Bill Text: FL H1123 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Broward County

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Committee on Military & Local Affairs Policy (EDCA) [H1123 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-H1123-Introduced.html
HB 1123
1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to Broward County; providing legislative
3findings; authorizing municipalities in Broward County to
4levy special assessments to fund law enforcement services;
5providing for a reduction in ad valorem assessments when a
6law enforcement special assessment is levied pursuant to
7this act; providing an effective date.
8
9Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11 Section 1. Legislative findings.-Broward County is the
12second most populous county in the state with 31 municipalities
13within the county and little unincorporated area within the
14developed portion of the county. Law enforcement is a vital
15municipal service as it protects both persons and property from
16crime. In urban areas such as Broward County, property crimes,
17including burglary, vandalism, trespassing, arson, and others
18have a dramatic impact on property owners and the value of real
19property. Law enforcement services work to prevent these
20significant property crimes, and thus prevent the loss of
21property values and use. Moreover, after a property crime
22occurs, law enforcement efforts to solve such crimes prevents
23additional property crimes from occurring in the community.
24Finally, law enforcement provides protection for unoccupied
25properties and prevents additional losses to property owners,
26especially in times of economic distress. As a result, the
27Legislature finds that there is a logical relationship between
28law enforcement services attributable to the protection of real
29property and the prevention of real property crimes and the
30benefit to real property.
31 Section 2. A municipality in Broward County may fund the
32costs of law enforcement services, in whole or in part, through
33the levy of a law enforcement services special assessment
34provided that the governing body of the municipality:
35 (1) Adopts a law enforcement services assessment ordinance
36that authorizes the special assessment, requires that it be
37levied by resolution each year, and apportions such assessable
38costs among the property based on a methodology that charges a
39parcel in reasonable proportion to its benefits.
40 (2) In the initial year of implementation, reduces its
41total ad valorem tax revenue, as projected for the upcoming
42fiscal year and calculated as if there were no law enforcement
43services assessment, by an amount equal to the amount of the law
44enforcement services assessment, except that no municipality
45shall be required to reduce its millage rate by more than 75
46percent; thereafter, such assessment shall be increased only in
47the same manner as ad valorem revenue is permitted to be
48increased pursuant to section 200.065, Florida Statutes. The
49initial reduction in ad valorem tax revenue shall be limited to
50no more than 50 percent if the implementing resolution is
51adopted by a extraordinary majority vote of the governing body.
52 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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