Bill Text: FL S1512 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Local Government Reporting
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2020-03-14 - Died in Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government [S1512 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S1512-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1512
By Senator Diaz
36-01765-20 20201512__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to local government reporting;
3 amending ss. 129.03 and 166.241, F.S.; deleting an
4 annual requirement for county budget officers and
5 municipal budget officers, respectively, to report
6 specified budget information to the Office of Economic
7 and Demographic Research; creating s. 218.323, F.S.;
8 providing legislative intent; requiring each county
9 and municipality to annually report specified fiscal
10 and economic information to the Department of
11 Financial Services; requiring the department to adopt
12 rules; requiring the department to establish a certain
13 website by a specified date; requiring the department
14 to annually generate and distribute to residents a
15 specified local government report; specifying
16 requirements for preparing and distributing the
17 report; specifying required information in the report;
18 specifying required information on the department’s
19 website; authorizing the department to select
20 contractors for certain purposes; providing a
21 procurement requirement; providing an effective date.
22
23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
24
25 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section
26 129.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
27 129.03 Preparation and adoption of budget.—
28 (3) The county budget officer, after tentatively
29 ascertaining the proposed fiscal policies of the board for the
30 next fiscal year, shall prepare and present to the board a
31 tentative budget for the next fiscal year for each of the funds
32 provided in this chapter, including all estimated receipts,
33 taxes to be levied, and balances expected to be brought forward
34 and all estimated expenditures, reserves, and balances to be
35 carried over at the end of the year.
36 (d) By October 15, 2019, and each October 15 annually
37 thereafter, the county budget officer shall electronically
38 submit the following information regarding the final budget and
39 the county’s economic status to the Office of Economic and
40 Demographic Research in the format specified by the office:
41 1. Government spending per resident, including, at a
42 minimum, the spending per resident for the previous 5 fiscal
43 years.
44 2. Government debt per resident, including, at a minimum,
45 the debt per resident for the previous 5 fiscal years.
46 3. Median income within the county.
47 4. The average county employee salary.
48 5. Percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for
49 county employees.
50 6. Number of special taxing districts, wholly or partially,
51 within the county.
52 Section 2. Subsections (4) and (6) of section 166.241,
53 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
54 166.241 Fiscal years, budgets, and budget amendments.—
55 (4) Beginning October 15, 2019, and each October 15
56 thereafter, the municipal budget officer shall electronically
57 submit the following information regarding the final budget and
58 the municipality’s economic status to the Office of Economic and
59 Demographic Research in the format specified by the office:
60 (a) Government spending per resident, including, at a
61 minimum, the spending per resident for the previous 5 fiscal
62 years.
63 (b) Government debt per resident, including, at a minimum,
64 the debt per resident for the previous 5 fiscal years.
65 (c) Average municipal employee salary.
66 (d) Median income within the municipality.
67 (e) Number of special taxing districts wholly or partially
68 within the municipality.
69 (f) Percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for
70 municipal employees.
71 (5)(6) If the governing body of a municipality amends the
72 budget pursuant to paragraph (4)(c) (5)(c), the adopted
73 amendment must be posted on the official website of the
74 municipality within 5 days after adoption and must remain on the
75 website for at least 2 years. If the municipality does not
76 operate an official website, the municipality must, within a
77 reasonable period of time as established by the county or
78 counties in which the municipality is located, transmit the
79 adopted amendment to the manager or administrator of such county
80 or counties who shall post the adopted amendment on the county’s
81 website.
82 Section 3. Section 218.323, Florida Statutes, is created to
83 read:
84 218.323 County and municipal fiscal and economic
85 information; reporting requirement.—
86 (1) The Legislature intends to create an interactive
87 repository for county and municipal financial information and to
88 distribute a report that enables residents to compare the final
89 budget and economic status of counties and municipalities.
90 (2) By October 15, 2020, and each October 15 thereafter,
91 each county and each municipality shall electronically submit
92 the information required under subsection (3) to the department
93 in the method and format established by department rule.
94 (3)(a) By January 15, 2021, the department must establish
95 an interactive website that allows residents to compare certain
96 information about counties and municipalities. By January 15,
97 2021, and each January 15 thereafter, the department must
98 generate and distribute a local government report depicting the
99 fiscal and economic status of each county and municipality and
100 providing a comparative ranking with all other counties and
101 municipalities in this state.
102 (b) The local government report must be mailed to each
103 household with a registered voter at the address. The local
104 government report must be specific to the household’s
105 municipality and county. Each household not residing within a
106 municipality must receive a local government report specific to
107 the household’s county. The local government report must assist
108 the household in making direct comparisons of fiscal and
109 economic metrics, must be a single page and use colorful
110 graphics, and must provide the following information in an easy
111 to understand format:
112 1. The government spending per resident, including the per
113 resident spending for the past 5 fiscal years. The local
114 government report must depict the total per-resident spent and
115 the rank for the municipality compared to all municipalities.
116 For each county, such report must depict the total per-resident
117 spent and the rank for the county compared to all counties.
118 2. The government debt per resident, including the per
119 resident debt for the previous 5 fiscal years. The local
120 government report must depict the total debt and the rank for
121 the municipality compared to all municipalities. For each
122 county, such report must depict the total debt and the rank for
123 the county compared to all counties.
124 3. The average county or municipal employee salary, as
125 applicable. The local government report must depict the average
126 county or municipal employee salary, as applicable, and the rank
127 for the county or municipality compared to all counties or
128 municipalities, as applicable.
129 4. The median income. The local government report must
130 depict the median income for the county or municipality, as
131 applicable, and the rank for the county or municipality compared
132 to all counties or municipalities, as applicable.
133 5. The average school grade for the county or municipality,
134 as applicable.
135 6. The crime rate for the county and the rank for the
136 county compared to all counties.
137 (c) In addition to the information included in the local
138 government report required under paragraph (b), the interactive
139 website must, at a minimum, include the following information:
140 1. The population of the county or municipality, as
141 applicable.
142 2. The unemployment rate for the county or municipality, as
143 applicable.
144 3. The percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for
145 county or municipal employees, as applicable. The website must
146 depict the percent of budget spent on salaries and benefits for
147 the county or municipality, as applicable, and the rank for the
148 county or municipality compared to all counties or
149 municipalities, as applicable.
150 4. The number of special taxing districts, wholly or
151 partially, within the county or municipality, as applicable.
152 5. The government revenue per resident for the county or
153 municipality, as applicable, and the rank for the county or
154 municipality compared to all counties or municipalities, as
155 applicable.
156 (4) The department may choose one or more contractors to
157 design and distribute the local government report to enable
158 residents to compare the final budget and economic status data
159 reported by each county and municipality, and to create the
160 interactive website. The department must select contractors
161 through an open request for proposal process pursuant to chapter
162 287.
163 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
