Bill Text: FL S1054 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Community Redevelopment Agencies
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-30 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 9 (Ch. 2019-163) [S1054 Detail]
Download: Florida-2019-S1054-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Community Redevelopment Agencies
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-30 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 9 (Ch. 2019-163) [S1054 Detail]
Download: Florida-2019-S1054-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2019 SB 1054 By Senator Lee 20-00386E-19 20191054__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to community redevelopment agencies; 3 creating s. 112.327, F.S.; defining terms; prohibiting 4 a person from lobbying a community redevelopment 5 agency until he or she has registered as a lobbyist 6 with that agency; providing registration requirements; 7 requiring an agency to make lobbyist registrations 8 available to the public; requiring a database of 9 currently registered lobbyists and principals to be 10 available on certain websites; requiring a lobbyist to 11 send a written statement to the agency canceling the 12 registration for a principal that he or she no longer 13 represents; authorizing an agency to remove the name 14 of a lobbyist from the list of registered lobbyists 15 under certain circumstances; authorizing an agency to 16 establish an annual lobbyist registration fee, not to 17 exceed a specified amount; requiring an agency to be 18 diligent in ascertaining whether persons required to 19 register have complied, subject to certain 20 requirements; requiring the Commission on Ethics to 21 investigate a lobbyist or principal under certain 22 circumstances, subject to certain requirements; 23 requiring the commission to provide the Governor with 24 a report of its findings and recommendations in such 25 investigations; authorizing the Governor to enforce 26 the commission’s findings and recommendations; 27 authorizing community redevelopment agencies to adopt 28 rules to govern the registration of lobbyists; 29 amending s. 112.3142, F.S.; requiring ethics training 30 for community redevelopment agency commissioners; 31 specifying requirements for such training; amending s. 32 163.340, F.S.; revising the definition of the term 33 “blighted area”; amending s. 163.356, F.S.; revising 34 reporting requirements; deleting provisions requiring 35 certain annual reports; amending s. 163.367, F.S.; 36 requiring ethics training for community redevelopment 37 agency commissioners; amending s. 163.370, F.S.; 38 revising the list of projects that are prohibited from 39 being financed by increment revenues; requiring 40 community redevelopment agencies to follow certain 41 procurement procedures; creating s. 163.371, F.S.; 42 requiring a community redevelopment agency to publish 43 certain digital boundary maps on its website; 44 providing annual reporting requirements; requiring a 45 community redevelopment agency to publish the annual 46 reports on its website; creating s. 163.3755, F.S.; 47 providing termination dates for certain community 48 redevelopment agencies; creating s. 163.3756, F.S.; 49 providing legislative findings; requiring the 50 Department of Economic Opportunity to declare inactive 51 community redevelopment agencies that have reported no 52 financial activity for a specified number of years; 53 providing hearing procedures; authorizing certain 54 financial activity by a community redevelopment agency 55 that is declared inactive; providing applicability; 56 providing for construction; requiring the department 57 to maintain a website identifying all inactive 58 community redevelopment agencies; amending s. 163.387, 59 F.S.; specifying the level of tax increment financing 60 that a governing body may establish for funding the 61 redevelopment trust fund; effective on a specified 62 date, revising requirements for the use of 63 redevelopment trust fund proceeds; limiting allowed 64 expenditures; revising requirements for the annual 65 budget of a community redevelopment agency; revising 66 requirements for use of moneys in the redevelopment 67 trust fund for specific redevelopment projects; 68 revising requirements for the annual audit; requiring 69 the audit to be included with the financial report of 70 the county or municipality that created the community 71 redevelopment agency; amending s. 218.32, F.S.; 72 revising criteria for finding that a county or 73 municipality failed to file a report; requiring the 74 Department of Financial Services to provide a report 75 to the Department of Economic Opportunity concerning 76 community redevelopment agencies reporting no 77 revenues, expenditures, or debts; amending s. 163.524, 78 F.S.; conforming a cross-reference; making technical 79 changes; providing an effective date. 80 81 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 82 83 Section 1. Section 112.327, Florida Statutes, is created to 84 read: 85 112.327 Lobbying before community redevelopment agencies; 86 registration and reporting.