special Fire Control
3District, Pinellas County; creating a task force to review
4provisions governing authority over district lands annexed
5by municipalities or other fire control districts;
6providing for membership and meetings of the task force;
7requiring the hiring of a professional facilitator;
8requiring a report; amending chapter 2000-426, Laws of
9Florida, as amended, to defer the future repeal of
10provisions granting the district taxing, enforcement, and
11service-providing authority over district lands annexed by
12municipalities or other fire control districts; repealing
13sections 3 and 4 of chapter 2002-352, Laws of Florida, to
14conform; providing effective dates.
15
16Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18     Section 1.  Lealman Special Fire Control District Task
19Force.--
20     (1)  There is created the Lealman Special Fire Control
21District Task Force. The task force shall consist of the chair
22of the Lealman Fire Control District Board of Supervisors; one
23member appointed jointly by the Mayor of the City of Pinellas
24Park, the Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, the Mayor of
25Kenneth City, and the Mayor of the City of Seminole,
26representing one vote; and one member of the Pinellas County
27Board of County Commissioners appointed by the chair of the
28Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.
29     (2)  The task force shall initially meet not later than 30
30days after the effective date of this act to organize and elect
31a chair from its members. The task force shall meet subsequently
32at the call of the chair but not less than twice a year.
33     (3)  The task force shall review the changes to sections
343(2) and 11 of section 1 of chapter 2000-426, Laws of Florida,
35made by sections 1 and 2 of chapter 2002-352, Laws of Florida,
36which granted the district taxing, enforcing, and service-
37providing authority over district lands annexed by any
38municipality or other fire control district, and shall consider
39whether the future repeal of those changes as provided in this
40act should be rescinded. From district funds, the task force
41shall hire a professional facilitator who has experience with
42local government to assist it in this review.
43     (4)  The task force shall provide a report with its
44findings and recommendations to the Pinellas County Legislative
45Delegation no later than November 1, 2007.
46     Section 2.  Effective July 1, 2008, subsection (2) of
47section 3 of section 1 of chapter 2000-426, Laws of Florida, as
48amended by section 1 of chapter 2002-352, Laws of Florida, is
49amended to read:
50     Section 3.  Formation; boundaries.--
51     (2)  Any lands within a municipality included in the
52boundaries of the District, as described herein, shall be
53excluded from the District and its jurisdiction. If any area,
54tract, or parcel of land within the boundaries of the District
55shall hereafter become annexed to a municipality, such area,
56tract, or parcel of land shall be excluded from the District
57effective the next January 1 following such annexation by a
58municipality; however, the District shall continue to provide
59services to the annexed area pursuant to section 11.
60     Section 3.  Effective July 1, 2008, section 11 of section 1
61of chapter 2000-426, Laws of Florida, as amended by section 2 of
62chapter 2002-352, Laws of Florida, is amended to read:
63     Section 11.  Annexation of territories by municipalities or
64other fire control districts.--For the purposes and requirements
65of this Act, after the annexation by a municipality of any
66unincorporated area within the Lealman Special Fire Control
67District, the annexed area shall be treated as lying within the
68corporate boundaries of the annexing municipality and shall not
69be subject to a levy of the ad valorem tax that is authorized by
70this Act. Notwithstanding chapter 171, Florida Statutes, or any
71other applicable law or ordinance, if any municipality or other
72fire control district annexes land within the District, the
73District shall continue as the sole taxing, enforcing, and
74service-providing authority for District purposes in the annexed
75land. However, any municipality or other fire control district
76that annexes such land may collect the applicable assessment or
77tax for fire services and pay the District for such services at
78the District's annually adopted standard rate.
79     Section 4.  Sections 3 and 4 of chapter 2002-352, Laws of
80Florida, are repealed.
81     Section 5.  Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
82act, this act shall take effect upon becoming a law.


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