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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBack-Up from Law Dept• ARTICLE IX. - FINANCIAL POLICIES • DIVISION 1. - ANTI-DEFICIENCYACT181 Footnotes: --- (8) --- Note— See the editor's note to Ch. 2, Art. X11. Sec. 18-500. Established. Regulations, to be known as the Anti -Deficiency Act, are hereby established to provide mandatory procedures to be used by department directors, the city manager, city attorney, city clerk, mayor, commissioners, and executive directors of agencies, authorities, trusts, boards, or commissions funded in whole or in part by the city, with authority to direct obligation or disbursement of city funds. However, the herein regulations shall not apply to the three City of Miami Retirement Trusts which are the City of Miami Firefighters' and Police Officers' Retirement Trust, the City of Miami General Employees' and Sanitation Employees' Retirement Trust, and the City of Miami Elected Officers' Retirement Trust. (Ord. No. 11727, § 2, 11-17-98; Ord. No. 11890, § 2, 2-10-00; Ord. No. 12026, § 2, 2-22-01) Sec. 18-501. Definitions. As used in this article: Agency or agencies shall mean, including, but not limited to, any agency(s), authority(s), trust(s), board(s), or commission(s) funded in whole or in part by the city, except the City of Miami Firefighters' and Police Officers' Retirement Trust, the City of Miami General Employees' and Sanitation Employees' Retirement Trust, and the City of Miami Elected Officers' Retirement Trust. Authority to direct obligation or disbursement shall mean any permission, approval, consent, or signature from a department director or executive director of an agency, authority, trust, board, or commission funded in whole or in part by the city, except for the City of Miami Firefighters' and Police Officers' Retirement Trust, the City of Miami General Employees' and Sanitation Employees' Retirement Trust, and the City of Miami Elected Officers' Retirement Trust (the "Retirement Trusts"), or a single individual, specifically designated in writing by a department director or executive director of an agency, authority, trust, board, or commission funded in whole or in part by the city, except for the Retirement Trusts, and acknowledged and accepted in writing by the designee, and kept on file within the department, agency, authority, trust, board, or commission funded in whole or in part by the city, except for the Retirement Trusts, regardless of form, which permits or authorizes expenditure of funds, excluding documents or forms which process such authority. Department directors shall mean directors of all departments of the city including heads of offices and shall include persons responsible for individual budgets as set forth in the annual appropriations ordinance. Notwithstanding any delegation of authority for the act of budget oversight, heads of departments or offices shall not be relieved of responsibility related to this act. Executive director shall mean the executive directors of all agencies, authorities, trusts, boards, or commissions, including heads of offices, funded in whole or in part by the city, and shall include persons responsible for the individual annual budgets for each agency, authority, trust, board or commission approved by the city commission, except for the City of Miami Firefighters' and Police Officers' Retirement Trust, the City of Miami General Employees' and Sanitation Employees' Retirement Trust, and the City of Miami Elected Officers' Retirement Trust. Notwithstanding any delegation of authority for the act of budget oversight, the executive director shall not be relieved of responsibility related to this Act. Obligational authority shall mean any document, ordinance, resolution or paper, regardless of form, which grants permission for an expenditure. (Ord. No. 11727, § 2, 11-17-98; Ord. No. 11890, § 2, 2-10-00; Ord. No. 12026, § 2, 2-22-01) Sec. 18-502. Procedures and implementation. The procedures set forth herein apply where a continuing ordinance or resolution of the city commission which specifically directs an expenditure of funds, and identifies a source of funds to increase the obligation/expenditure authority has not been enacted, extended, or renewed by the city commission to provide temporary obligational authority. Notwithstanding the adoption of an ordinance or resolution by the city commission expending funds, any ordinance or resolution which exceeds an approved departmental or agency budget may be considered voidable and shall be placed on the next regular city commission agenda by the city manager or executive director for budget approval and adjustments as deemed appropriate. Nor may any individual in authority instruct an employee of the city to exceed, without legal authority, the annual budget appropriation for any department or agency. This following Anti -deficiency Act is hereby enacted and regulations set forth as follows: (1) This section applies to all obligations chargeable to annual appropriations, and prior year billing, or multiple -year appropriations which have expired, and for which the obligational authority has not been extended. This section shall additionally apply to the city manager, department directors, and executive directors with authority to approve overtime budgets. (2) The city manager, assistant city managers, department directors, and executive directors with authority to direct obligation or disbursement of city funds may not enter into contracts or any other agreements for the future payment of money in excess of those funds approved in the current year budget by ordinance or resolution. However, the terms and conditions set forth in the document related to debt issuance and long-term capital improvement projects and other approved multi -year agreements shall be controlling. (3) Any obligation incurred in excess of an annual departmental or agency appropriation represents a violation of the Anti -Deficiency Act. No such obligation shall be incurred unless the city commission or city manager through emergency powers, has enacted legislation or exercised authority extending a department's or agency's obligational authority of a department or agency. However, should an emergency, defined under state law as any occurrence, or threat thereof, whether natural, technological, or manmade, in war or in peace, which results or may result in substantial injury or harm to the population or substantial damage to or loss of property, occur and temporary obligation authority is authorized, said obligations and authority shall require an ordinance or resolution for the ratification, approval and confirmation of said action together with such other necessary actions to ensure a balanced year-end budget by an affirmative majority vote of the members of the city commission at the next immediate regularly scheduled meeting of the city commission or special meeting called for that purpose. (4) The prohibitions contained herein are applicable to the city manager, department directors, or executive directors with the authority to verify and/or approve the availability of funds, disburse or obligate funds for the city. The provisions contained herein apply to the offices of the mayor, city clerk, city attorney, city commission, the city manager, all departments and agencies budgets which incorporate overtime budgets and prior year billings, and funds, including but not limited to non - departmental accounts and the capital improvements program. (5) The city manager shall promulgate policies which instruct department directors with authority to direct obligation or disbursement of city funds to assure compliance with this act. (6) The city commission shall promulgate policies which instruct executive directors with authority to direct obligation or disbursement of city funds to assure compliance with this act. (7) The official or employee verifying the availability of funds, and/or approving budget authority and/or certifying a voucher, purchase order or any other paper indicating availability of funds is responsible for ensuring that the expenditure will not exceed the department's or agency's current year budget appropriations for that line item. (8) Any employee of the city who has knowledge or a reasonably based belief that a budget of the city may be in violation of this act shall have the right to be heard under the provisions for a monthly status of the city budget set forth below. Any such person shall not be penalized in any manner for actions taken to report violation of this act. (9) A department director or executive director with obligation or disbursement authority shall be in violation of this act if he/she willfully withholds invoices, payments, settlement, or any other instrument of city debt which were incurred and due in the current fiscal year in an effort to avoid exceeding the approved current year budget. (10) The city manager shall have the authority to adjust line items in an amount not to exceed ten percent of a department's budget so long as the total annual projected expenditures of a department do not exceed the department's current budget, and said adjustment is verified by the department of management and budget. Additionally, all proposed budget adjustments between departments, including capital improvements projects shall require approval by city commission ordinance or resolution. During the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, any changes or deviations in excess of $5,000.00 per transaction from the current approved budget for those departments under the authority of the city manager shall require city manager approval, with the advice and written concurrence of the member of the city commission designated as the presiding officer, a copy of which shall be provided to the city clerk. (11) The executive director shall have the authority to adjust line items in an amount not to exceed ten percent of an agency's budget so long as the total annual projected expenditures of the agency does not exceed the agency's current budget, and said adjustment is verified in a manner using acceptable accounting principles. During the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, any changes or deviations in excess of $5,000.00 per transaction from the current approved budget for those agencies shall require written concurrence of the member of the city commission designated as the presiding officer, a copy of which shall be provided to the city clerk. (12) Notification of possible