HomeMy Public PortalAboutLTC 034-2020 Legislative Session Week 7 ReportsBAL HARBOUR
- VILLAGE -
OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER
To:
From: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager
Date: March 2, 2020
Subject: Legislative Session Week 7 Reports
LETTER TO COUNCIL
NO. 034-2020
Mayor Gabriel Groisman and Members of the Village Council
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The purpose of this Letter to Council (LTC) is to transmit the attached Legislative Session
Week 7 Reports provided by Ron L. Book.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to contact
me.
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Ronald L Book, P fl.
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Session 2020 Report
Week 7
Enclosed is our Session Report for week 7 which includes an update on funding requests and legislative
issues. Please let us know if you have questions on any issue included in this report, or on any other issue
of concern. We will be happy to provide further information.
➢ FUNDING REQUEST UPDATE:
This week, as it pertains to the budget, the House and Senate are gearing up for the budget conference
meetings to begin next week and continue through next weekend. Meaning, there has been no change in
the funding request status.
We continue our meetings with appropriation subcommittee chairs, the full appropriations committee
chairs, the Speaker and his staff, and the Senate President and his staff, on funding issues. We expect
funding allocations for each appropriations subcommittee to be issued early next week. After that is issued
and conference committee members are announced, budget conference would begin. As you know, through
the Conference process the Legislature will work toward one budget, reconciling the differences between
the two. Below are the current funding levels as they stand pre -conference, in the Senate and House budgets.
• Bal Harbour Village Storm Water System Improvements (HB 2877/LFIR #1114)
Sponsors: Senator Pizzo, Representative Geller
Senate: $250,000 line 1635A House: $100,000 line 1635A
➢ LEGISLATIVE ISSUES: Below are several bills of interest to local governments. As we progress
through Session, we will add legislation that is moving through committees.
Tax Cut Package: (HB 7097) The 89 -page proposed House tax cut package legislation addresses the CST
among other issues relating to local governments. This proposal was released and discussed in the House
Ways and Means Committee during week 6 and has passed the full House this week.
*Negotiations on this tax package mirror somewhat the budget process, as one House bill that the Senate
will then hear and mark up, send back and negotiate a final tax package.
• Communications Services Tax: The bill provides for a 0.5 percentage point reduction in the state
communications services tax.
• Future sunset of the Charter County and Regional Transportation System Sales Surtax currently
levied in Miami -Dade County, and a requirement that any future levy of the tax in any eligible
county be limited to 20 years in duration.
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government entity for damages resulting from the actions of a state employee acting in bad faith. This week
we continued to voice the County's concerns with the sponsor and members.
SB 1302 has passed 2 of its 3 committees. We continue to watch for similar language in any proposed
House bill.
Legal Notices: (HB 7 by Fine and SB 1340 by Gruters) The bill clarifies that a governmental agency must
provide annual notice in a newspaper or other publication of the ability to receive notices by email or first-
class mail only if the governmental agency uses a publicly accessible website to publish notices. It also
provides that notices for public -private partnership projects must be published in the Florida Administrative
Register and in each county where the project is located.
HB 7 will be heard by the full House on 3/3. SB 1340 has been temporarily postponed in two Judiciary
committee meetings.
Local Government Officials/Weapons and Firearms: (SB 1524 by Gainer and HB 183 by Ponder) This
bill authorizes city and county commissioners who are licensed to carry a concealed weapon or firearm, to
carry their weapon to a meeting of the governing body of which he or she is a member.
SB 1524 has not been heard to date. HB 183 has passed all of its committees and is ready for the full House.
Local Government Fiscal Transparency Act: (SB 1702: by Diaz and HB 1149 by DiCeglie) This bill
addresses increased fiscal transparency for local governments and would require the following:
• Public access to voting records of local governing body members related to tax increases and the
issuance of tax -supported debt
• Online access to truth-in-millage (TRIM) notices and a four-year history of property tax rates and total
revenue generated by each local government
• Public meetings and expanded public notice requirements for local option tax increases and the issuance
of new long-term, tax -supported debt;
• Require local governments to conduct a debt affordability analysis prior to issuance of new long-term,
tax -supported debt
• Allows the Auditor General to request evidence of corrective action from local governments found not
to be in compliance with the Act and to report those who fail to do so to the Legislative Auditing
Committee.
SB 1702 has not been heard to date. HB 1149 has passed the full House 77 — 36.
➢ Session Dates: January 14, 2020 through March 13, 2020.
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