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RESOLUTION NO. 89 - 144 A RESOLUTION OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, URGING FLORIDA CITIZENS TO SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 13 ON THE NOVEMBER 1990 BALLOT LIMITING UNFUNDED STATE MANDATES ON CITIES AND COUNTIES WHEREAS, since 1981, the Florida Legislature has placed 288 unfunded mandates upon cities and counties in Florida with over 86 percent having an undetermined fiscal impact on cities and counties; and WHEREAS, "unfunded mandates" are governmental actions required of cities and counties by state law without adequate funding resources; and WHEREAS, cities and counties are continuously forced to adjust local service priorities, and raise local taxers and user fees to pay for such unfunded state mandated programs: and WHEREAS, cities and counties are forced to pass these increased costs for delivery of state -mandated programs to the citizens; and WHEREAS, the Florida Constitution preempts all taxing sources to the state (except ad valorem property taxes) it becomes irresponsible for state government to require and mandate programs to other governments without sharing the fiscal responsibility and political consequences of their actions; and WHEREAS, there can be no certainty and predictability in the growth planning process if the state can continue to mandate new and expensive programs without regard to adequate funding; and WHEREAS, the priorities and programs of local citizens of cities and counties have often been curtailed when limited local funds have to be diverted to pay for a state mandated program; and WHEREAS, the state constitution "preempts" all taxing powers to the state (other than local property taxes) and the state has been unwilling to allow sufficient local discretionary taxing powers directly to municipalities and has refused to adjust unfair and antiquated formula allocations of revenue sharing programs; and WHEREAS, unfunded mandates are not fair to the local property owner or the locally elected official who is trying to address local priorities and problems with a limited amount of financial resources; and WHEREAS, during the 1988 Legislative Session nearly 100 members of the Legislature co-signed or supported a proposed constitutional amendment to limit the Legislature's ability to mandate programs and costs to city and county governments; and WHEREAS, during the 1989 Legislative Session a proposed amendment to the constitution was passed to give Florida citizens an opportunity to vote in 1990 on a proposal that would limit unfunded state legislative mandates on cities and counties;