deficiency. Any department director, executive director or individual with authority to verify the availability of funds, or direct obligation or disbursement of city funds who anticipates or has reason to believe that the annual budget of a department or agency may exceed the sum appropriated in the approved budget ordinance or resolution (a "deficiency") shall immediately provide written notification to the mayor, the city commission, city manager, city attorney, city clerk, and the director of the department of management and budget. Said notification shall include the cause of the deficiency, the amount of the deficiency and the recommended remedial action to cure the deficiency. (13) The city manager shall present monthly, except during the month of September, a written report on the status of the city budget at a city commission meeting. The executive directors of all agencies shall each present quarterly, except during the month of September, a written report on the status of the individual agency's budget at a city commission meeting. At a minimum, this report should generally include, but not be limited to, the following information in a form acceptable to the city commission: fund summary, revenues by category and expenditures by major object, revenues by category and expenditure by department, or revenues by minor object-recurring/non-recurring, expenditures by minor object-recurring/non-recurring, revenues by minor object -recurring, revenues by minor object - non -recurring, expenditures by minor object -recurring, expenditures by minor object -non -recurring, bank reconciliation memo, cash positions for all funds, investments outstanding as of the preceding month, cash received year to date, cash received for the current month or preceding month, human resource personnel reports, including computation which details sworn or unsworn personnel. The city external auditor shall present the comprehensive annual financial report or status thereof no later than the end of the second quarter of each fiscal year. The external auditors engaged by the individual agencies shall each present the agencies' comprehensive annual financial reports or status thereof no later than the end of the second quarter of each fiscal year. (Ord. No. 11727, § 2, 11-17-98; Ord. No. 11890, § 2, 2-10-00; Ord. No. 12026, § 2, 2-22-01) Sec. 18-503. Violations of act; penalties. (1) A duly adopted ordinance or resolution shall provide obligational authority and if enacted will not constitute a violation of this act. (2) No provision contained in this section shall be construed to violate fair labor laws or any provision of the current, approved union contracts, or any other legally binding issues which have been the subject of collective bargaining. (3) Effective January 1, 2000, the violation of any provisions of this act shall constitute a civil offense and be punishable by civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $500.00, in a court of competent jurisdiction. Without regard to culpability, violation of this law may serve as one element of a basis for employment termination. (Ord. No. 11727, § 2, 11-17-98; Ord. No. 11890, § 2, 2-10-00) Secs. 18-504-18-540. Reserved. DIVISION 2. FINANCIAL INTEGRITY PRINCIPLES Sec. 18-541. Established; implementation; review; reports. (a) Financial integrity principles and policies to assure and maintain financial integrity in the city are hereby established and shall be implemented immediately upon adoption of this division. (b) The financial integrity principles as set forth herein shall be reviewed and updated as necessary, at least every three years. The city's independent auditor general shall be responsible for preparation of a written report to be transmitted to the mayor and the members of the city commission by July 1 of each year as to compliance with the principles and policies set forth in this division. The report shall include recommendations for additional policies or actions, to be considered for action after reviewing the latest annual audit comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR), single audit report, and management letter comments. (Ord. No. 11890, § 4, 2-10-00; Ord. No. 12276, § 2, 9-11-02; Ord. No. 12727, § 2, 9-22-05; Ord. No. 13767, § 2, 5- 10-18; Ord. No. 13899, § 4, 4-9-20) Sec. 18-542. Financial integrity principles. The following financial integrity principles are hereby adopted: (1) Structurally balanced budget. The city shall maintain a structurally -balanced budget. Recurring revenues will fund recurring expenditures. (2) Revenue estimating conference process. The city shall adopt budgets and develop its long and short- term financial plans utilizing a professional revenue estimating conference process. Conference principals shall include, but not be limited to one principal from the budget office; one principal from the finance department; and two non -staff principals with public finance expertise. (3) Interfund borrowing. The city shall not borrow or use internal fund transfers to obtain cash from one fund type or reserve to fund activities of another fund type or reserve unless such use is deemed lawful, and unless the revenue estimating conference has determined that (a) the funds to be loaned will not be needed during the lending period, and (b) the funds for repayment will be available within a two-year period. Any actions taken to borrow funds under these conditions must be separately presented to and approved by the city commission and the term of such borrowing shall not extend beyond the last day of the subsequent fiscal year. Recognizing that some programs are funded by grants or other entities on a reimbursement basis, the city shall apply for such reimbursements on a timely basis to minimize the period that city funds are used as float. In the event loans/float for these reimbursements extend beyond the end of a fiscal year, such reimbursements shall be reflected as receivables in the comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) to the extent allowed under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The department of finance shall make a quarterly determination of the amount of expenses incurred which may not be reimbursable under these programs. A quarterly report of expenses incurred but not reimbursable shall be presented to the city commission, together with the actions needed to avoid project deficits. (4) For purposes of this section: "city-wide surplus for any fiscal year" is defined as the increase in unreserved general fund balance as reflected in the city's CAFR; "city-wide deficit for any fiscal year" is defined as the decrease in unreserved general fund balance as reflected in the city's CAFR; and "budget surplus of any office, department or elected official" is defined as the excess of budgeted expenses over actual expenses in any fiscal year. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section, the total amount of budget surplus to be added to designated reserves and special revenue funds pursuant to this section (together, the "rollover amounts") is limited to city-wide surplus for any fiscal year. In the event the rollover amounts would result in a city-wide deficit, then each budget surplus within the rollover amounts shall be reduced proportionately so the city's CAFR) will reflect no change in undesignated, unreserved general fund balance. In the event that a city-wide deficit would result before effecting the rollover amounts in any fiscal year, then no rollover amounts shall be available. a. Budget surpluses in an elected official's budget in any fiscal year shall be reflected as designated reserves at the end of the fiscal year in which such surplus arose and be appropriated for discretionary use of such elected official for the following fiscal year. b. Budget surpluses of the parks and recreation department shall be allocated, as of the end of the fiscal year in which such surplus arose, to a parks and recreation department special revenue fund. Allowed expenditures from the parks and recreation department special revenue fund shall be limited to the purchase of parks recreational and maintenance equipment, capital improvements for the city's parks, and the direct operations of recreational programs in and for the city's parks, subject to appropriation by the city commission. C. Budgeted surpluses of the department of real estate and asset management shall be allocated, as of the end of the fiscal year in which such surplus arose, to a public facilities special revenue fund. Allowed expenditures of the public facilities special revenue fund shall be limited to capital improvements for the city's public facilities, subject to appropriation by the city commission. d. Budgeted surpluses of the department of innovation and technology shall be allocated, as of the end of the fiscal year in which such surplus arose, to an IT strategic plan special revenue fund. Allowed expenditures of the IT strategic plan special revenue fund shall be limited to expenditures, excluding those related to permanent city staff, necessary for the implementation of the city's information technology strategic plan, subject to appropriation by the city commission. Department names may change from time to time. This section shall be applicable to those departments regardless of its designation in a given fiscal year. (5) Reserve policies. The following three reserve policies categories are established for the general operating fund of the city: Current fiscal year contingency. A "contingency" reserve level of $5,000,000.00 shall be budgeted annually. Such contingency reserve shall be available for use, with city commission approval, during the fiscal year, to fund unanticipated budget issues which arise or potential expenditure overruns which cannot be offset through other sources or actions. The unused portion of the budgeted contingency reserve in any fiscal year shall be reflected as unassigned fund balance reserves until such time as the city has funded 50 percent of the liabilities of the long-term liabilities (excluding bonds, loans, and capital lease payables) as reflected in the city's CAFR). Amounts not needed to satisfy the 50 percent requirement shall be considered general fund unassigned fund balance reserve and be treated in accordance with subsection (5)b below. b. General fund unassigned fund balance reserves. The city shall retain unassigned fund balance reserves equal to a threshold ten percent of the prior three years' average of general revenues (excluding transfers). Amounts