(1) A landowner or the board may petition to contract or expand the boundaries of a community development district in the following manner:

(a) The petition shall contain the same information required by s. 190.005(1)(a)1. and 8. In addition, if the petitioner seeks to expand the district, the petition shall describe the proposed timetable for construction of any district services to the area, the estimated cost of constructing the proposed services, and the designation of the future general distribution, location, and extent of public and private uses of land proposed for the area by the future land use plan element of the adopted local government local comprehensive plan. If the petitioner seeks to contract the district, the petition shall describe what services and facilities are currently provided by the district to the area being removed, and the designation of the future general distribution, location, and extent of public and private uses of land proposed for the area by the future land element of the adopted local government comprehensive plan.

(b) For those districts initially established by county ordinance, the petition for ordinance amendment shall be filed with the county commission. If the land to be included or excluded is, in whole or in part, within the boundaries of a municipality, then the county commission shall not amend the ordinance without municipal approval. A public hearing shall be held in the same manner and with the same public notice as other ordinance amendments. The county commission shall consider the record of the public hearing and the factors set forth in s. 190.005(1)(e) in making its determination to grant or deny the petition for ordinance amendment.

(c) For those districts initially established by municipal ordinance pursuant to s. 190.005(2)(e), the municipality shall assume the duties of the county commission set forth in paragraph (b); however, if any of the land to be included or excluded, in whole or in part, is outside the boundaries of the municipality, then the municipality shall not amend its ordinance without county commission approval.

(d)1. For those districts initially established by administrative rule pursuant to s. 190.005(1), the petition shall be filed with the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission.

2. Prior to filing the petition, the petitioner shall pay a filing fee of $1,500, to the county if the district or the land to be added or deleted from the district is located within an unincorporated area or to the municipality if the district or the land to be added or deleted is located within an incorporated area, and to each municipality the boundaries of which are contiguous with or contain all or a portion of the land within or to be added to or deleted from the external boundaries of the district. The petitioner shall submit a copy of the petition to the same entities entitled to receive the filing fee. In addition, if the district is not the petitioner, the petitioner shall file the petition with the district board of supervisors.

3. Each county and each municipality shall have the option of holding a public hearing as provided by s. 190.005(1)(c). However, the public hearing shall be limited to consideration of the contents of the petition and whether the petition for amendment should be supported by the county or municipality.

4. The district board of supervisors shall, in lieu of a hearing officer, hold the local public hearing provided for by s. 190.005(1)(d). This local public hearing shall be noticed in the same manner as provided in s. 190.005(1)(d). Within 45 days of the conclusion of the hearing, the district board of supervisors shall transmit to the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission the full record of the local hearing, the transcript of the hearing, any resolutions adopted by the local general-purpose governments, and its recommendation whether to grant the petition for amendment. The commission shall then proceed in accordance with s. 190.005(1)(e).

5. A rule amending a district boundary shall describe the land to be added or deleted.

(e)1. During the existence of a district initially established by administrative rule, the process to amend the boundaries of the district pursuant to paragraphs (a)-(d) shall not permit a cumulative net total greater than 50 percent of the land in the initial district, and in no event greater than 1,000 acres on a cumulative net basis.

2. During the existence of a district initially established by county or municipal ordinance, the process to amend the boundaries of the district pursuant to paragraphs (a)-(d) shall not permit a cumulative net total greater than 50 percent of the land in the initial district, and in no event greater than 1,000 acres on a cumulative net basis.

(f) Petitions to amend the boundaries of the district that exceed the amount of land specified in paragraph (e) shall be processed in accordance with s. 190.005, and the petition shall include only the elements set forth in s. 190.005(1)(a)1. and 5.-8. and the consent required by paragraph (g). However, the resulting administrative rule or ordinance may only amend the boundaries of the district and may not establish a new district or cause a new 6-year or 10-year period to begin pursuant to s. 190.006(3)(a)2. The filing fee for such petitions shall be as set forth in s. 190.005(1)(b), as applicable.

(g) In all cases of a petition to amend the boundaries of a district, the filing of the petition by the district board of supervisors constitutes consent of the landowners within the district. In all cases, written consent of those landowners whose land is to be added to or deleted from the district as provided in s. 190.005(1)(a)2. is required.

(h) For a petition to establish a new community development district of less than 2,500 acres on land located solely in one county or one municipality, sufficiently contiguous lands located within the county or municipality which the petitioner anticipates adding to the boundaries of the district within 10 years after the effective date of the ordinance establishing the district may also be identified. If such sufficiently contiguous land is identified, the petition must include a legal description of each additional parcel within the sufficiently contiguous land, the current owner of the parcel, the acreage of the parcel, and the current land use designation of the parcel. At least 14 days before the hearing required under s. 190.005(2)(b), the petitioner must give the current owner of each such parcel notice of filing the petition to establish the district, the date and time of the public hearing on the petition, and the name and address of the petitioner. A parcel may not be included in the district without the written consent of the owner of the parcel.

