Florida Senate - 2025 SENATOR AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 7002
Ì712752%Î712752
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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Floor: 1/AD/2R .
04/09/2025 01:53 PM .
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Senator Brodeur moved the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete lines 378 - 568
4 and insert:
5 2.a. The districts may levy separate ad valorem taxes on
6 property within the district or basin for the purposes of the
7 construction of capital improvement projects. Such levy must be
8 by resolution adopted by a majority vote of the governing board
9 and conditioned to take effect only upon approval by a majority
10 vote of the electors in the district or basin, as applicable,
11 voting in a referendum held at a general election as defined in
12 s. 97.021. The resolution must be conditioned to take effect on
13 the January 1 immediately following voter approval of the
14 referendum. The resolution must include the millage to be
15 levied, a detailed description of the capital improvement
16 projects to be funded by the millage, such projects’ expected
17 dates of completion, and the maximum duration for the levy of
18 the millage, which may not extend beyond the date that the
19 projects are expected to be completed. The millage levied under
20 this subparagraph may be up to an amount that, when combined
21 with millage levied under subparagraph 1., does not exceed the
22 maximum total millage rate authorized under paragraph (b). The
23 referendum question on the ballot must specify a brief and
24 general description of the purpose of the levy and the maximum
25 length of time the millage may be imposed.
26 b. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “capital
27 improvement projects” means projects related to water supply,
28 including alternative water supply and water resource
29 development projects identified in the district’s regional water
30 supply plans, water quality, flood protection and floodplain
31 management, and natural systems.
32 (b)(a) Notwithstanding any other general or special law,
33 and subject to subsection (4), the maximum total millage rate
34 for all district and basin purposes authorized under this
35 section shall be:
36 1. Northwest Florida Water Management District: 0.05 mill.
37 2. Suwannee River Water Management District: 0.75 mill.
38 3. St. Johns River Water Management District: 0.6 mill.
39 4. Southwest Florida Water Management District: 1.0 mill.
40 5. South Florida Water Management District: 0.80 mill.
41 (c)(b) The apportionment of millages levied pursuant to
42 subparagraph (a)1. in the South Florida Water Management
43 District shall be a maximum of 40 percent for district purposes
44 and a maximum of 60 percent for basin purposes, respectively.
45 (d)(c) Within the Southwest Florida Water Management
46 District, the maximum millage assessed for district purposes may
47 not exceed 50 percent of the total authorized millage if there
48 are one or more basins in the district, and the maximum millage
49 assessed for basin purposes may not exceed 50 percent of the
50 total authorized millage.
51 Section 9. Subsections (1) and (3) of section 373.535,
52 Florida Statutes, are amended, and subsection (2) of that
53 section is reenacted, to read:
54 373.535 Preliminary district budgets.—
55 (1) BUDGET DEVELOPMENT.—
56 (a) By January 15 of each year, each water management
57 district shall submit a preliminary budget for the next fiscal
58 year for legislative review to the President of the Senate, the
59 Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairs of each
60 legislative committee and subcommittee having substantive or
61 fiscal jurisdiction over water management districts, as
62 determined by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the
63 House of Representatives, as applicable, in the form and manner
64 prescribed in s. 373.536(5)(e).
65 (b) Each preliminary budget must also include:
66 1. A section that clearly identifies and provides
67 justification for each proposed expenditure listed in s.
68 373.536(5)(e)4.e. and f. and identifies the source of funds for
69 each proposed expenditure.
70 2. A section identifying the justification for proposed
71 expenditures by core mission area of responsibility and the
72 source of funds needed for activities related to water supply,
73 including alternative water supply and water resource
74 development projects identified in the district’s regional water
75 supply plans, water quality, flood protection and floodplain
76 management, and natural systems.
77 3. A section that includes the district’s capital
78 improvement plan for the current fiscal year and the next fiscal
79 year, which will be incorporated as part of the district’s 5
80 year capital improvement plan. The following information must be
81 included for each project contained in the capital improvement
82 plan:
83 a. Estimated beginning and ending date.
84 b. Current status, such as planning, construction, or
85 operations.
86 c. Funding source, grouped by federal, state, and local
87 pursuant to s. 373.503(3)(a)1., local pursuant to s.
88 373.503(3)(a)2., or other.
89 d. Total cost of the project.
90 e. Whether the project is funded from reserves.
91 f. Total expenditures made to date, by fiscal year.
92 g. Current year estimated expenditures.
93 h. Annual budget, including future budget requests, until
94 project completion, by funding source.
95 i. Project description.
96 j. State program code, such as operations and maintenance
97 or ecosystems restoration.
98 4.3. A section reviewing the adopted and proposed budget
99 allocations by program area and the performance metrics for the
100 prior year.
101 5.4. An analysis of each preliminary budget to determine
102 the adequacy of fiscal resources available to the district and
103 the adequacy of proposed district expenditures related to the
104 core mission areas of responsibility for water supply, including
105 alternative water supply and water resource development projects
106 identified in the district’s regional water supply plans, water
107 quality, flood protection and floodplain management, and natural
108 systems. The analysis must be based on the particular needs
109 within each district for core mission areas of responsibility.