designated as "contingency" reserve in subsection 5a. above shall be included in the calculation of meeting the ten percent of the prior three years average of general revenues for the unassigned fund balance category. Such reserves may only be used for offsetting an unexpected mid -year revenue shortfall or for funding an emergency such as a natural or man-made disaster, which threatens the health, safety and welfare of the city's residents, businesses or visitors. Any time these reserve funds fall below the ten percent threshold, the city commission shall adopt a plan to achieve the threshold within two fiscal years and the city manager shall present an oral report at the second commission meeting of every month, except during the month of September, regarding: i) the status of the current fiscal year budget, and ii) the proposed budget for the subsequent fiscal year. Such oral report shall appear on the city commission agenda as a discussion item under the agenda category titled "Budget." Amounts in excess of the ten percent threshold may be used for capital improvements, unanticipated expenditures necessary to assure compliance with legal commitments, and for expenditures that will result in the reduction of recurring costs or the increase in recurring revenues of the city. C. General fund designated fund balance reserves. The city shall retain designated fund balance reserves equal to ten percent of the prior three years average of general revenues (excluding transfers). The designated fund balance reserves shall be classified as either restricted, committed, or assigned and such designation shall be based on standards and guidance established, and amended from time to time, by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). Such reserves shall be used for funding long-term liabilities and commitments of the city such as: 1. Compensated absences and other employee benefit liabilities, including liabilities related to post -retirement benefits; 2. Self-insurance plan deficits (including workers compensation, liability claims and health insurance); 3. Anticipated adjustments in pension plan payments resulting from market losses in plan assets and other unanticipated payments necessary to maintain compliance with contractual obligations. Payment for compensated absences and other employee benefit liabilities and self-insurance plan deficits may be drawn from this reserve during the fiscal year and shall be replenished each year until 50 percent of such the liabilities are funded. Other designated reserves may be drawn upon without the need for replenishment. (6) Proprietary funds. The city shall establish proprietary funds only if the costs to provide the service are fully funded from the charges for the service. (7) Multi -year financial plan. The city commission shall annually adopt a five-year financial plan by September 30 of each year, reflecting as the base year, the current year's budget. For fiscal year 2004 the multi -year financial plan will be adopted no later than 30 days after the completion of labor negotiations. Such plan will include cost estimates of all current city operations and pension obligations, anticipated increases in operations, debt service payments, reserves to maintain the city's officially adopted levels of reserves and estimated recurring and non -recurring revenues. This plan will be prepared by fund and reflect forecasted surpluses or deficits and potential budget balancing initiatives, where appropriate. (8) Multi -year capital improvements plan. Annual review and adoption. The city commission shall annually adopt a capital improvements plan ("CIP") simultaneously with the adoption of the city's final budget pursuant to F.S. § 200.065. The CIP shall address cost estimates for all necessary infrastructure improvements needed to support city services, including information technology, with an adequate repair and replacement ("R&R") component. Funded, partially funded and unfunded projects shall be clearly delineated. The CIP shall be detailed for the current fiscal year and for five additional years and, if practicable, additional required improvements aggregated for two additional five-year periods. To the extent feasible, department heads shall be required to submit independent needs assessments for their departments for use in preparing the CIP. The CIP will include and identify revenue sources and unfunded projects. The CIP shall include estimates of the operational (including maintenance) impacts produced for the operation of the capital improvements upon their completion. The CIP shall include a component reflecting all on -going approved capital projects of the city, amount budgeted, amount spent since the start date, remaining budget, and estimated completion date. Approved projects shall be reviewed and addressed in the CIP annually. Beginning in fiscal year 2019-2020, all future capital project funding amounts shall be budgeted and reflected in the CIP in $1,000.00 increments. b. Delegation of authority to city manager regarding completed projects and cancelled projects; quarterly reporting. The city commission hereby delegates to the city manager the authority, on a quarterly basis, to sweep funds from the project accounts of all completed projects and all cancelled projects with remaining fund balances of less than $100,000.00 in unexpended funds into the citywide non -departmental capital outlay reserve accounts. The city manager shall endeavor to move such funds into active, capital projects with current shortfalls within the same commission district from which the funds had previously been budgeted. The city manager and the budget director shall provide written quarterly reports for the previous quarter just ended to the city commission of all such amounts of unexpended funds from the project accounts of all completed projects and all cancelled projects that have been swept from such project accounts into the citywide non -departmental capital outlay reserve accounts. (9) Debt management. The city shall manage its debt in a manner consistent with the following principles: a. Capital projects financed through the issuance of bonded debt shall be financed for a period not to exceed the estimated useful life of the project. b. The net direct general obligation debt shall not exceed five percent and the net direct and overlapping general obligation debt shall not exceed ten percent of the taxable assessed valuation of property in the city. C. The weighted average general obligation bond maturity shall be maintained at 15 years or less. d. Special obligation debt service shall not exceed 20 percent of non -ad valorem general fund revenue. e. Revenue based debt shall only be issued if the revenue so pledged will fully fund the debt service after operational costs plus a margin based on the volatility of the revenues pledged. (10) Financial oversight and reporting. The city shall provide for the on -going generation and utilization of financial reports on all funds comparing budgeted revenue and expenditure information to actual on a monthly and year-to-date basis. The finance department shall be responsible for issuing the monthly reports to departments, the mayor, and city commission, and any information regarding any potentially adverse trends or conditions. These reports should be issued within 30 days after the close of each month. The independent external auditor shall prepare the city's CAFR by March 31st of each year. The single audit and management letter of the city shall be prepared by the independent external auditor by April 30th of each year. The independent external auditor shall present the findings and recommendations of the audit, single audit, and management letter, to the mayor and city commission at a scheduled commission meeting prior to July 30th of each year. Financial reports, offering statements, and other financial related documents issued to the public, shall provide full and complete disclosure of all material financial matters. (11) Basicfinancial policies. The city shall endeavor to maintain formal policies, which reflect "best practices" in the areas of: Debt. Such policy shall address affordability, capacity, debt issuance, and management. b. Cash management and investments. Such policy shall require 24-month gross and net cash -flow projections by fund and address adequacy, risk, liquidity, and asset allocation issues. C. Budget development and adjustments. Such policy shall establish proper budgetary preparation procedures and guidelines, calendar of events, planning models by fund, budget adjustment procedures, establishment of rates and fees, indirect costs/interest income and the estimating conference process. The proposed budget should be scheduled to allow sufficient review by the mayor and city commission while allowing for sufficient citizen input. The city budget document reflecting all final actions as adopted by the city commission on or before September 30th of each year, shall be printed and made available within 60 days of such adoption. d. Revenue collection. Such policy shall provide for maximum collection and enforcement of existing revenues, monitoring procedures, the adequacy level of subsidy for user fees, and write-offs of uncollectible accounts. e. Purchasing policy. Such policy shall establish departmental policies and procedures and provide appropriate checks and balances to ensure that city departments adhere to the city's purchasing policies. (12) Evaluation committees. Solicitations. (i) The city commission, as the governing body of the city, shall establish an independent external auditor selection committee in accordance with the requirements of, to undertake, and to follow the processes and procedures required by F.S. § 218.391(1)—(3), as amended, for solicitations through requests for proposals, evaluations, rankings, and recommendations to the city commission for the city's independent external auditors to conduct the City's annual financial audit required by F.S. § 218.39, as amended. On each occasion that there is a competitive solicitation for selection of an independent external auditor pursuant to this section, the city commission will appoint one of its members, on a rotating basis, to serve as the chair of the selection/evaluation committee. The city commission shall then follow the requirements of F.S. § 218.391(4)—(6) and (9), as amended, for the selection of and contract negotiations and minimum contract terms, conditions, and provisions for any final contract executed pursuant to F.S. § 218.391(7) and (8), as amended, with any independent external auditor selected to conduct the city's annual financial audit required in F.S. § 218.39, as amended. (ii) For all other solicitations, an evaluation committee, consisting of a majority of citizen and/or business appointees from outside city employment, shall be created, to the extent feasible, to review city solicitations ("requests for proposals," "requests for qualifications," etc.). The recommendation(s) of the evaluation committee shall be provided to the mayor and city commission on all such solicitations prior to presentation to the city commission for official action. b. Collective bargaining agreements. The city finance committee, established pursuant to city commission resolutions 98-631 and 98-767, and the budget director shall review and provide recommendations to the city manager regarding all memorandums of understanding (M.O.U.