| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the Tampa-Hillsborough County |
| 3 | Expressway Authority; amending s. 348.51, F.S.; redefining |
| 4 | the term "city" to include any incorporated municipality |
| 5 | within Hillsborough County; amending s. 348.52, F.S.; |
| 6 | revising the membership of the governing body of the |
| 7 | authority; providing for certain members of the authority |
| 8 | to be appointed by the governing body of specified |
| 9 | municipalities; providing for the Board of County |
| 10 | Commissioners of Hillsborough County to appoint additional |
| 11 | members to the authority; authorizing the appointing |
| 12 | governing body to remove its appointee from the authority |
| 13 | by a super majority vote; providing for staggered terms of |
| 14 | office for the initial terms of members appointed under |
| 15 | the act; providing an effective date. |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 18 |
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| 19 | Section 1. Subsections (4) and (7) of section 348.51, |
| 20 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 21 | 348.51 Definitions.--The following terms whenever used or |
| 22 | referred to in this part shall have the following meanings, |
| 23 | except in those instances where the context clearly indicates |
| 24 | otherwise: |
| 25 | (4) "City" means an incorporated municipality within the |
| 26 | County of Hillsborough the City of Tampa. |
| 27 | (7) "Expressway system" or "system" means, generally, a |
| 28 | modern highway system of roads, bridges, causeways, and tunnels |
| 29 | in the metropolitan area of a the city, or within any area of |
| 30 | the county, with access limited or unlimited as the authority |
| 31 | may determine, and such buildings and structures and |
| 32 | appurtenances and facilities related thereto, including all |
| 33 | approaches, streets, roads, bridges, and avenues of access for |
| 34 | such system. |
| 35 | Section 2. Section 348.52, Florida Statutes, is amended to |
| 36 | read: |
| 37 | 348.52 Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority.-- |
| 38 | (1) There is hereby created and established a body politic |
| 39 | and corporate, an agency of the state, to be known as the |
| 40 | "Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority." |
| 41 | (2) The governing body of the authority shall consist of a |
| 42 | board of seven members. |
| 43 | (a) One member shall be appointed by the governing body of |
| 44 | the City of Tampa. |
| 45 | (b) One member shall be appointed by the governing body of |
| 46 | the City of Temple Terrace. |
| 47 | (c) One member shall be appointed by the governing body of |
| 48 | the City of Plant City. |
| 49 | (d) Three members shall be appointed by the Board of |
| 50 | County Commissioners of Hillsborough County. |
| 51 | (e) One member shall be the district secretary of the |
| 52 | Department of Transportation serving in the district that |
| 53 | contains Hillsborough County, who shall serve ex officio. |
| 54 | (a) Four of the members shall be appointed by the Governor |
| 55 | subject to confirmation by the Senate at the next regular |
| 56 | session of the Legislature. Refusal or failure of the Senate to |
| 57 | confirm an appointment shall create a vacancy. |
| 58 | (3)1. Each such member's term of office shall be for 4 |
| 59 | years or until his or her successor shall have been appointed |
| 60 | and qualified. However, for the purpose of providing staggered |
| 61 | terms, of the initial appointments the first term of the |
| 62 | appointee of the City of Plant City and the first term of one of |
| 63 | the appointees of Hillsborough County shall be for 2 years. |
| 64 | (4)2. Vacancies occurring in the governing body for any |
| 65 | such members prior to the expiration of the affected term shall |
| 66 | be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as the |
| 67 | original appointment. |
| 68 | (5)3. The Governor shall have the authority to remove from |
| 69 | office any such member of the governing body in the manner and |
| 70 | for cause defined by the laws of this state. The appointing |
| 71 | governing body may recall any member appointed by it and may |
| 72 | remove the appointee from the governing body of the authority by |
| 73 | a super majority vote of the appointing governing body. |
| 74 | (6)4. Each such member, before entering upon his or her |
| 75 | official duties, shall take and subscribe to an oath before some |
| 76 | official authorized by law to administer oaths that he or she |
| 77 | will honestly, faithfully, and impartially perform the duties |
| 78 | devolving upon him or her in office as a member of the governing |
| 79 | body of the authority and that he or she will not neglect any |
| 80 | duties imposed upon him or her by this part. |
| 81 | (b) One member shall be the mayor, or the mayor's |
| 82 | designate, who shall be the chair of the city council of the |
| 83 | city in Hillsborough County having the largest population, |
| 84 | according to the latest decennial census, who shall serve as a |
| 85 | member ex officio. |
| 86 | (c) One member shall be a member of the Board of County |
| 87 | Commissioners of Hillsborough County, selected by such board, |
| 88 | who shall serve as a member ex officio. |
| 89 | (d) One member shall be the district secretary of the |
| 90 | Department of Transportation serving in the district that |
| 91 | contains Hillsborough County, who shall serve ex officio. |
| 92 | (7)(3) The authority shall designate one of its members as |
| 93 | chair. The members of the authority shall not be entitled to |
| 94 | compensation but shall be entitled to receive their travel and |
| 95 | other necessary expenses as provided in s. 112.061. A majority |
| 96 | of the members of the authority shall constitute a quorum, and |
| 97 | resolutions enacted or adopted by a vote of a majority of the |
| 98 | members present and voting at any meeting shall become effective |
| 99 | without publication or posting or any further action of the |
| 100 | authority. |
| 101 | (8)(4) The authority may employ a secretary and executive |
| 102 | director, its own counsel and legal staff, and such legal, |
| 103 | financial, and other professional consultants, technical |
| 104 | experts, engineers, and employees, permanent or temporary, as it |
| 105 | may require and may determine the qualifications and fix the |
| 106 | compensation of such persons, firms, or corporations. The |
| 107 | authority may contract with the Division of Bond Finance of the |
| 108 | State Board of Administration for any financial services |
| 109 | authorized herein. |
| 110 | (9)(5) The authority may delegate to one or more of its |
| 111 | officers or employees such of its powers as it shall deem |
| 112 | necessary to carry out the purposes of this part, subject always |
| 113 | to the supervision and control of the authority. Members of the |
| 114 | authority may be removed from their office by the Governor for |
| 115 | misconduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance in office. |
| 116 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |