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The Committee on General Government Appropriations (Bennett)

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recommended the following amendment:

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     Senate Amendment (with directory and title amendments)

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     Delete line(s) 131-145

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and insert:

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Section 4.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section

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373.503, Florida Statutes, is amended, subsection (5) is

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renumbered as subsection (6), and a new subsection (5) is added

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to that section, to read:

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373.503  Manner of taxation.--

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     (3)(a) Subject to annual authorization by the Legislature

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to levy ad valorem taxes under subsection (5), the districts may

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levy ad valorem taxes on property within the district solely for

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the purposes of this chapter and of chapter 25270, 1949, Laws of

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Florida, as amended, and chapter 61-691, Laws of Florida, as

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amended. The authority to levy ad valorem taxes as provided in

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this act shall commence with the year 1977. However, the taxes

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levied for 1977 by the governing boards pursuant to this section

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shall be prorated to ensure that no such taxes will be levied for

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the first 4 days of the tax year, which days will fall prior to

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the effective date of the amendment to s. 9(b), Art. VII of the

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State Constitution, which was approved March 9, 1976. When

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appropriate, taxes levied by each governing board may be

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separated by the governing board into a millage necessary for the

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purposes of the district and a millage necessary for financing

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basin functions specified in s. 373.0695. Beginning with the

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taxing year 1977, and Notwithstanding the provisions of any other

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general or special law to the contrary and subject to annual

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authorization by the Legislature to levy ad valorem taxes under

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subsection (5), the maximum total millage rate for district and

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basin purposes shall be:

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     1.  Northwest Florida Water Management District: 0.05 mill.

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     2.  Suwannee River Water Management District: 0.75 mill.

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     3.  St. Johns River Water Management District: 0.6 mill.

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     4.  Southwest Florida Water Management District: 1.0 mill.

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     5.  South Florida Water Management District: 0.80 mill.

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     (5) To ensure that the taxes authorized by this chapter

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continue to be in proportion to the benefits derived by the

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several parcels of real estate within the districts, the

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Legislature shall annually review the authorized millage rate for

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each district and annually set the maximum amount of revenue

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authorized to be raised by each district from the taxes

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authorized by this chapter. However, if the annual maximum amount

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of revenue authorized to be raised by each district is not set by

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the Legislature on or before July 1 of each year, each district

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is authorized to raise the amount of revenue authorized by the

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Legislature in the preceding fiscal year and adjusted by the

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percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the preceding

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fiscal year.

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Section 5.  Subsections (1) and (2) and paragraphs (c), (e),

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and (f) of subsection (5) of section 373.536, Florida Statutes,

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are amended and a new subsection (7) is added to read:

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373.536  District budget and hearing thereon.--

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     (1)  FISCAL YEAR.--The fiscal year of districts created

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under the provisions of this chapter shall extend from July

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October 1 of one year through June September 30 of the following

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year.

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     (2)  BUDGET SUBMITTAL.--The budget officer of the district

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shall, on or before July 15 of each year, submit for

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consideration by the governing board of the district a tentative

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budget for the district covering its proposed operations and

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funding requirements for the ensuing fiscal year.

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     (5)  TENTATIVE BUDGET CONTENTS AND SUBMISSION; REVIEW AND

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APPROVAL.--

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     (c) Each water management district shall, by February

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August 1 of each year, submit for review a tentative budget to

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the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the

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House of Representatives, the chairs of all legislative

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committees and subcommittees with substantive or fiscal

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jurisdiction over water management districts, as determined by

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the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of

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Representatives as applicable, the secretary of the department,

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and the governing body of each county in which the district has

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jurisdiction or derives any funds for the operations of the

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district.

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     (e) By September 5 of the year in which the budget is

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submitted, the House and Senate appropriations chairs may

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transmit to each district comments and objections to the proposed

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budgets. Each district governing board shall include a response

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to such comments and objections in the record of the governing

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board meeting where final adoption of the budget takes place, and

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the record of this meeting shall be transmitted to the Executive

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Office of the Governor, the department, and the chairs of the

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House and Senate appropriations committees.

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(e) (f) The Executive Office of the Governor shall

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annually, on or before September December 15, file with the

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Legislature a report that summarizes its review of the water

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management districts' tentative budgets and displays the adopted

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budget allocations by program area. The report must identify the

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districts that are not in compliance with the reporting

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requirements of this section. State funds shall be withheld from

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a water management district that fails to comply with these

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reporting requirements.

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(7) Prior to the governing boards approval of any

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acquisition, project or project component of which such approval

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shall constitute a commitment to expend more than 25 percent of

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the districts prior fiscal years audited total revenues such

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proposed expenditure shall be submitted to the Legislative Budget

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Commission for approval.

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Section 6. For the 2008-2009 and the 2009-2010 fiscal

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years, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the water

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management districts are directed to budget and plan for their

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fiscal management to conform to the provisions of this act.

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================ T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================

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And the title is amended as follows:

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     Delete line(s) 10-13

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and insert:

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a licensed water well contractor; amending s. 373.503, F.S.;

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providing that a water management district's millage rate is

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subject to annual authorization by the Legislature; requiring the

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Legislature to annually review a district's millage rate is

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subject to annual authorization by the Legislature; requiring the

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Legislature to annually review a district's millage rate;

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requiring the Legislature to annually set the amount of revenue

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authorized to be raised by a district from ad valorem taxes;

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providing for the amount of authorized revenue to be raised by a

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district if the Legislature does not set the amount by a

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specified date; amending s. 373.536, F.S.; revising the beginning

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and ending dates of a district's fiscal year; revising the date

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by which a district must submit a tentative budget to the

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Governor and the Legislature; eliminating the authorization for

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the Legislature to comment on such budgets; eliminating the

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requirement for districts to respond to such comments and to

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forward such responses to the Governor and Legislature; revising

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the date by which the Executive Office of the Governor must file

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a specified report with the Legislature; directing districts to

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implement conforming measures; providing for legislative review

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of certain district expenditures; amending s. 373.079,

4/14/2008  11:45:00 AM     EP.GA.07226