$) entered into between the city and any collective bargaining unit that amend, alter, or modify any existing collective bargaining agreement and that may have a fiscal impact of $500,000.00 or more, and all collective bargaining agreements. The finance committee shall provide its recommendations regarding such M.O.U.s and collective bargaining agreements to the city manager not less than 14 days prior to consideration by the city commission of any said M.O.U. or collective bargaining agreement for ratification. In the event that the finance committee is unable to meet within the timeframes provided herein, then the city manager shall proceed to the city commission for ratification. (13) Full cost of service. The city shall define its core services and develop financial systems that will determine on an annual basis the full cost of delivering those services. This information shall be presented as part of the annual budget and financial plan. (Ord. No. 11890, § 4, 2-10-00; Ord. No. 12113, § 1, 9-25-01; Ord. No. 12276, § 2, 9-11-02; Ord. No. 12353, § 2, 4- 10-03; Ord. No. 12427, § 2, 10-23-03; Ord. No. 12518, § 2, 3-25-04; Ord. No. 12727, § 2, 9-22-05; Ord. No. 13107, § 2, 10-8-09; Ord. No. 13212, § 2, 10-14-10; Ord. No. 13303, § 2, 1-12-12; Ord. No. 13767, § 2, 5-10-18; Ord. No. 13792, § 1, 10-11-18; Ord. No. 13852, § 2, 7-11-19; Ord. No. 13899, § 4, 4-9-20) Secs. 18-543-18-555. Reserved. 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine Select Year: 2022 v Go The 2022 Florida Statutes Title XIV Chapter 200 View Entire Chapter TAXATION AND FINANCE DETERMINATION OF MILLAGE 200.065 Method of fixing millage.— (1) Upon completion of the assessment of all property pursuant to s. 193.023, the property appraiser shall certify to each taxing authority the taxable value within the jurisdiction of the taxing authority. This certification shall include a copy of the statement required to be submitted under s. 195.073(3), as applicable to that taxing authority. The form on which the certification is made shall include instructions to each taxing authority describing the proper method of computing a millage rate which, exclusive of new construction, additions to structures, deletions, increases in the value of improvements that have undergone a substantial rehabilitation which increased the assessed value of such improvements by at least 100 percent, property added due to geographic boundary changes, total taxable value of tangible personal property within the jurisdiction in excess of 115 percent of the previous year's total taxable value, and any dedicated increment value, will provide the same ad valorem tax revenue for each taxing authority as was levied during the prior year less the amount, if any, paid or applied as a consequence of an obligation measured by the dedicated increment value. That millage rate shall be known as the "rolled -back rate." The property appraiser shall also include instructions, as prescribed by the Department of Revenue, to each county and municipality, each special district dependent to a county or municipality, each municipal service taxing unit, and each independent special district describing the proper method of computing the millage rates and taxes levied as specified in subsection (5). The Department of Revenue shall prescribe the instructions and forms that are necessary to administer this subsection and subsection (5). The information provided pursuant to this subsection shall also be sent to the tax collector by the property appraiser at the time it is sent to each taxing authority. (2) No millage shall be levied until a resolution or ordinance has been approved by the governing board of the taxing authority which resolution or ordinance must be approved by the taxing authority according to the following procedure: (a)1. Upon preparation of a tentative budget, but prior to adoption thereof, each taxing authority shall compute a proposed millage rate necessary to fund the tentative budget other than the portion of the budget to be funded from sources other than ad valorem taxes. In computing proposed or final millage rates, each taxing authority shall utilize not less than 95 percent of the taxable value certified pursuant to subsection (1). 2. The tentative budget of the county commission shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with s. 129.03. 3. The tentative budget of the school district shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with chapter 1011, provided that the date of submission shall not be later than 24 days after certification of value pursuant to subsection (1). 4. Taxing authorities other than the county and school district shall prepare and consider tentative and final budgets in accordance with this section and applicable provisions of law, including budget procedures applicable to the taxing authority, provided such procedures do not conflict with general law. (b) Within 35 days of certification of value pursuant to subsection (1), each taxing authority shall advise the property appraiser of its proposed millage rate, of its rolled -back rate computed pursuant to subsection (1), and of the date, time, and place at which a public hearing will be held to consider the proposed millage rate and the tentative budget. The property appraiser shall utilize this information in preparing the notice of proposed property www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 1/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine taxes pursuant to s. 200.069. The deadline for mailing the notice shall be the later of 55 days after certification of value pursuant to subsection (1) or 10 days after either the date the tax roll is approved or the interim roll procedures under s. 193.1145 are instituted. However, for counties for which a state of emergency was declared by executive order or proclamation of the Governor pursuant to chapter 252, if mailing is not possible during the state of emergency, the property appraiser may post the notice on the county's website. If the deadline for mailing the notice of proposed property taxes is 10 days after the date the tax roll is approved or the interim roll procedures are instituted, all subsequent deadlines provided in this section shall be extended. In addition, the deadline for mailing the notice may be extended for 30 days in counties for which a state of emergency was declared by executive order or proclamation of the Governor pursuant to chapter 252, and property appraisers may use alternate methods of distribution only when mailing the notice is not possible. In such event, however, property appraisers must work with county tax collectors to ensure the timely assessment and collection of taxes. The number of days by which the deadlines shall be extended shall equal the number of days by which the deadline for mailing the notice of proposed taxes is extended beyond 55 days after certification. If any taxing authority fails to provide the information required in this paragraph to the property appraiser in a timely fashion, the taxing authority shall be prohibited from levying a millage rate greater than the rolled -back rate computed pursuant to subsection (1) for the upcoming fiscal year, which rate shall be computed by the property appraiser and used in preparing the notice of proposed property taxes. Each multicounty taxing authority that levies taxes in any county that has extended the deadline for mailing the notice due to a declared state of emergency and that has noticed hearings in other counties must advertise the hearing at which it intends to adopt a tentative budget and millage rate in a newspaper of general paid circulation within each county not less than 2 days or more than 5 days before the hearing. (c) Within 80 days of the certification of value pursuant to subsection (1), but not earlier than 65 days after certification, the governing body of each taxing authority shall hold a public hearing on the tentative budget and proposed millage rate. Prior to the conclusion of the hearing, the governing body of the taxing authority shall amend the tentative budget as it sees fit, adopt the amended tentative budget, recompute its proposed millage rate, and publicly announce the percent, if any, by which the recomputed proposed millage rate exceeds the rolled -back rate computed pursuant to subsection (1). That percent shall be characterized as the percentage increase in property taxes tentatively adopted by the governing body. (d) Within 15 days after the meeting adopting the tentative budget, the taxing authority shall advertise in a newspaper of general circulation in the county as provided in subsection (3), its intent to finally adopt a millage rate and budget. A public hearing to finalize the budget and adopt a millage rate shall be held not less than 2 days nor more than 5 days after the day that the advertisement is first published. In the event of a need to postpone or recess the final meeting due to a declared state of emergency, the taxing authority may postpone or recess the hearing for up to 7 days and shall post a prominent notice at the place of the original hearing showing the date, time, and place where the hearing will be reconvened. The posted notice shall measure not less than 8.5 by 11 inches. The taxing authority shall make every reasonable effort to provide reasonable notification of the continued hearing to the taxpayers. The information must also be posted on the taxing authority's website. During the hearing, the governing body of the taxing authority shall amend the adopted tentative budget as it sees fit, adopt a final budget, and