110 The water supply analysis must specifically include a
111 determination of the adequacy of each district’s fiscal
112 resources provided in the district’s preliminary budget to
113 achieve appropriate progress toward meeting the districtwide 20
114 year projected water supply demands, including funding for
115 alternative water supply development and conservation projects.
116 (c)(b) If applicable, the preliminary budget for each
117 district must specify that the district’s first obligation for
118 payment is the debt service on bonds and certificates of
119 participation.
120 (d) In addition to the information that must be included
121 for projects carried out pursuant to the capital improvement
122 plan in subparagraph (b)3., the South Florida Water Management
123 District must include a separate section in its preliminary
124 budget for all projects within the Comprehensive Everglades
125 Restoration Plan. The information for the separate section must
126 be provided on a project-by-project basis and include the source
127 of funds. For each project, all of the following information
128 must be included:
129 1. The project title and a brief description.
130 2. The total estimated cost of the project, delineated by
131 federal and nonfederal sponsor obligations. The local sponsor
132 obligations must be further delineated by state and district
133 obligations.
134 3. The timeline for the project.
135 4. The total expenditures to date and estimated remaining
136 expenditures needed for project completion.
137 5. The estimate of expenditures for the current year.
138 6. The estimate of expenditures for the next fiscal year.
139 (e) For expenditures funded by state appropriations, the
140 South Florida Water Management District must indicate which
141 fiscal year the appropriation is from. In estimating
142 expenditures for the next fiscal year, the district may
143 incorporate state revenues only in an amount up to the amount of
144 funds specifically provided in s. 375.041(3)(b)1., 4., and 5.,
145 unless the district commits district revenues on a dollar-for
146 dollar basis for any amount over such amount specifically
147 provided.
148 (2) LEGISLATIVE REVIEW.—
149 (a) The Legislature may annually review the preliminary
150 budget for each district, including, but not limited to, those
151 items listed in s. 373.536(5)(e)4.d.-f., specific to regulation,
152 outreach, management, and administration program areas.
153 (b) On or before March 1 of each year, the President of the
154 Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives may
155 submit comments regarding the preliminary budget to the
156 districts, and provide a copy of the comments to the Executive
157 Office of the Governor. Each district shall respond to the
158 comments in writing on or before March 15 of each year to the
159 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
160 Representatives, and the Executive Office of the Governor.
161 (c) If, following such review, the Legislature does not
162 take any action pursuant to s. 373.503 on or before July 1 of
163 each year, a water management district may proceed with budget
164 development as provided in subsection (3) and s. 373.536.
165 (3) FUNDING AUTHORITY GRANTED.—Each district shall use the
166 preliminary budget as submitted pursuant to subsection (1), and
167 as may be amended by the district in response to review by the
168 Legislature pursuant to this section and s. 373.503, as the
169 basis for developing the tentative budget for the next fiscal
170 year as provided in s. 373.536(5). However, this subsection may
171 not be construed to impair any contractual obligations.
172 Section 10. Paragraphs (c) and (e) of subsection (5) of
173 section 373.536, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
174 373.536 District budget and hearing thereon.—
175 (5) TENTATIVE BUDGET CONTENTS AND SUBMISSION; REVIEW AND
176 APPROVAL.—
177 (c) The Legislative Budget Commission may reject any of the
178 following district budget proposals unless specifically
179 appropriated by the Legislature:
180 1. A single purchase of land in excess of $10 million,
181 except for land exchanges.
182 2. Any cumulative purchase of land during a single fiscal
183 year in excess of $50 million.
184 3. Any issuance of debt on or after July 1, 2012.
185 4. Any program expenditure expenditures as described in
186 sub-subparagraphs (e)4.e. and f. in excess of 15 percent of a
187 district’s total annual budget.
188 5. Any individual variance variances in a district’s
189 tentative budget which is in excess of 25 percent from a
190 district’s preliminary budget.
191 6. Any individual portion of a district’s tentative budget
192 funded with state appropriations.
193 7. Any individual project in the district’s 5-year capital
194 improvement plan except for those projects fully funded with
195 revenues approved by voters pursuant to s. 373.503(3)(a)2.a.
196
197 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
198 And the title is amended as follows:
199 Delete lines 50 - 67
200 and insert:
201 373.503, F.S.; authorizing the districts to levy
202 certain ad valorem taxes on specified property for
203 certain purposes; requiring a governing board levying
204 ad valorem taxes for certain projects to adopt a
205 resolution approved by a majority vote of the voting
206 electors in the district or basin; providing
207 requirements for such resolution; providing
208 specifications for millage levied; requiring that the
209 referendum question on the ballot specify the purpose
210 of the levy and the maximum length of time the millage
211 may be imposed; defining the term “capital improvement
212 projects”; revising requirements for the maximum total
213 millage rate;