Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1512
       
       
        
       By Senator Diaz
       
       
       
       
       
       36-01765-20                                           20201512__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to local government reporting;
    3         amending ss. 129.03 and 166.241, F.S.; deleting an
    4         annual requirement for county budget officers and
    5         municipal budget officers, respectively, to report
    6         specified budget information to the Office of Economic
    7         and Demographic Research; creating s. 218.323, F.S.;
    8         providing legislative intent; requiring each county
    9         and municipality to annually report specified fiscal
   10         and economic information to the Department of
   11         Financial Services; requiring the department to adopt
   12         rules; requiring the department to establish a certain
   13         website by a specified date; requiring the department
   14         to annually generate and distribute to residents a
   15         specified local government report; specifying
   16         requirements for preparing and distributing the
   17         report; specifying required information in the report;
   18         specifying required information on the department’s
   19         website; authorizing the department to select
   20         contractors for certain purposes; providing a
   21         procurement requirement; providing an effective date.
   22          
   23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   24  
   25         Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
   26  129.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   27         129.03 Preparation and adoption of budget.—
   28         (3) The county budget officer, after tentatively
   29  ascertaining the proposed fiscal policies of the board for the
   30  next fiscal year, shall prepare and present to the board a
   31  tentative budget for the next fiscal year for each of the funds
   32  provided in this chapter, including all estimated receipts,
   33  taxes to be levied, and balances expected to be brought forward
   34  and all estimated expenditures, reserves, and balances to be
   35  carried over at the end of the year.
   36         (d) By October 15, 2019, and each October 15 annually
   37  thereafter, the county budget officer shall electronically
   38  submit the following information regarding the final budget and
   39  the county’s economic status to the Office of Economic and
   40  Demographic Research in the format specified by the office:
   41         1. Government spending per resident, including, at a
   42  minimum, the spending per resident for the previous 5 fiscal
   43  years.
   44         2. Government debt per resident, including, at a minimum,
   45  the debt per resident for the previous 5 fiscal years.
   46         3. Median income within the county.
   47         4. The average county employee salary.
   48         5. Percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for
   49  county employees.
   50         6. Number of special taxing districts, wholly or partially,
   51  within the county.
   52         Section 2. Subsections (4) and (6) of section 166.241,
   53  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   54         166.241 Fiscal years, budgets, and budget amendments.—
   55         (4) Beginning October 15, 2019, and each October 15
   56  thereafter, the municipal budget officer shall electronically
   57  submit the following information regarding the final budget and
   58  the municipality’s economic status to the Office of Economic and
   59  Demographic Research in the format specified by the office:
   60         (a) Government spending per resident, including, at a
   61  minimum, the spending per resident for the previous 5 fiscal
   62  years.
   63         (b) Government debt per resident, including, at a minimum,
   64  the debt per resident for the previous 5 fiscal years.
   65         (c) Average municipal employee salary.
   66         (d) Median income within the municipality.
   67         (e) Number of special taxing districts wholly or partially
   68  within the municipality.
   69         (f) Percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for
   70  municipal employees.
   71         (5)(6) If the governing body of a municipality amends the
   72  budget pursuant to paragraph (4)(c) (5)(c), the adopted
   73  amendment must be posted on the official website of the
   74  municipality within 5 days after adoption and must remain on the
   75  website for at least 2 years. If the municipality does not
   76  operate an official website, the municipality must, within a
   77  reasonable period of time as established by the county or
   78  counties in which the municipality is located, transmit the
   79  adopted amendment to the manager or administrator of such county
   80  or counties who shall post the adopted amendment on the county’s
   81  website.
   82         Section 3. Section 218.323, Florida Statutes, is created to
   83  read:
   84         218.323 County and municipal fiscal and economic
   85  information; reporting requirement.—
   86         (1)The Legislature intends to create an interactive
   87  repository for county and municipal financial information and to
   88  distribute a report that enables residents to compare the final
   89  budget and economic status of counties and municipalities.
   90         (2)By October 15, 2020, and each October 15 thereafter,
   91  each county and each municipality shall electronically submit
   92  the information required under subsection (3) to the department
   93  in the method and format established by department rule.
   94         (3)(a)By January 15, 2021, the department must establish
   95  an interactive website that allows residents to compare certain
   96  information about counties and municipalities. By January 15,
   97  2021, and each January 15 thereafter, the department must
   98  generate and distribute a local government report depicting the
   99  fiscal and economic status of each county and municipality and
  100  providing a comparative ranking with all other counties and
  101  municipalities in this state.
  102         (b)The local government report must be mailed to each
  103  household with a registered voter at the address. The local
  104  government report must be specific to the household’s
  105  municipality and county. Each household not residing within a
  106  municipality must receive a local government report specific to
  107  the household’s county. The local government report must assist
  108  the household in making direct comparisons of fiscal and
  109  economic metrics, must be a single page and use colorful
  110  graphics, and must provide the following information in an easy
  111  to understand format:
  112         1.The government spending per resident, including the per
  113  resident spending for the past 5 fiscal years. The local
  114  government report must depict the total per-resident spent and
  115  the rank for the municipality compared to all municipalities.
  116  For each county, such report must depict the total per-resident
  117  spent and the rank for the county compared to all counties.
  118         2.The government debt per resident, including the per
  119  resident debt for the previous 5 fiscal years. The local
  120  government report must depict the total debt and the rank for
  121  the municipality compared to all municipalities. For each
  122  county, such report must depict the total debt and the rank for
  123  the county compared to all counties.
  124         3.The average county or municipal employee salary, as
  125  applicable. The local government report must depict the average
  126  county or municipal employee salary, as applicable, and the rank
  127  for the county or municipality compared to all counties or
  128  municipalities, as applicable.
  129         4.The median income. The local government report must
  130  depict the median income for the county or municipality, as
  131  applicable, and the rank for the county or municipality compared
  132  to all counties or municipalities, as applicable.
  133         5.The average school grade for the county or municipality,
  134  as applicable.
  135         6.The crime rate for the county and the rank for the
  136  county compared to all counties.
  137         (c)In addition to the information included in the local
  138  government report required under paragraph (b), the interactive
  139  website must, at a minimum, include the following information:
  140         1.The population of the county or municipality, as
  141  applicable.
  142         2.The unemployment rate for the county or municipality, as
  143  applicable.
  144         3.The percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for
  145  county or municipal employees, as applicable. The website must
  146  depict the percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for
  147  the county or municipality, as applicable, and the rank for the
  148  county or municipality compared to all counties or
  149  municipalities, as applicable.
  150         4.The number of special taxing districts, wholly or
  151  partially, within the county or municipality, as applicable.
  152         5.The government revenue per resident for the county or
  153  municipality, as applicable, and the rank for the county or
  154  municipality compared to all counties or municipalities, as
  155  applicable.
  156         (4)The department may choose one or more contractors to
  157  design and distribute the local government report to enable
  158  residents to compare the final budget and economic status data
  159  reported by each county and municipality, and to create the
  160  interactive website. The department must select contractors
  161  through an open request for proposal process pursuant to chapter
  162  287.
  163         Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.