adopt a resolution or ordinance stating the millage rate to be levied. The resolution or ordinance shall state the percent, if any, by which the millage rate to be levied exceeds the rolled -back rate computed pursuant to subsection (1), which shall be characterized as the percentage increase in property taxes adopted by the governing body. The adoption of the budget and the millage-levy resolution or ordinance shall be by separate votes. For each taxing authority levying millage, the name of the taxing authority, the rolled -back rate, the percentage increase, and the millage rate to be levied shall be publicly announced before the adoption of the millage-levy resolution or ordinance. In no event may the millage rate adopted pursuant to this paragraph exceed the millage rate tentatively adopted pursuant to paragraph (c). If the rate tentatively adopted pursuant to paragraph (c) exceeds the proposed rate provided to the property appraiser pursuant to paragraph (b), or as subsequently adjusted pursuant to subsection (11), each taxpayer within the jurisdiction of the taxing authority shall be sent notice by first-class mail of his or her taxes under the tentatively adopted millage rate and his or her www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 2/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine taxes under the previously proposed rate. The notice must be prepared by the property appraiser, at the expense of the taxing authority, and must generally conform to the requirements of s. 200.069. If such additional notice is necessary, its mailing must precede the hearing held pursuant to this paragraph by not less than 10 days and not more than 15 days. (e)1. In the hearings required pursuant to paragraphs (c) and (d), the first substantive issue discussed shall be the percentage increase in millage over the rolled -back rate necessary to fund the budget, if any, and the specific purposes for which ad valorem tax revenues are being increased. During such discussion, the governing body shall hear comments regarding the proposed increase and explain the reasons for the proposed increase over the rolled - back rate. The general public shall be allowed to speak and to ask questions before adoption of any measures by the governing body. The governing body shall adopt its tentative or final millage rate before adopting its tentative or final budget. 2. These hearings shall be held after 5 p.m. if scheduled on a day other than Saturday. No hearing shall be held on a Sunday. The county commission shall not schedule its hearings on days scheduled for hearings by the school board. The hearing dates scheduled by the county commission and school board shall not be utilized by any other taxing authority within the county for its public hearings. However, in counties for which a state of emergency was declared by executive order or proclamation of the Governor pursuant to chapter 252 and the rescheduling of hearings on the same day is unavoidable, the county commission and school board must conduct their hearings at different times, and other taxing authorities must schedule their hearings so as not to conflict with the times of the county commission and school board hearings. A multicounty taxing authority shall make every reasonable effort to avoid scheduling hearings on days utilized by the counties or school districts within its jurisdiction. Tax levies and budgets for dependent special taxing districts shall be adopted at the hearings for the taxing authority to which such districts are dependent, following such discussion and adoption of levies and budgets for the superior taxing authority. A taxing authority may adopt the tax levies for all of its dependent special taxing districts, and may adopt the budgets for all of its dependent special taxing districts, by a single unanimous vote. However, if a member of the general public requests that the tax levy or budget of a dependent special taxing district be separately discussed and separately adopted, the taxing authority shall discuss and adopt that tax levy or budget separately. If, due to circumstances beyond the control of the taxing authority, including a state of emergency declared by executive order or proclamation of the Governor pursuant to chapter 252, the hearing provided for in paragraph (c) or paragraph (d) is recessed or postponed, the taxing authority shall publish a notice in a newspaper of general paid circulation in the county. The notice shall state the time and place for the continuation of the hearing and shall be published at least 2 days but not more than 5 days before the date the hearing will be continued. In the event of postponement or recess due to a declared state of emergency, all subsequent dates in this section shall be extended by the number of days of the postponement or recess. Notice of the postponement or recess must be in writing by the affected taxing authority to the tax collector, the property appraiser, and the Department of Revenue within 3 calendar days after the postponement or recess. In the event of such extension, the affected taxing authority must work with the county tax collector and property appraiser to ensure timely assessment and collection of taxes. (f)1. Notwithstanding any provisions of paragraph (c) to the contrary, each school district shall advertise its intent to adopt a tentative budget in a newspaper of general circulation pursuant to subsection (3) within 29 days of certification of value pursuant to subsection (1). Not less than 2 days or more than 5 days thereafter, the district shall hold a public hearing on the tentative budget pursuant to the applicable provisions of paragraph (c). In the event of postponement or recess due to a declared state of emergency, the school district may postpone or recess the hearing for up to 7 days and shall post a prominent notice at the place of the original hearing showing the date, time, and place where the hearing will be reconvened. The posted notice shall measure not less than 8.5 by 11 inches. The school district shall make every reasonable effort to provide reasonable notification of the continued hearing to the taxpayers. The information must also be posted on the school district's website. 2. Notwithstanding any provisions of paragraph (b) to the contrary, each school district shall advise the property appraiser of its recomputed proposed millage rate within 35 days of certification of value pursuant to www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 3/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine subsection (1). The recomputed proposed millage rate of the school district shall be considered its proposed millage rate for the purposes of paragraph (b). 3. Notwithstanding any provisions of paragraph (d) to the contrary, each school district shall hold a public hearing to finalize the budget and adopt a millage rate within 80 days of certification of value pursuant to subsection (1), but not earlier than 65 days after certification. The hearing shall be held in accordance with the applicable provisions of paragraph (d), except that a newspaper advertisement need not precede the hearing. (g) Notwithstanding other provisions of law to the contrary, a taxing authority may: 1. Expend moneys based on its tentative budget after adoption pursuant to paragraph (c) and until such time as its final budget is adopted pursuant to paragraph (d), only if the fiscal year of the taxing authority begins prior to adoption of the final budget or, in the case of a school district, if the fall term begins prior to adoption of the final budget; or 2. Readopt its prior year's adopted final budget, as amended, and expend moneys based on that budget until such time as its tentative budget is adopted pursuant to paragraph (c), only if the fiscal year of the taxing authority begins prior to adoption of the tentative budget. The readopted budget shall be adopted by resolution without notice pursuant to this section at a duly constituted meeting of the governing body. (3) The advertisement shall be published as provided in chapter 50. If the advertisement is published in the print edition of a newspaper, the advertisement must be no less than one -quarter page in size of a standard size or a tabloid size newspaper, and the headline in the advertisement shall be in a type no smaller than 18 point. The advertisement shall not be placed in that portion of the newspaper where legal notices and classified advertisements appear. The advertisement shall be published in a newspaper in the county or in a geographically limited insert of such newspaper. The geographic boundaries in which such insert is circulated shall include the geographic boundaries of the taxing authority. It is the legislative intent that, whenever possible, the advertisement appear in a newspaper that is published at least weekly unless the only newspaper in the county is published less than weekly, or that the advertisement appear in a geographically limited insert of such newspaper which insert is published throughout the taxing authority's jurisdiction at least twice each week. It is further the legislative intent that the newspaper selected be one of general interest and readership in the community pursuant to chapter 50. (a) For taxing authorities other than school districts which have tentatively adopted a millage rate in excess of 100 percent of the rolled -back rate computed pursuant to subsection (1), the advertisement shall be in the following form: NOTICE OF PROPOSED TAX INCREASE The name of the taxing authority_ has tentatively adopted a measure to increase its property tax levy. Last year's property tax levy: A. Initially proposed tax levy. . . . . . . . . . $XX,XXX,XXX B. Less tax reductions due to Value Adjustment Board and other assessment changes. . . . . . . . . . ($XX,XXX,XXX) C. Actual property tax levy. . . . . . . . . . $XX,XXX,XXX This year's proposed tax levy. . . . . . . . . . $XX,XXX,XXX All concerned citizens are invited to attend a public hearing on the tax increase to be held on _(date and time)_ at _(meeting place)_. A FINAL DECISION on the proposed tax increase and the budget will be made at this hearing. (b) In all instances in which the provisions of paragraph (a) are inapplicable for taxing authorities other than school districts, the advertisement shall be in the following form: NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 4/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine The _(name of taxing authority)_ has tentatively adopted a budget for _(fiscal year)_. A public hearing to make a FINAL DECISION on the budget AND TAXES will be held on _(date and time)_ at _(meeting_place)_. (c) For school districts which have proposed a millage rate in excess of 100 percent of the rolled -back rate computed pursuant to subsection (1) and which propose to levy nonvoted millage in excess of the minimum amount required pursuant to s. 1011.60(6), the advertisement shall be in the following form: NOTICE OF PROPOSED TAX INCREASE The _fname of school district)_ will soon consider a measure to increase its property tax levy. Last year's property tax levy: A. Initially proposed tax levy. . . . . . . . . . $XX,XXX,XXX B. Less tax reductions due to Value Adjustment Board and other assessment changes. . . . . . . . . . ($XX,XXX,XXX) C. Actual property tax levy. . . . . . . . . . $XX,XXX,XXX This year's proposed tax levy. . . . . . . . . . $XX,XXX,XXX A portion of the tax levy is required under state law in order for the school board to receive $ (amount a)_ in state education grants. The required portion has _(increased or decreased)_ by _(amount B)_ percent and represents approximately _(amount c)_ of the total proposed taxes. The remainder of the taxes is proposed solely at the discretion of the school board. All concerned citizens are invited to a public hearing on the tax increase to be held on _(date and time)_ at _(meeting place)_. A DECISION on the proposed tax increase and the budget will be made at this hearing. 