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The Florida League of Cities will also give considerable attention and support to the following issues:
Transportation
The Florida League of Cities will support legislation that provides an equitable, dedicated and recurring revenue source for municipal transportation projects and opposes any transfer or diversion of State Transportation Trust Fund revenues to balance the state budget. Furthermore, the Florida League of Cities will support legislation prohibiting the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) from allocating more than 65 percent of any “new discretionary highway capacity funds” to the Florida Strategic Intermodal System. Such funds shall be allocated to FDOT districts in a manner that provides maximum flexibility for project eligibility. Additionally, the Florida League of Cities will support legislation creating a State Transportation Revenue Study Commission composed of diverse municipal representatives and other interested parties.
The Florida League of Cities will support legislation that prohibits the FDOT from eliminating, deferring or delaying capacity improvement projects contained in the Five-Year Work Program when the projects are within three years of construction and the removal of such projects will adversely impact the comprehensive plan of the local government. Furthermore, the FDOT shall establish a formalized process for local governments to appeal the decision to remove any project from the Five-Year Work Program and shall not add new projects to the FDOT Five-Year Work Program until all delayed, deferred or deleted projects are reincorporated into the most recent Five-Year Work Program, unless otherwise agreed to by all impacted parties.
The Florida League of Cities will support legislation that enhances the protection of life and property by authorizing the use of electronic traffic infraction detectors at traffic intersections, and that authorizes the assessment of fines to the owner of any vehicle determined by such devices to have violated traffic laws.
Local Business Taxes
The Florida League of Cities will support legislation that allows municipalities and counties to reclassify businesses, professions and occupations, and establish new rate structures for local business taxes on a periodic basis.
Local Government Pension Plans
The Florida League of Cities will support legislation that enhances municipal control over municipal employee pension plan management and funding.
Mobile Home Park Closure
The Florida League of Cities will support legislation that preserves and protects the property rights of mobile home owners. Legislation should address fair compensation, relocation and removal costs incurred by mobile home park residents in instances of park rezoning. However, such costs should not be the responsibility of local governments. Finally, legislation must provide procedures by which local governments can address mobile home park rezoning based upon land development regulation standards.
Municipal Indebtedness
The Florida League of Cities will support legislation that broadens municipal Home Rule and other authority, to the fullest extent of the Florida Constitution, to issue tax-increment financed bonds and other forms of indebtedness without approval by referendum.
Water
The Florida League of Cities will support legislation that:
• Requires water management districts to measure the cumulative impacts of individual residential water wells that are not currently subject to water use permits;
• Develops a process whereby all water user groups, including individual residential water well users, are required to pay for a proportionate share of the cost to develop alternative water supplies and sources;
• Requires that at least one appointee to a water management district governing board be a representative from a municipality, county or municipally owned water utility;
• Allows municipal ordinances to continue to be more stringent than state minimum requirements for protecting all water bodies, whether the water body is impaired or not;
• Maintains or increases funding of the state Water Protection and Sustainability Trust Fund; and
• Requires an appropriate percentage of water be returned or “credited” to a water use permit holder when the permit holder enhances regional water availability by establishing a reclaimed water system.
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