— 87 (1) As used in this section, the term: 88 (a) “Agency” or “community redevelopment agency” means a 89 public agency created by, or designated pursuant to, s. 163.356 90 or s. 163.357 and operating under the authority of part III of 91 chapter 163. 92 (b) “Lobby” means to seek to influence an agency with 93 respect to a decision of the agency in an area of policy or 94 procurement or to attempt to obtain the goodwill of an agency 95 official or employee on behalf of another person. The term must 96 be interpreted and applied consistently with the rules of the 97 commission adopted pursuant to s. 112.3215(15). 98 (c) “Lobbyist” has the same meaning as in s. 112.3215. 99 (d) “Principal” has the same meaning as in s. 112.3215. 100 (2) A person may not lobby an agency until he or she has 101 registered as a lobbyist with that agency. Such registration is 102 due upon the person initially being retained to lobby and is 103 renewable on a calendar-year basis thereafter. Upon 104 registration, the person shall provide a statement, signed by 105 the principal or principal’s representative, stating that the 106 registrant is authorized to represent the principal and 107 identifying and designating its main business pursuant to a 108 classification system approved by the agency. Any changes to the 109 information required by this section must be disclosed within 15 110 days by filing a new registration form. An agency may create its 111 own lobbyist registration forms or may accept a completed 112 legislative branch or executive branch lobbyist registration 113 form. In completing the form required by the agency, the 114 registrant shall disclose, under oath, the following: 115 (a) His or her name and business address. 116 (b) The name and business address of each principal 117 represented. 118 (c) The existence of any direct or indirect business 119 association, partnership, or financial relationship with any 120 officer or employee of an agency with which he or she lobbies or 121 intends to lobby. 122 (3) An agency shall make lobbyist registrations available 123 to the public. If an agency maintains a website, a database of 124 currently registered lobbyists and principals must be available 125 on that website. If the agency does not maintain a website, the 126 database of currently registered lobbyists and principals must 127 be available on the website of the county or municipality that 128 created the agency. 129 (4) Immediately upon a lobbyist’s termination of his or her 130 representation of a principal, the lobbyist shall send a written 131 statement to the agency canceling the registration. If the 132 principal notifies the agency that the lobbyist is no longer 133 authorized to represent that principal, an agency may remove the 134 name of a lobbyist from the list of registered lobbyists. 135 (5) An agency may establish an annual lobbyist registration 136 fee, not to exceed $40, for each principal represented. The 137 agency may use registration fees only for the purpose of 138 administering this section. 139 (6) An agency shall be diligent in ascertaining whether 140 persons required to register under this section have complied. 141 An agency may not knowingly authorize an unregistered person to 142 lobby the agency. 143 (7) Upon receipt of a sworn complaint alleging that a 144 lobbyist or principal has failed to register with an agency or 145 has knowingly submitted false information in a report or 146 registration required under this section, the commission shall 147 investigate the lobbyist or principal pursuant to the procedures 148 established in s. 112.324. The commission shall provide the 149 Governor with a report of its findings and recommendations in 150 any investigation conducted pursuant to this subsection, and the 151 Governor may enforce them. 152 (8) Community redevelopment agencies may adopt rules to 153 govern the registration of lobbyists, including rules governing 154 the adoption of forms and the establishment of the lobbyist 155 registration fee. 156 Section 2. Section 112.3142, Florida Statutes, is amended 157 to read: 158 112.3142 Ethics training for specified constitutional 159 officers,andelected municipal officers, and commissioners.— 160 (1) As used in this section, the term “constitutional 161 officers” includes the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the 162 Attorney General, the Chief Financial Officer, the Commissioner 163 of Agriculture, state attorneys, public defenders, sheriffs, tax 164 collectors, property appraisers, supervisors of elections, 165 clerks of the circuit court, county commissioners, district 166 school board members, and superintendents of schools. 167 (2)(a) All constitutional officers must complete 4 hours of 168 ethics training each calendar year which addresses, at a 169 minimum, s. 8, Art. II of the State Constitution, the Code of 170 Ethics for Public Officers and Employees, and the public records 171 and public meetings laws of this state. This requirement may be 172 satisfied by completion of a continuing legal education class or 173 other continuing professional education class, seminar, or 174 presentation if the required subjects are covered. 