Florida Senate - 2009                            (NP)    SB 2786
       
       
       
       By Senator Ring
       
       
       
       
       32-04136-09                                           20092786__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Broward County Tourist
    3         Development Council; providing legislative findings;
    4         providing for appointment of additional members to the
    5         membership of the Broward County Tourist Development
    6         Council; specifying requirements for the council
    7         members; providing for duties, responsibilities, and
    8         procedures of the council; providing for superseding
    9         certain provisions of general law; providing
   10         construction; providing an effective date.
   11  
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Legislative findings.—The Legislature finds
   15  that, in 1980, Broward County first levied its tourist
   16  development tax and created the Broward County Tourist
   17  Development Council as authorized in s. 125.0104, Florida
   18  Statutes. The Legislature also finds that the population of
   19  Broward County has grown from just over 1 million persons in
   20  1980 to almost 1.8 million today, and with over 30 percent of
   21  the present population being of foreign birth as opposed to 11
   22  percent in 1980. Furthermore, since 1980, Broward County has
   23  experienced tremendous growth in its tourism industry and
   24  tourist sector economy, including attracting over 10.6 million
   25  visitors to the county in 2007 and generating in excess of $8.8
   26  billion dollars in economic activity. Given Broward County’s
   27  exceptional growth in population, its diversity, its tourism
   28  industry, and the tangible economic benefits produced for both
   29  the county and the state, the Legislature declares it to be
   30  appropriate to authorize the governing board of Broward County
   31  to expand the membership of its tourist development council from
   32  nine to 11 members.
   33         Section 2. Broward Tourist Development Council.—
   34         (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 125.0104(4)(e),
   35  Florida Statutes, limiting the composition of a tourist
   36  development council to nine members, the governing board of
   37  Broward County shall increase the composition of the Broward
   38  County Tourist Development Council from nine to 11 members. The
   39  county’s governing board shall amend its current ordinance
   40  within 60 days after the effective date of this act to reflect
   41  the increased number of council members and must appoint the two
   42  additional members no later than October 1, 2009. Consistent
   43  with s. 125.0104(4)(e), Florida Statutes, in appointing the two
   44  additional members authorized in this section, the governing
   45  board shall endeavor to appoint one minority person involved in
   46  the tourist industry who has demonstrated an interest in tourist
   47  development and appoint one person from an area with a
   48  multipurpose county regional park capable of hosting local,
   49  national, and international sports championship events. In
   50  appointing future members of the tourist development council,
   51  the governing board of Broward County may consider and balance
   52  its appointments to reflect the diverse demographic and
   53  geographic representation within the county. For purposes of
   54  considering geographic representation, the governing board may
   55  take into account the location of tourist venues and
   56  attractions, location of accommodation facilities, county areas
   57  consistently attracting a greater number of visitors or
   58  generating the greater share of economic activity including
   59  tourist development taxes, potential tourism growth areas within
   60  the county, planned locations for new tourist venues,
   61  attractions and accommodation facilities, traditionally
   62  underserved areas that may benefit from increased tourist
   63  development activities within such areas, and other factors as
   64  the governing board of Broward County may specify by ordinance.
   65         (2) Except as provided in this section, the Broward County
   66  Tourist Development Council shall have all the duties and
   67  responsibilities as provided for tourist development councils by
   68  general law.
   69         Section 3. Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect
   70  the terms of those members serving on the Broward County Tourist
   71  Development Council on the effective date of this act or any
   72  actions taken by the council prior to the appointment of any
   73  additional members authorized in section 2. This act supersedes
   74  the provisions of s. 125.0104, Florida Statutes, to the extent
   75  of any conflict.
   76         Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.