THE BILL ITSELF
CS/HB 4013
Lee County
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An act relating to Lee County; amending chapter 2000-
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384, Laws of Florida; revising the boundaries of the
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Iona-McGregor Fire Protection and Rescue Service
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District; repealing chapters 2000-422 and 2008-275,
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Laws of Florida, relating to the Fort Myers Beach Fire
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Control District; providing for the merger of the
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districts; providing for transition of the governing
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body; transferring assets and liabilities of the Fort
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Myers Beach Fire Control District to the Iona-McGregor
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Fire Protection and Rescue Service District; requiring
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a referendum; providing effective dates.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 2 of section 3 of
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chapter 2000-384, Laws of Florida, is amended to read:
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Section 2. District creation; status; charter amendments;
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boundaries.—
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(3) The lands to be included within the district are the
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following described lands in Lee County:
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In Township 45 South, Range 24 East, the unincorporated
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portions of Section 2 and 3, all of Sections 9 and 10, the
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west half ( 1/2) of the northwest quarter ( 1/4) and the
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west half ( 1/2) of the southwest quarter ( 1/4) of Section
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11, all of Sections 15 and 16, the east half ( 1/2) of
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Section 17, all of sections 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31,
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32, 33, 34, and in Township 46 South, Range 24 East, that
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portion of Section 2 lying west of the waters of Hendry
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Creek, all of sections 3, 4, 5, 6, the north half ( 1/2) of
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7, all of sections 8, 9, 10, those portions of sections 11
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and 14 lying west of the waters of Hendry Creek, all of
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sections 15, 16, 17, 22, that portion of Section 23 lying
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west of the waters of Hendry Creek, and in Township 45
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South, Range 23 East, the south half ( 1/2) of Section 25,
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the south half ( 1/2) of Section 27, the southeast quarter
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( 1/4) of Section 28, all of sections 33, 34, 35, 36, and
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in Township 46 South, Range 23 East, all of Sections 1, 2,
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3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12 less and except the southeast
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quarter ( 1/4) thereof, the west half ( 1/2) of 13, and the
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east half ( 1/2) of 14 less and except that portion located
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within the territorial limits, of the Fort Myers Beach Fire
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Control District, and less and except that portion of all
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the above described lands located within the municipal
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boundaries of the City of Fort Myers.
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TOGETHER WITH
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All that part of Lee County that is located and situated
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within San Carlos Island; Estero Island; Easterly One-Half
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(1/2) of Section 13, Township 46 South, Range 23 East;
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Section 18, Township 46 South, Range 24 East; and section
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7, Township 46 South, Range 24 East except that part which
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is located and situated north of the old railroad grade.
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Section 2. Chapters 2000-422 and 2008-275, Laws of
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Florida, are repealed.
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Section 3. Transition.—
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(1) As of the effective date of this act, the Fort Myers
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Beach Fire Control District is merged into the Iona-McGregor
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Fire Protection and Rescue Service District. The Board of
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Commissioners of the Iona-McGregor Fire Protection and Rescue
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Service District, as provided in this act and chapter 2000-384,
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Laws of Florida, shall serve as the governing body of the
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district and is authorized to exercise all powers that may be
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exercised by the board pursuant to chapter 2000-384, Laws of
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Florida.
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(2) Notwithstanding s. 191.005, Florida Statutes, and
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chapter 97-340, Laws of Florida, from the effective date of this
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act until the next general election, the governing body of the
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Iona-McGregor Fire Protection and Rescue Service District shall
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be composed of the five members of the Iona-McGregor Fire
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Protection and Rescue Service District Board of Commissioners as
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of the effective date of this act and the two members of the
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governing board of the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District
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elected pursuant to chapter 2000-422, Laws of Florida, whose
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terms expire at the 2028 general election.
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(3) All assets and liabilities, including any pension
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liabilities, of the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District as of
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the effective date of this act shall be transferred to the Iona-
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McGregor Fire Protection and Rescue Service District.
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Section 4. Referendum.—
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(1) The referendum election called for by this act shall
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be held on November 3, 2026, concurrent with the 2026 general
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election.
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(2) The ballot title for the referendum question shall be
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in substantially the following form:
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MERGER OF FORT MYERS BEACH AND IONA-MCGREGOR FIRE CONTROL AND
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RESCUE SERVICE DISTRICTS
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(3) The referendum question shall be placed on the ballot
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in substantially the following form:
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Shall Chapter 2026- , Laws of Florida, amending the boundaries
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of the Iona-McGregor Fire Protection and Rescue Service District
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to include all territories currently included in the Fort Myers
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Beach Fire Control District, abolishing the Fort Myers Beach
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Fire Control District, providing for a transitional board, and
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transferring the assets and liabilities of the Fort Myers Beach
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Fire Control District to the Iona-McGregor Fire Protection and
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Rescue Service District, become effective?
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( ) YES.
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( ) NO.
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(4) In the event this question is answered affirmatively
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by a majority of the qualified voters in each district voting in
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the referendum, this act shall take effect. The referendum
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election shall be conducted by the Supervisor of Elections of
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Lee County in accordance with the Florida Election Code.
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Section 5. This act shall take effect upon its approval by
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a majority vote of those qualified electors of the Fort Myers
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Beach Fire Control District and the Iona-McGregor Fire
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Protection and Rescue Service District voting in a referendum to
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be held on November 3, 2026, except that this section and
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section 4 shall take effect upon becoming a law.