175 (b)Beginning January 1, 2015,All elected municipal 176 officers must complete 4 hours of ethics training each calendar 177 year which addresses, at a minimum, s. 8, Art. II of the State 178 Constitution, the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and 179 Employees, and the public records and public meetings laws of 180 this state. This requirement may be satisfied by completion of a 181 continuing legal education class or other continuing 182 professional education class, seminar, or presentation if the 183 required subjects are covered. 184 (c) Beginning October 1, 2019, each commissioner of a 185 community redevelopment agency created under part III of chapter 186 163 must complete 4 hours of ethics training each calendar year 187 which addresses, at a minimum, s. 8, Art. II of the State 188 Constitution, the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and 189 Employees, and the public records and public meetings laws of 190 this state. This requirement may be satisfied by completion of a 191 continuing legal education class or other continuing 192 professional education class, seminar, or presentation, if the 193 required subject material is covered by the class. 194 (d) The commission shall adopt rules establishing minimum 195 course content for the portion of an ethics training class which 196 addresses s. 8, Art. II of the State Constitution and the Code 197 of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees. 198 (e)(d)The Legislature intends that a constitutional 199 officer or elected municipal officer who is required to complete 200 ethics training pursuant to this section receive the required 201 training as close as possible to the date that he or she assumes 202 office. A constitutional officer or elected municipal officer 203 assuming a new office or new term of office on or before March 204 31 must complete the annual training on or before December 31 of 205 the year in which the term of office began. A constitutional 206 officer or elected municipal officer assuming a new office or 207 new term of office after March 31 is not required to complete 208 ethics training for the calendar year in which the term of 209 office began. 210 (3) Each house of the Legislature shall provide for ethics 211 training pursuant to its rules. 212 Section 3. Subsection (8) of section 163.340, Florida 213 Statutes, is amended to read: 214 163.340 Definitions.—The following terms, wherever used or 215 referred to in this part, have the following meanings: 216 (8) “Blighted area” means an area in which there are a 217 substantial number of deteriorated or deteriorating structures; 218 in which conditions, as indicated by government-maintained 219 statistics or other studies, endanger life or property or are 220 leading to economic distress; and in which two or more of the 221 following factors are present: 222 (a) Predominance of defective or inadequate street layout, 223 parking facilities, roadways, bridges, or public transportation 224 facilities. 225 (b) Aggregate assessed values of real property in the area 226 for ad valorem tax purposes have failed to show any appreciable 227 increase over the 5 years beforeprior tothe finding of such 228 conditions. 229 (c) Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, 230 accessibility, or usefulness. 231 (d) Unsanitary or unsafe conditions. 232 (e) Deterioration of site or other improvements. 233 (f) Inadequate and outdated building density patterns. 234 (g) Falling lease rates per square foot of office, 235 commercial, or industrial space compared to the remainder of the 236 county or municipality. 237 (h) Tax or special assessment delinquency exceeding the 238 fair value of the land. 239 (i) Residential and commercial vacancy rates higher in the 240 area than in the remainder of the county or municipality. 241 (j) Incidence of crime in the area higher than in the 242 remainder of the county or municipality. 243 (k) Fire and emergency medical service calls to the area 244 proportionately higher than in the remainder of the county or 245 municipality. 246 (l) A greater number of violations of the Florida Building 247 Code in the area than the number of violations recorded in the 248 remainder of the county or municipality. 249 (m) Diversity of ownership or defective or unusual 250 conditions of title which prevent the free alienability of land 251 within the deteriorated or hazardous area. 252 (n) Governmentally owned property with adverse 253 environmental conditions caused by a public or private entity. 254 (o) A substantial number or percentage of properties 255 damaged by sinkhole activity which have not been adequately 256 repaired or stabilized. 257 (p) Rates of unemployment higher in the area than in the 258 remainder of the county or municipality. 