Florida Senate - 2016                                    SB 1664
       
       
        
       By Senator Stargel
       
       15-01265-16                                           20161664__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to special assessments on agricultural
    3         lands; amending ss. 125.01 and 170.01, F.S.;
    4         prohibiting counties and municipalities from levying
    5         or collecting special assessments on certain
    6         agricultural lands for the provision of fire
    7         protection services; providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (r) of subsection (1) of section
   12  125.01, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         125.01 Powers and duties.—
   14         (1) The legislative and governing body of a county shall
   15  have the power to carry on county government. To the extent not
   16  inconsistent with general or special law, this power includes,
   17  but is not restricted to, the power to:
   18         (r) Levy and collect taxes, both for county purposes and
   19  for the providing of municipal services within any municipal
   20  service taxing unit, and special assessments; borrow and expend
   21  money; and issue bonds, revenue certificates, and other
   22  obligations of indebtedness, which power shall be exercised in
   23  such manner, and subject to such limitations, as may be provided
   24  by general law. There shall be no referendum required for the
   25  levy by a county of ad valorem taxes, both for county purposes
   26  and for the providing of municipal services within any municipal
   27  service taxing unit. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
   28  a county may not levy or collect special assessments for the
   29  provision of fire protection services on lands classified as
   30  agricultural lands under s. 193.461.
   31         Section 2. Subsection (4) is added to section 170.01,
   32  Florida Statutes, to read:
   33         170.01 Authority for providing improvements and levying and
   34  collecting special assessments against property benefited.—
   35         (4) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a
   36  municipality may not levy or collect special assessments for the
   37  provision of fire protection services on lands classified as
   38  agricultural lands under s. 193.461.
   39         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.