7/3/1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Boor F., E Assistant County Attorney Will Collins reviewed the following memo dated 6/29/90: TO: Board of County Commissioners FROM: Char les P. V tunac�Countyy torney DATE: June 29, 1990 RE: JUVENILE WELFARE SERVICES Commissioner Eggert has asked me to detail the various options available to the County to provide juvenile welfare services. Before 1988, the County had the power to provide these services financed In the general fund by virtue of authority given §125.01, Florida Statutes. Alternatively, if the area In which the services was to be provided was an unincorporated area only, an MSTU could have been created. For Inclusion of municipal areas, a special taxing district which would require consent of the municipalities involved and a referendum to authorize taxing power was available. In 1988; the state passed the Juvenile Welfare Services law, §125.901, F.S., which, for the first time, gave the county the power to create an Independent taxing district. The governing -body of this dT_st-1Et would be appointed by the governor and a referendum would still be required to authorize taxing power in the district. The budget of the district would not be subject to change or modification by the Board of County Commissioners, or by any other authority. In other words, the district would be totally Independent of the Board of County Commissioners once the district was created. Because of the reluctance on the part of county commissioners throughout the state to create a taxing body within their jurisdiction over which they would have no control, the legislature enacted a new law amending §125:901, F.S., to allow the county an additional option, i.e., to create a dependent taxing district under the authority of §125.901,.x;, rather than the original authority of §125.01: A copy of the pertinent sections of this new law is included in the agenda. In particular, §125.901(7)(a), F.S., reads as follows: Each county may by ordinance create a dependent special district within the boundaries of the county for the purpose of providing preventive, developmental, treatment, and rehabilitative services for children. The district is authorized to seek grants from state, federal, and local agencies and to accept donations from public and private sources, provided that the district complies with the provisions of paragraphs (1)(a) and (2)(b), and provided that the district has a budget that requires approval through an affirmative vote of the governing body of the county or may be vetoed by the governing body of the county. 18