259 (q) Rates of poverty higher in the area than in the 260 remainder of the county or municipality. 261 (r) Rates of foreclosure higher in the area than in the 262 remainder of the county or municipality. 263 (s) Rates of infant mortality higher in the area than in 264 the remainder of the county or municipality. 265 266However, the term “blighted area” also means any area in which267at least one of the factors identified in paragraphs (a) through268(o) is present and all taxing authorities subject to s.269163.387(2)(a) agree, either by interlocal agreement with the270agency or byresolution, that the area is blighted. Such271agreement or resolution must be limited to a determination that272the area is blighted.For purposes of qualifying for the tax 273 credits authorized in chapter 220, the term“blighted area”274 means an area as defined in this subsection. 275 Section 4. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (3) of 276 section 163.356, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 277 163.356 Creation of community redevelopment agency.— 278 (3)(c) The governing body of the county or municipality 279 shall designate a chair and vice chair from among the 280 commissioners. An agency may employ an executive director, 281 technical experts, and such other agents and employees, 282 permanent and temporary, as it requires, and determine their 283 qualifications, duties, and compensation. For such legal service 284 as it requires, an agency may employ or retain its own counsel 285 and legal staff. 286 (d) An agency authorized to transact business and exercise 287 powers under this part shall file with the governing body the 288 report required pursuant to s. 163.371(1),on or before March 31289of each year, a report of its activities for the preceding290fiscal year, which report shall include a complete financial291statement setting forth its assets, liabilities, income, and292operating expenses as of the end of such fiscal year. At the293time of filing the report, the agency shall publish in a294newspaper of general circulation in the community a notice to295the effect that such report has been filed with the county or296municipality and that the report is available for inspection297during business hours in the office of the clerk of the city or298county commission and in the office of the agency. 299 (e)(d)At any time after the creation of a community 300 redevelopment agency, the governing body of the county or 301 municipality may appropriate to the agency such amounts as the 302 governing body deems necessary for the administrative expenses 303 and overhead of the agency, including the development and 304 implementation of community policing innovations. 305 Section 5. Subsection (1) of section 163.367, Florida 306 Statutes, is amended to read: 307 163.367 Public officials, commissioners, and employees 308 subject to code of ethics.— 309 (1) The officers, commissioners, and employees of a 310 community redevelopment agency created by, or designated 311 pursuant to, s. 163.356 or s. 163.357 areshall besubject to 312the provisions and requirementsofpart III of chapter 112, and 313 commissioners also must comply with the ethics training 314 requirements imposed in s. 112.3142. 315 Section 6. Paragraphs (d), (e), and (f) are added to 316 subsection (3) of section 163.370, Florida Statutes, and 317 subsection (5) is added to that section, to read: 318 163.370 Powers; counties and municipalities; community 319 redevelopment agencies.— 320 (3) The following projects may not be paid for or financed 321 by increment revenues: 322 (d) Community redevelopment agency activities related to 323 festivals or street parties designed to promote tourism. 324 (e) Grants to entities that promote tourism. 325 (f) Grants to nonprofit entities that provide socially 326 beneficial programs. 327 (5) A community redevelopment agency shall procure all 328 commodities and services under the same purchasing processes and 329 requirements that apply to the county or municipality that 330 created the agency. 331 Section 7. Section 163.371, Florida Statutes, is created to 332 read: 333 163.371 Reporting requirements.— 334 (1) By January 1, 2020, each community redevelopment agency 335 shall publish on its website digital maps that depict the 336 geographic boundaries and total acreage of the community 337 redevelopment agency. If any change is made to the boundaries or 338 total acreage, the agency shall post updated map files on its 339 website within 60 days after the date such change takes effect. 340 (2) Beginning March 31, 2020, and no later than March 31 of 341 each year thereafter, a community redevelopment agency shall 342 file an annual report with the county or municipality that 343 created the agency and publish the report on the agency’s 344 website. The report must include the following information: 345 (a) The most recent complete audit report of the 346 redevelopment trust fund as required in s. 163.387(8). 