No. CS/HB 4079
Filed under Local Government.
Marion County; Creates Uplands Steward District; establishes legal boundaries; provides for jurisdiction & charter of district; provides for board of supervisors, district manager, personnel & treasurer; provides for selection of public depository, district budgets & financial reports; provides for general & special powers of district; provides for bonds, borrowing, trust agreements, future ad valorem taxation, special assessments, issuance of certificates of indebtedness & tax liens; provides for termination, contraction, expansion, or merger of district; provides for required notices to purchasers of residential units within district; provides severability & referendum.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDThe bill creates the Uplands Stewardship District, a new independent local government covering 5,161 acres in Marion County. It replaces multiple community development districts with a single entity to manage long-term infrastructure and development.
Property owners within the district will face new special assessments, benefit assessments, and potential ad valorem taxes to fund roads, water, sewer, and other public facilities. These charges are in addition to existing county and state taxes.
The district's five-member board is initially elected by landowners based on acreage, not by population. As the district becomes populated, board members will transition to being elected by qualified electors.
The district has the power to issue bonds, levy taxes, and impose assessments without a fixed cap on the total amount, subject to specific constitutional and statutory limits for certain bond types.
AIEstablishes the Uplands Stewardship District as a local government entity with authority to plan, build, operate, and finance water, sewer, roads, transit, parks, and other public systems within its boundaries.
AIAllows the district to impose ad valorem taxes (capped at 3 mills for operations), benefit special assessments, maintenance special assessments, and non-ad valorem maintenance taxes on property within the district.
AIPermits the district to issue general obligation bonds secured by the full faith and credit of the district, with a cap of 35% of the assessed value of taxable property within the district.
AIMandates that every contract for the initial sale of a parcel or residential unit within the district include a boldfaced disclosure warning buyers that the district may impose additional taxes and assessments on the property.
AICreates a five-member board initially elected by landowners on an acreage basis, with a phased transition to election by qualified electors as the district population reaches specified thresholds (10,000 to 25,000 residents).
AIExplicitly states the district cannot adopt a comprehensive plan, zoning regulations, or development permits, and must operate subject to Marion County's existing land development regulations.
AIMandates that all lands, buildings, persons, and corporations within the district must use the district's facilities to the full extent permitted by law.
AIAuthorizes the district to exercise eminent domain powers equivalent to those of counties, but requires prior approval by the county governing body for takings outside the district's territorial limits.