Senate Bill sb2976

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                 SJR 2976

    By Senator Fasano





    11-2130-07

  1                     Senate Joint Resolution

  2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to

  3         Section 4 of Article VII of the State

  4         Constitution, relating to taxation and

  5         assessments, to revise directions for

  6         determining the just valuation of property.

  7  

  8  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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10         That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article

11  VII of the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be

12  submitted to the electors of this state for approval or

13  rejection at the next general election or at an earlier

14  special election specifically authorized by law for that

15  purpose:

16                           ARTICLE VII

17                       FINANCE AND TAXATION

18         SECTION 4.  Taxation; assessments.--By general law

19  regulations shall be prescribed which shall secure a just

20  valuation of all property for ad valorem taxation, provided:

21         (a)  Agricultural land, land producing high water

22  recharge to Florida's aquifers, or land used exclusively for

23  noncommercial recreational purposes may be classified by

24  general law and assessed solely on the basis of character or

25  use.

26         (b)  Pursuant to general law tangible personal property

27  held for sale as stock in trade and livestock may be valued

28  for taxation at a specified percentage of its value, may be

29  classified for tax purposes, or may be exempted from taxation.

30         (c)  All persons entitled to a homestead exemption

31  under Section 6 of this Article shall have their homestead

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                 SJR 2976
    11-2130-07




 1  assessed at just value as of January 1 of the year following

 2  the effective date of this amendment.  This assessment shall

 3  change only as provided herein.

 4         (1)  Assessments subject to this provision shall be

 5  changed annually on January 1st of each year; but those

 6  changes in assessments shall not exceed the lower of the

 7  following:

 8         a.  Three percent (3%) of the assessment for the prior

 9  year.

10         b.  The percent change in the Consumer Price Index for

11  all urban consumers, U.S. City Average, all items 1967=100, or

12  successor reports for the preceding calendar year as initially

13  reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of

14  Labor Statistics.

15         (2)  No assessment shall exceed just value.

16         (3)  After any change of ownership, as provided by

17  general law, homestead property shall be assessed at just

18  value as of January 1 of the following year.  Thereafter, the

19  homestead shall be assessed as provided herein.

20         (4)  New homestead property shall be assessed at just

21  value as of January 1st of the year following the

22  establishment of the homestead. That assessment shall only

23  change as provided herein.

24         (5)  Changes, additions, reductions, or improvements to

25  homestead property shall be assessed as provided for by

26  general law; provided, however, after the adjustment for any

27  change, addition, reduction, or improvement, the property

28  shall be assessed as provided herein.

29         (6)  In the event of a termination of homestead status,

30  the property shall be assessed as provided by general law.

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                 SJR 2976
    11-2130-07




 1         (7)  The provisions of this amendment are severable.

 2  If any of the provisions of this amendment shall be held

 3  unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, the

 4  decision of such court shall not affect or impair any

 5  remaining provisions of this amendment.

 6         (d)  The legislature may, by general law, for

 7  assessment purposes and subject to the provisions of this

 8  subsection, allow counties and municipalities to authorize by

 9  ordinance that historic property may be assessed solely on the

10  basis of character or use.  Such character or use assessment

11  shall apply only to the jurisdiction adopting the ordinance.

12  The requirements for eligible properties must be specified by

13  general law.

14         (e)  A county may, in the manner prescribed by general

15  law, provide for a reduction in the assessed value of

16  homestead property to the extent of any increase in the

17  assessed value of that property which results from the

18  construction or reconstruction of the property for the purpose

19  of providing living quarters for one or more natural or

20  adoptive grandparents or parents of the owner of the property

21  or of the owner's spouse if at least one of the grandparents

22  or parents for whom the living quarters are provided is 62

23  years of age or older. Such a reduction may not exceed the

24  lesser of the following:

25         (1)  The increase in assessed value resulting from

26  construction or reconstruction of the property.

27         (2)  Twenty percent of the total assessed value of the

28  property as improved.

29         (f)  Just valuation of property shall be determined

30  based upon its present use. Speculative values based upon a

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                 SJR 2976
    11-2130-07




 1  hypothetical use of a property may not be taken into

 2  consideration in determining its just valuation.

 3         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be

 4  placed on the ballot:

 5                     CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

 6                      ARTICLE VII, SECTION 4

 7         JUST VALUATION OF PROPERTY.--Proposing an amendment to

 8  the State Constitution to require that, for purposes of

 9  taxation, the "just valuation" of property be determined based

10  on its present use and not on a hypothetical use.

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