347 (b) The performance data for each plan authorized, 348 administered, or overseen by the community redevelopment agency 349 as of December 31 of the reporting year, including the: 350 1. Total number of projects started and completed and the 351 estimated cost for each project. 352 2. Total expenditures from the redevelopment trust fund. 353 3. Original assessed real property values within the 354 community redevelopment agency’s area of authority as of the day 355 the agency was created. 356 4. Total assessed real property values of property within 357 the boundaries of the community redevelopment agency as of 358 January 1 of the reporting year. 359 5. Total amount expended for affordable housing for low 360 income and middle-income residents. 361 (c) A summary indicating to what extent, if any, the 362 community redevelopment agency has achieved the goals set out in 363 its community redevelopment plan. 364 Section 8. Section 163.3755, Florida Statutes, is created 365 to read: 366 163.3755 Termination of community redevelopment agencies; 367 prohibition on future creation.— 368 (1) A community redevelopment agency in existence on 369 October 1, 2019, shall terminate on the expiration date provided 370 in the agency’s charter on October 1, 2019, or on September 30, 371 2039, whichever is earlier, unless the governing body of the 372 county or municipality that created the community redevelopment 373 agency approves its continued existence by a majority vote of 374 the members of the governing body. 375 (2)(a) If the governing body of the county or municipality 376 that created the community redevelopment agency does not approve 377 its continued existence by a majority vote of the governing body 378 members, a community redevelopment agency with outstanding bonds 379 as of October 1, 2019, that do not mature until after the 380 termination date of the agency or September 30, 2039, whichever 381 is earlier, remains in existence until the date the bonds 382 mature. 383 (b) A community redevelopment agency operating under this 384 subsection on or after September 30, 2039, may not extend the 385 maturity date of any outstanding bonds. 386 (c) The county or municipality that created the community 387 redevelopment agency must issue a new finding of necessity 388 limited to timely meeting the remaining bond obligations of the 389 community redevelopment agency. 390 Section 9. Section 163.3756, Florida Statutes, is created 391 to read: 392 163.3756 Inactive community redevelopment agencies.— 393 (1) The Legislature finds that a number of community 394 redevelopment agencies continue to exist, but do not report any 395 revenues, expenditures, or debt in the annual reports they file 396 with the Department of Financial Services pursuant to s. 218.32. 397 (2)(a) A community redevelopment agency that has reported 398 no revenue, no expenditures, and no debt under s. 189.016(9) or 399 s. 218.32 for 3 consecutive fiscal years beginning no earlier 400 than October 1, 2016, must be declared inactive by the 401 Department of Economic Opportunity, which shall notify the 402 agency of the declaration. If the agency does not have board 403 members or an agent, the notice of the declaration of inactive 404 status must be delivered to the county or municipal governing 405 board or commission that created the agency. 406 (b) The governing board of a community redevelopment agency 407 that is declared inactive under this section may seek to 408 invalidate the declaration by initiating proceedings under s. 409 189.062(5) within 30 days after the date of the receipt of the 410 notice from the Department of Economic Opportunity. 411 (3) A community redevelopment agency that is declared 412 inactive under this section may expend funds from the 413 redevelopment trust fund only as necessary to service 414 outstanding bond debt. The agency may not expend other funds in 415 the absence of an ordinance of the local governing body that 416 created the agency which consents to the expenditure of such 417 funds. 418 (4) The provisions of s. 189.062(2) and (4) do not apply to 419 a community redevelopment agency that has been declared inactive 420 under this section. 421 (5) The provisions of this section are cumulative to the 422 provisions of s. 189.062. To the extent the provisions of this 423 section conflict with the provisions of s. 189.062, this section 424 prevails. 425 (6) The Department of Economic Opportunity shall maintain 426 on its website a separate list of community redevelopment 427 agencies declared inactive under this section. 428 Section 10. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1), subsection 429 (6), paragraph (d) of subsection (7), and subsection (8) of 430 section 163.387, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 431 163.387 Redevelopment trust fund.