1. AMOUNT A shall be an estimate, provided by the Department of Education, of the amount to be received in the current fiscal year by the district from state appropriations for the Florida Education Finance Program. 2. AMOUNT B shall be the percent increase over the rolled -back rate necessary to levy only the required local effort in the current fiscal year, computed as though in the preceding fiscal year only the required local effort was levied. 3. AMOUNT C shall be the quotient of required local -effort millage divided by the total proposed nonvoted millage, rounded to the nearest tenth and stated in words; however, the stated amount shall not exceed nine - tenths. (d) For school districts which have proposed a millage rate in excess of 100 percent of the rolled -back rate computed pursuant to subsection (1) and which propose to levy as nonvoted millage only the minimum amount required pursuant to s. 1011.60(6), the advertisement shall be the same as provided in paragraph (c), except that the second and third paragraphs shall be replaced with the following paragraph: This increase is required under state law in order for the school board to receive $_(amount A)_ in state education grants. (e) In all instances in which the provisions of paragraphs (c) and (d) are inapplicable for school districts, the advertisement shall be in the following form: NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING The _(name of school district)_ will soon consider a budget for _(fiscal year)_. A public hearing to make a DECISION on the budget AND TAXES will be held on _(date and time)_ at (meeting_place)_. (f) In lieu of publishing the notice set out in this subsection, the taxing authority may mail a copy of the notice to each elector residing within the jurisdiction of the taxing authority. (g) In the event that the mailing of the notice of proposed property taxes is delayed beyond September 3 in a county, any multicounty taxing authority which levies ad valorem taxes within that county shall advertise its www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 5/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine intention to adopt a tentative budget and millage rate in a newspaper within that county which meets the requirements of chapter 50, as provided in this subsection, and shall hold the hearing required pursuant to paragraph (2)(c) not less than 2 days or more than 5 days thereafter, and not later than September 18. The advertisement shall be in the following form, unless the proposed millage rate is less than or equal to the rolled - back rate, computed pursuant to subsection (1), in which case the advertisement shall be as provided in paragraph (e): NOTICE OF TAX INCREASE The _2name of the taxing authority-)_ proposes to increase its property tax levy by _(percentage of increase over rolled -back rate)_ percent. All concerned citizens are invited to attend a public hearing on the proposed tax increase to be held on _(date and time)_ at _(meeting_place)_. (h) In no event shall any taxing authority add to or delete from the language of the advertisements as specified herein unless expressly authorized by law, except that, if an increase in ad valorem tax rates will affect only a portion of the jurisdiction of a taxing authority, advertisements may include a map or geographical description of the area to be affected and the proposed use of the tax revenues under consideration. In addition, if published in the print edition of the newspaper, the map must be included in the online advertisement required by s. 50.0211. The advertisements required herein shall not be accompanied, preceded, or followed by other advertising or notices which conflict with or modify the substantive content prescribed herein. (i) The advertisements required pursuant to paragraphs (b) and (e) need not be one -quarter page in size or have a headline in type no smaller than 18 point. (j) The amounts to be published as percentages of increase over the rolled -back rate pursuant to this subsection shall be based on aggregate millage rates and shall exclude voted millage levies unless expressly provided otherwise in this subsection. (k) Any taxing authority which will levy an ad valorem tax for an upcoming budget year but does not levy an ad valorem tax currently shall, in the advertisement specified in paragraph (a), paragraph (c), paragraph (d), or paragraph (g), replace the phrase "increase its property tax levy by (percentage of increase over rolled -back rate)_ percent" with the phrase "impose a new property tax levy of $_famount>_ per $1,000 value." (l) Any advertisement required pursuant to this section shall be accompanied by an adjacent notice meeting the budget summary requirements of s. 129.03(3)(b). Except for those taxing authorities proposing to levy ad valorem taxes for the first time, the following statement shall appear in the budget summary in boldfaced type immediately following the heading, if the applicable percentage is greater than zero: THE PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET EXPENDITURES OF _(name of taxing authority,)_ ARE _(percent rounded to one decimal place)_ MORE THAN LAST YEAR'S TOTAL OPERATING EXPENDITURES. For purposes of this paragraph, "proposed operating budget expenditures" or "operating expenditures" means all moneys of the local government, including dependent special districts, that: 1. Were or could be expended during the applicable fiscal year, or 2. Were or could be retained as a balance for future spending in the fiscal year. Provided, however, those moneys held in or used in trust, agency, or internal service funds, and expenditures of bond proceeds for capital outlay or for advanced refunded debt principal, shall be excluded. (4) The resolution or ordinance approved in the manner provided for in this section shall be forwarded to the property appraiser and the tax collector within 3 days after the adoption of such resolution or ordinance. No millage other than that approved by referendum may be levied until the resolution or ordinance to levy required in subsection (2) is approved by the governing board of the taxing authority and submitted to the property appraiser and the tax collector. The receipt of the resolution or ordinance by the property appraiser shall be considered official notice of the millage rate approved by the taxing authority, and that millage rate shall be the rate applied www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 6/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine by the property appraiser in extending the rolls pursuant to s. 193.122, subject to the provisions of subsection (6). These submissions shall be made within 101 days of certification of value pursuant to subsection (1). (5) In each fiscal year: (a) The maximum millage rate that a county, municipality, special district dependent to a county or municipality, municipal service taxing unit, or independent special district may levy is a rolled -back rate based on the amount of taxes which would have been levied in the prior year if the maximum millage rate had been applied, adjusted for change in per capita Florida personal income, unless a higher rate was adopted, in which case the maximum is the adopted rate. The maximum millage rate applicable to a county authorized to levy a county public hospital surtax under s. 212.055 and which did so in fiscal year 2007 shall exclude the revenues required to be contributed to the county public general hospital in the current fiscal year for the purposes of making the maximum millage rate calculation, but shall be added back to the maximum millage rate allowed after the roll back has been applied, the total of which shall be considered the maximum millage rate for such a county for purposes of this subsection. The revenue required to be contributed to the county public general hospital for the upcoming fiscal year shall be calculated as 11.873 percent times the millage rate levied for countywide purposes in fiscal year 2007 times 95 percent of the preliminary tax roll for the upcoming fiscal year. A higher rate may be adopted only under the following conditions: 1. A rate of not more than 110 percent of the rolled -back rate based on the previous year's maximum millage rate, adjusted for change in per capita Florida personal income, may be adopted if approved by a two-thirds vote of the membership of the governing body of the county, municipality, or independent district; or 2. A rate in excess of 110 percent may be adopted if approved by a unanimous vote of the membership of the governing body of the county, municipality, or independent district or by a three -fourths vote of the membership of the governing body if the governing body has nine or more members, or if the rate is approved by a referendum. (b) The millage rate of a county or municipality, municipal service taxing unit of that county, and any special district dependent to that county or municipality may exceed the maximum millage rate calculated pursuant to this subsection if the total county ad valorem taxes levied or total municipal ad valorem taxes levied do not exceed the maximum total county ad valorem taxes levied or maximum total municipal ad valorem taxes levied respectively. Voted millage and taxes levied by a municipality or independent special district that has levied ad valorem taxes for less than 5 years are not subject to this limitation. The millage rate of a county authorized to levy a county public hospital surtax under s. 212.055 may exceed the maximum millage rate calculated pursuant to this subsection to the extent necessary to account for the revenues required to be contributed to the county public hospital. Total taxes levied may exceed the maximum calculated pursuant to subsection (6) as a result of an increase in taxable value above that certified in subsection (1) if such increase is less than the percentage amounts contained in subsection (6) or if the administrative adjustment cannot be made because the value adjustment board is still in session at the time the tax roll is extended; otherwise, millage rates subject to this subsection may be reduced so that total taxes levied do not exceed the maximum. Any unit of government operating under a home rule charter adopted pursuant to ss. 10, 11, and 24, Art. VIII of the State Constitution of 1885, as preserved by s. 6(e), Art. VIII of the State Constitution of 1968, which is granted the authority in the State Constitution to exercise all the powers conferred now or hereafter by general law upon municipalities and which exercises such powers in the unincorporated area shall be recognized as a municipality under this subsection. For a downtown development authority established before the effective date of the 1968 State Constitution which has a millage that must be approved by a municipality, the governing body of that municipality shall be considered the governing body of the downtown development authority for purposes of this subsection. (6) Prior to extension of the rolls pursuant to s. 193.122, the property appraiser shall notify each taxing authority of the aggregate change in the assessment roll, if any, from that certified pursuant to subsection (1), including, but not limited to, those changes which result from actions by the value adjustment board or from corrections of errors in the assessment roll. Municipalities, counties, school boards, and water management districts may adjust administratively their adopted millage rate without a public hearing if the taxable value within www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 7/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine the jurisdiction of the taxing authority as certified pursuant to subsection (1) is at variance by more than 1 percent with the taxable value shown on the roll to be extended. Any other taxing authority may adjust administratively its adopted millage rate without a public hearing if the taxable value within the jurisdiction of the taxing authority as certified pursuant to subsection (1) is at variance by more than 3 percent with the taxable value shown on the roll to be extended. The adjustment shall be such that the taxes computed by applying the adopted rate against the certified taxable value are equal to the taxes computed by applying the adjusted adopted rate to the taxable value on the roll to be extended. However, no adjustment shall be made to levies required by law to be a specific millage amount. Not later than 3 days after receipt of notification pursuant to this subsection, each affected taxing authority shall certify to the property appraiser its adjusted adopted rate. Failure to so certify shall constitute waiver of the adjustment privilege. (7) Nothing contained in this section shall serve to extend or authorize any millage in excess of the maximum millage permitted by law or prevent the reduction of millage. (8) The property appraiser shall deliver to the presiding officer of each taxing authority within the county, on June 1, an estimate of the total assessed value of nonexempt property for the current year for budget planning purposes. (9) Multicounty taxing authorities are subject to the provisions of this section. The term "taxable value" means the taxable value of all property subject to taxation by the authority. If a multicounty taxing authority has not received a certification pursuant to subsection (1) from a county by July 15, it shall compute its proposed millage rate and rolled -back rate based upon estimates of taxable value supplied by the Department of Revenue. All dates for public hearings and advertisements specified in this section shall, with respect to multicounty taxing authorities, be computed as though certification of value pursuant to subsection (1) were made July 1. The multicounty district shall add the following sentence to the advertisement set forth in paragraphs (3)(a) and (g): This tax increase is applicable to _(name of county or counties>_. (10)(a) In addition to the notice required in subsection (3), a district school board shall publish a second notice of intent to levy additional taxes under s. 1011.71(2) or (3). The notice shall specify the projects or number of school buses anticipated to be funded by the additional taxes and shall be published in the size, within the time periods, adjacent to, and in substantial conformity with the advertisement required under subsection (3). The projects shall be listed in priority within each category as follows: construction and remodeling; maintenance, renovation, and repair; motor vehicle purchases; new and replacement equipment; payments for educational facilities and sites due under a lease -purchase agreement; payments for renting and leasing educational facilities and sites; payments of loans approved pursuant to ss. 1011.14 and 1011.15; payment of costs of compliance with environmental statutes and regulations; payment of premiums for property and casualty insurance necessary to insure the educational and ancillary plants of the school district; payment of costs of leasing relocatable educational facilities; and payments to private entities to offset the cost of school buses pursuant to s. 1011.71(2) (i). The additional notice shall be in the following form, except that if the district school board is proposing to levy the same millage under s. 1011.71(2) or (3) which it levied in the prior year, the words "continue to" shall be inserted before the word "impose" in the first sentence, and except that the second sentence of the second paragraph shall be deleted if the district is advertising pursuant to paragraph (3)(e): NOTICE OF TAX FOR SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY The _(name of school district_ will soon consider a measure to impose a _(number>_ mill property tax for the capital outlay projects listed herein. This tax is in addition to the school board's proposed tax of _(number)_ mills for operating expenses and is proposed solely at the discretion of the school board. THE PROPOSED COMBINED SCHOOL BOARD TAX INCREASE FOR BOTH OPERATING EXPENSES AND CAPITAL OUTLAY IS SHOWN IN THE ADJACENT NOTICE. The capital outlay tax will generate approximately $_famount>_, to be used for the following projects: _(list of capital out[ ay_projects)_ www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 8/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine All concerned citizens are invited to a public hearing to be held on —fdate and time)_ at _(meeting_place)_. A DECISION on the proposed CAPITAL OUTLAY TAXES will be made at this hearing. (b) In the event a school district needs to amend the list of capital outlay projects previously advertised and adopted, a notice of intent to amend the notice of tax for school capital outlay shall be published in conformity with the advertisement required in subsection (3). A public hearing to adopt the amended project list shall be held not less than 2 days nor more than 5 days after the day the advertisement is first published. The projects should be listed under each category of new, amended, or deleted projects in the same order as required in paragraph (a). The notice shall appear in the following form, except that any of the categories of new, amended, or deleted projects may be omitted if not appropriate for the changes proposed: AMENDED NOTICE OF TAX FOR SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY The School Board of _(name)_ County will soon consider a measure to amend the use of property tax for the capital outlay projects previously advertised for the -lyear)_ to _(year)_ school year. New projects to be funded: Amended projects to be funded: Projects to be deleted: _(list of capital out[ ay_projects)_ _(list of capital out[ ay_projects)_ _(list of capital out[ ay_projects)_ All concerned citizens are invited to a public hearing to be held on (date and time)_ at _(meeting_place)_. A DECISION on the proposed amendment to the projects funded from CAPITAL OUTLAY TAXES will be made at this meeting. (11) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (2)(b) and s. 200.069(4)(f) to the contrary, the proposed millage rates provided to the property appraiser by the taxing authority, except for millage rates adopted by referendum, for rates authorized by s. 1011.71, and for rates required by law to be in a specified millage amount, shall be adjusted in the event that a review notice is issued pursuant to s. 193.1142(4) and the taxable value on the approved roll is at variance with the taxable value certified pursuant to subsection (1). The adjustment shall be made by the property appraiser, who shall notify the taxing authorities affected by the adjustment within 5 days of the date the roll is approved pursuant to s. 193.1142(4). The adjustment shall be such as to provide for no change in the dollar amount of taxes levied from that initially proposed by the taxing authority. (12) The time periods specified in this section shall be determined by using the date of certification of value pursuant to subsection (1) or July 1, whichever date is later, as day 1. The time periods shall be considered directory and may be shortened, provided: (a) No public hearing which is preceded by a mailed notice occurs earlier than 10 days following the mailing of such notice; (b) Any public hearing preceded by a newspaper advertisement is held not less than 2 days or more than 5 days following publication of such advertisement; and (c) The property appraiser coordinates such shortening of time periods and gives written notice to all affected taxing authorities; however, no taxing authority shall be denied its right to the full time periods allowed in this section. (13)(a) Any taxing authority in violation of this section, other than subsection (5), shall be subject to forfeiture of state funds otherwise available to it for the 12 months following a determination of noncompliance by the www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 9/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine Department of Revenue. (b) Within 30 days of the deadline for certification of compliance required by s. 200.068, the department shall notify any taxing authority in violation of this section, other than subsection (5), that it is subject to paragraph (c). Except for revenues from voted levies or levies imposed pursuant to s. 1011.60(6), the revenues of any taxing authority in violation of this section, other than subsection (5), collected in excess of the rolled -back rate shall be held in escrow until the process required by paragraph (c) is completed and approved by the department. The department shall direct the tax collector to so hold such funds. (c) Any taxing authority so noticed by the department shall repeat the hearing and notice process required by paragraph (2)(d), except that: 1. The advertisement shall appear within 15 days of notice from the department. 2. The advertisement, in addition to meeting the requirements of subsection (3), shall contain the following statement in boldfaced type immediately after the heading: THE PREVIOUS NOTICE PLACED BY THE _(name of taxing authority)_ HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE TO BE IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW, NECESSITATING THIS SECOND NOTICE. 3. The millage newly adopted at this hearing shall not be forwarded to the tax collector or property appraiser and may not exceed the rate previously adopted. 4. If the newly adopted millage is less than the amount previously forwarded pursuant to subsection (4), any moneys collected in excess of the new levy shall be held in reserve until the subsequent fiscal year and shall then be utilized to reduce ad valorem taxes otherwise necessary. (d) If any county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county is in violation of subsection (5) because total county or municipal ad valorem taxes exceeded the maximum total county or municipal ad valorem taxes, respectively, that county or municipality shall forfeit the distribution of local government half -cent sales tax revenues during the 12 months following a determination of noncompliance by the Department of Revenue as described in s. 218.63(3) and this subsection. If the executive director of the Department of Revenue determines that any county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county is in violation of subsection (5), the Department of Revenue and the county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county shall follow the procedures set forth in this paragraph or paragraph (e). During the pendency of any procedure under paragraph (e) or any administrative or judicial action to challenge any action taken under this subsection, the tax collector shall hold in escrow any revenues collected by the noncomplying county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county in excess of the amount allowed by subsection (5), as determined by the executive director. Such revenues shall be held in escrow until the process required by paragraph (e) is completed and approved by the department. The department shall direct the tax collector to so hold such funds. If the county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county remedies the noncompliance, any moneys collected in excess of the new levy or in excess of the amount allowed by subsection (5) shall be held in reserve until the subsequent fiscal year and shall then be used to reduce ad valorem taxes otherwise necessary. If the county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county does not remedy the noncompliance, the provisions of s. 218.63 shall apply. (e) The following procedures shall be followed when the executive director notifies any county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county that he or she has determined that such taxing authority is in violation of subsection (5): 1. Within 30 days after the deadline for certification of compliance required by s. 200.068, the executive director shall notify any such county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county of his or her determination regarding subsection (5) and that such taxing authority is subject to subparagraph 2. www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 10/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine 2. Any taxing authority so noticed by the executive director shall repeat the hearing and notice process required by paragraph (2)(d), except that: a. The advertisement shall appear within 15 days after notice from the executive director. b. The advertisement, in addition to meeting the requirements of subsection (3), must contain the following statement in boldfaced type immediately after the heading: THE PREVIOUS NOTICE PLACED BY THE _(name of taxing authority,)_ HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE TO BE IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW, NECESSITATING THIS SECOND NOTICE. c. The millage newly adopted at such hearing shall not be forwarded to the tax collector or property appraiser and may not exceed the rate previously adopted or the amount allowed by subsection (5). Each taxing authority provided notice pursuant to this paragraph shall recertify compliance with this chapter as provided in this section within 15 days after the adoption of a millage at such hearing. d. The determination of the executive director shall be superseded if the executive director determines that the county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county has remedied the noncompliance. Such noncompliance shall be determined to be remedied if any such taxing authority provided notice by the executive director pursuant to this paragraph adopts a new millage that does not exceed the maximum millage allowed for such taxing authority under paragraph (5)(a), or if any such county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county adopts a lower millage sufficient to reduce the total taxes levied such that total taxes levied do not exceed the maximum as provided in paragraph (5)(b). e. If any such county or municipality, dependent special district of such county or municipality, or municipal service taxing unit of such county has not remedied the noncompliance or recertified compliance with this chapter as provided in this paragraph, and the executive director determines that the noncompliance has not been remedied or compliance has not been recertified, the county or municipality shall forfeit the distribution of local government half -cent sales tax revenues during the 12 months following a determination of noncompliance by the Department of Revenue as described in s. 218.63(2) and (3) and this subsection. f. The determination of the executive director is not subject to chapter 120. (14)(a) If the notice of proposed property taxes mailed to taxpayers under this section contains an error, the property appraiser, in lieu of mailing a corrected notice to all taxpayers, may correct the error by mailing a short form of the notice to those taxpayers affected by the error and its correction. The notice shall be prepared by the property appraiser at the expense of the taxing authority which caused the error or at the property appraiser's expense if he or she caused the error. The form of the notice must be approved by the executive director of the Department of Revenue or the executive director's designee. If the error involves only the date and time of the public hearings required by this section, the property appraiser, with the permission of the taxing authority affected by the error, may correct the error by advertising the corrected information in a newspaper of general circulation in the county as provided in subsection (3). (b) Errors that may be corrected in this manner are: 1. Incorrect location, time, or date of a public hearing. 2. Incorrect assessed, exempt, or taxable value. 3. Incorrect amount of taxes as reflected in column one, column two, or column three of the notice; and 4. Any other error as approved by the executive director of the Department of Revenue or the executive director's designee. (15) The provisions of this section shall apply to all taxing authorities in this state which levy ad valorem taxes, and shall control over any special law which is inconsistent or in conflict with this section, except to the extent the special law expressly exempts a taxing authority from the provisions of this section. This subsection is a clarification of existing law, and in the absence of such express exemption, no past or future budget or levy of taxes shall be set aside upon the ground that the taxing authority failed to comply with any special law prescribing a schedule or procedure for such adoption which is inconsistent or in conflict with the provisions of this section. www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0200/Sections/0200.065.htm1 11/12 8/29/22, 3:45 PM Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine History.-s. 13, ch. 73-172; s. 16, ch. 74-234; ss. 1, 2, ch. 75-68; s. 19, ch. 76-133; s. 1, ch. 77-102; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 1, ch. 78-228; ss. 2, 9, ch. 80-261; s. 25, ch. 80-274; s. 14, ch. 82-154; s. 12, ch. 82-208; ss. 4, 11, 25, 72, 80, ch. 82-226; s. 5, ch. 82-388; s. 2, ch. 82-399; s. 28, ch. 83-204; s. 61, ch. 83-217; s. 2, ch. 84-164; s. 20, ch. 84-356; s. 1, ch. 86-190; s. 12, ch. 86-300; s. 5, ch. 87-284; s. 13, ch. 88- 216; s. 2, ch. 88-223; s. 14, ch. 90-241; ss. 136, 165, ch. 91-112; s. 8, ch. 91-295; s. 1, ch. 92-163; ss. 5, 15, ch. 93-132; s. 25, ch. 93-233; s. 1, ch. 93-241; s. 52, ch. 94-232; s. 4, ch. 94-344; s. 41, ch. 94-353; s. 1481, ch. 95-147; s. 2, ch. 95-359; ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 96-211; s. 1, ch. 98-32; s. 1, ch. 98-53; s. 18, ch. 99-6; s. 11, ch. 2002-18; s. 911, ch. 2002-387; s. 2, ch. 2004-346; s. 3, ch. 2007-194; ss. 2, 33, ch. 2007- 321; s. 11, ch. 2008-173; s. 3, ch. 2009-165; s. 29, ch. 2012-193; s. 7, ch. 2012-212; s. 13, ch. 2015-2; s. 17, ch. 2016-10; s. 2, ch. 2017-35; s. 12, ch. 2020-10; s. 21, ch. 2021-17; s. 17, ch. 2022-103. 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