— 432 (1)(a) After approval of a community redevelopment plan, 433 there may be established for each community redevelopment agency 434 created under s. 163.356 a redevelopment trust fund. Funds 435 allocated to and deposited into this fund shall be used by the 436 agency to finance or refinance any community redevelopment it 437 undertakes pursuant to the approved community redevelopment 438 plan. No community redevelopment agency may receive or spend any 439 increment revenues pursuant to this section unless and until the 440 governing body has, by ordinance, created the trust fund and 441 provided for the funding of the redevelopment trust fund until 442 the time certain set forth in the community redevelopment plan 443 as required by s. 163.362(10). Such ordinance may be adopted 444 only after the governing body has approved a community 445 redevelopment plan. The annual funding of the redevelopment 446 trust fund shall be in an amount not less than that increment in 447 the income, proceeds, revenues, and funds of each taxing 448 authority derived from or held in connection with the 449 undertaking and carrying out of community redevelopment under 450 this part. Such increment shall be determined annually and shall 451 be that amount equal to 95 percent of the difference between: 452 1. The amount of ad valorem taxes levied each year by each 453 taxing authority, exclusive of any amount from any debt service 454 millage, on taxable real property contained within the 455 geographic boundaries of a community redevelopment area; and 456 2. The amount of ad valorem taxes which would have been 457 produced by the rate upon which the tax is levied each year by 458 or for each taxing authority, exclusive of any debt service 459 millage, upon the total of the assessed value of the taxable 460 real property in the community redevelopment area as shown upon 461 the most recent assessment roll used in connection with the 462 taxation of such property by each taxing authority prior to the 463 effective date of the ordinance providing for the funding of the 464 trust fund. 465 466 However, the governing bodyof any county as defined in s.467125.011(1)may, in the ordinance providing for the funding of a 468 trust fund established with respect to any community 469 redevelopment areacreated on or after July 1, 1994, determine 470 that the amount to be funded by each taxing authority annually 471 shall be less than 95 percent of the difference between 472 subparagraphs 1. and 2., but in no event shall such amount be 473 less than 50 percent of such difference. 474 (6) Effective October 1, 2019, moneys in the redevelopment 475 trust fund may be expendedfrom time to timefor undertakings of 476 a community redevelopment agency as described in the community 477 redevelopment plan only pursuant to an annual budget adopted by 478 the board of commissioners of the community redevelopment agency 479 and only for thefollowingpurposes specified in paragraph (c).,480including, but not limited to:481 (a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a 482 community redevelopment agency shall comply with the 483 requirements of s. 189.016. 484 (b) A community redevelopment agency created by a 485 municipality shall submit its annual budget to the board of 486 county commissioners for the county in which the agency is 487 located within 10 days after the adoption of such budget and 488 submit amendments of its annual budget to the board of county 489 commissioners within 10 days after the adoption date of the 490 amended budgetAdministrative and overhead expenses necessary or491incidental to the implementation of a community redevelopment492plan adopted by the agency. 493 (c) The annual budget of a community redevelopment agency 494 may provide for payment of the following expenses: 495 1. Administrative and overhead expenses directly or 496 indirectly necessary to implement a community redevelopment plan 497 adopted by the agency. However, administrative and overhead 498 expenses may not exceed 18 percent of the total annual budget of 499 the community redevelopment agency. 500 2.(b)Expenses of redevelopment planning, surveys, and 501 financial analysis, including the reimbursement of the governing 502 body or the community redevelopment agency for such expenses 503 incurred before the redevelopment plan was approved and adopted. 504 3.(c)The acquisition of real property in the redevelopment 505 area. 506 4.(d)The clearance and preparation of any redevelopment 507 area for redevelopment and relocation of site occupants within 508 or outside the community redevelopment area as provided in s. 509 163.370. 510 5.(e)The repayment of principal and interest or any 511 redemption premium for loans, advances, bonds, bond anticipation 512 notes, and any other form of indebtedness. 513 6.(f)All expenses incidental to or connected with the 514 issuance, sale, redemption, retirement, or purchase of bonds, 515 bond anticipation notes, or other form of indebtedness, 516 including funding of any reserve, redemption, or other fund or 517 account provided for in the ordinance or resolution authorizing 518 such bonds, notes, or other form of indebtedness. 519 7.(g)The development of affordable housing within the 520 community redevelopment area. 521 8.(h)The development of community policing innovations. 522 9. Infrastructure improvement, building construction, and 523 building renovation, including improvements, construction, and 524 renovation related to parking lots, parking garages, and 525 neighborhood parks. 526 10. Grants and loans to businesses for facade improvements, 527 signage, sprinkler system upgrades, and other structural 528 improvements. 529 (7) On the last day of the fiscal year of the community 530 redevelopment agency, any money which remains in the trust fund 531 after the payment of expenses pursuant to subsection (6) for 532 such year shall be: 533 (d) Appropriated to a specific redevelopment project 534 pursuant to an approved community redevelopment plan. The funds 535 appropriated for such project may not be changed unless the 536 project is amended, redesigned, or delayed, in which case the 537 funds must be reappropriated pursuant to the next annual budget 538 adopted by the board of commissioners of the community 539 redevelopment agencywhich project will be completed within 3540years from the date of such appropriation. 541 (8)(a) Each community redevelopment agency with revenues or 542 a total of expenditures and expenses in excess of $100,000, as 543 reported on the trust fund financial statements, shall provide 544 for a financialanauditof the trust fundeach fiscal yearand545a report of such audit to be preparedby an independent 546 certified public accountant or firm. Each financial audit 547 conducted pursuant to this subsection must be conducted in 548 accordance with rules for audits of local governments adopted by 549 the Auditor General. 550 (b) The auditSuchreport must:shall551 1. Describe the amount and source of deposits into, and the 552 amount and purpose of withdrawals from, the trust fund during 553 such fiscal year and the amount of principal and interest paid 554 during such year on any indebtedness to which increment revenues 555 are pledged and the remaining amount of such indebtedness. 556 2. Include financial statements identifying the assets, 557 liabilities, income, and operating expenses of the community 558 redevelopment agency as of the end of such fiscal year. 559 3. Include a finding by the auditor as to whether the 560 community redevelopment agency is in compliance with subsections 561 (6) and (7). 562 (c) The audit report for the community redevelopment agency 563 must accompany the annual financial report submitted by the 564 county or municipality that created the agency to the Department 565 of Financial Services as provided in s. 218.32, regardless of 566 whether the agency reports separately under that section. 567 (d) The agency shall provideby registered maila copy of 568 the audit report to each taxing authority. 569 Section 11. Subsection (3) of section 218.32, Florida 570 Statutes, is amended to read: 571 218.32 Annual financial reports; local governmental 572 entities.— 573 (3)(a) The department shall notify the President of the 574 Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of any 575 municipality that has not reported any financial activity for 576 the last 4 fiscal years. Such notice must be sufficient to 577 initiate dissolution procedures as described in s. 578 165.051(1)(a). Any special law authorizing the incorporation or 579 creation of the municipality must be included within the 580 notification. 581 (b) Failure of a county or municipality required under s. 582 163.387(8) to include with its annual financial report to the 583 department a financial audit report for each community 584 redevelopment agency created by that county or municipality 585 constitutes a failure to report under this section. 586 (c) By November 1 of each year, the department must provide 587 the Special District Accountability Program of the Department of 588 Economic Opportunity with a list of each community redevelopment 589 agency that does not report any revenues, expenditures, or debt 590 for the community redevelopment agency’s previous fiscal year. 591 Section 12. Subsection (3) of section 163.524, Florida 592 Statutes, is amended to read: 593 163.524 Neighborhood Preservation and Enhancement Program; 594 participation; creation of Neighborhood Preservation and 595 Enhancement Districts; creation of Neighborhood Councils and 596 Neighborhood Enhancement Plans.— 597 (3) After the boundaries and size of the Neighborhood 598 Preservation and Enhancement District have been defined, the 599 local government shall pass an ordinance authorizing the 600 creation of the Neighborhood Preservation and Enhancement 601 District. The ordinance mustshallcontain a finding that the 602 boundaries of the Neighborhood Preservation and Enhancement 603 District comply with s. 163.340(7) or s. 163.340(8)(a)-(s) 604(8)(a)-(o)or do not contain properties that are protected by 605 deed restrictions. Such ordinance may be amended or repealed in 606 the same manner as other local ordinances. 607 Section 13. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.