1. After establishment of the district, a person may petition the county or municipality to amend the boundaries of the district to include a previously identified parcel that was a proposed addition to the district before its establishment. A filing fee may not be charged for this petition. Each such petition must include:

a. A legal description by metes and bounds of the parcel to be added;

b. A new legal description by metes and bounds of the district;

c. Written consent of all owners of the parcel to be added;

d. A map of the district including the parcel to be added;

e. A description of the development proposed on the additional parcel; and

f. A copy of the original petition identifying the parcel to be added.

2. Before filing with the county or municipality, the person must provide the petition to the district and to the owner of the proposed additional parcel, if the owner is not the petitioner.

3. Once the petition is determined sufficient and complete, the county or municipality must process the addition of the parcel to the district as an amendment to the ordinance that establishes the district. The county or municipality may process all petitions to amend the ordinance for parcels identified in the original petition, even if, by adding such parcels, the district exceeds 2,500 acres.

4. The petitioner shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the proposed district a notice of the intent to amend the ordinance that establishes the district. The notice must be in addition to any notice required for adoption of the ordinance amendment. Such notice must be published at least 10 days before the scheduled hearing on the ordinance amendment and may be published in the section of the newspaper reserved for legal notices. The notice must include a general description of the land to be added to the district and the date and time of the scheduled hearing to amend the ordinance. The petitioner shall deliver, including by mail or hand delivery, the notice of the hearing on the ordinance amendment to the owner of the parcel and to the district at least 14 days before the scheduled hearing.

5. The amendment of a district by the addition of a parcel pursuant to this paragraph does not alter the transition from landowner voting to qualified elector voting pursuant to s. 190.006, even if the total size of the district after the addition of the parcel exceeds 5,000 acres. Upon adoption of the ordinance expanding the district, the petitioner must cause to be recorded a notice of boundary amendment which reflects the new boundaries of the district.

6. This paragraph is intended to facilitate the orderly addition of lands to a district under certain circumstances and does not preclude the addition of lands to any district using the procedures in the other provisions of this section.

(2) The district shall remain in existence unless:

(a) The district is merged with another district as provided in subsection (3) or subsection (4);

(b) All of the specific community development systems, facilities, and services that it is authorized to perform have been transferred to a general-purpose unit of local government in the manner provided in subsections (5), (6), and (7); or

(c) The district is dissolved as provided in subsection (8), subsection (9), or subsection (10).

(3) The district may merge with other community development districts upon filing a petition for merger, which petition shall include the elements set forth in s. 190.005(1) and which shall be evaluated using the criteria set forth in s. 190.005(1)(e). The filing fee shall be as set forth in s. 190.005(1)(b). In addition, the petition shall state whether a new district is to be established or whether one district shall be the surviving district. A community development district may also merge with another type of special district created by special act pursuant to the terms of that special act or by filing a petition for establishment of a new district pursuant to s. 190.005. The government formed by a merger involving a community development district pursuant to this section shall assume all indebtedness of, and receive title to, all property owned by the preexisting special districts, and the rights of creditors and liens upon property are not impaired by such merger. Any claim existing or action or proceeding pending by or against any district that is a party to the merger may be continued as if the merger had not occurred, or the surviving district may be substituted in the proceeding for the district that ceased to exist. Prior to filing a petition, the districts desiring to merge shall enter into a merger agreement and shall provide for the proper allocation of the indebtedness so assumed and the manner in which such debt shall be retired. The approval of the merger agreement and the petition by the board of supervisors of the district shall constitute consent of the landowners within the district. A community development district merging with another type of district may also enter into a merger agreement to address issues of transition, including the allocation of indebtedness and retirement of debt.

(4)(a) To achieve economies of scale, reduce costs to affected district residents and businesses in areas with multiple existing districts, and encourage the merger of multiple districts, up to five districts that were established by the same local general-purpose government and whose board memberships are composed entirely of qualified electors may merge into one surviving district through adoption of an ordinance by the local general-purpose government, notwithstanding the acreage limitations otherwise set forth for the establishment of a district in this chapter. The filing of a petition by the majority of the members of each district board of supervisors seeking to merge constitutes consent of the landowners within each applicable district.

(b) In addition to meeting the requirements of subsection (3), a merger agreement entered into between the district boards subject to this subsection must also:

1. Require the surviving merged district board to consist of five elected board members.

2. Require each at-large board seat to represent the entire geographic area of the surviving merged district.

3. Ensure that each district to be merged is entitled to elect at least one board member from its former boundary.

4. Ensure a fair allocation of board membership to represent the districts being merged. To that end:

a. If two districts merge, two board members shall be elected from each of the districts and one member shall be elected at-large.

b. If three districts merge, one board member shall be elected from each of the three districts and two board members shall be elected at-large.

c. If four districts merge, one board member shall be elected from each of the four districts and one board member shall be elected at-large.

d. If five districts merge, one board member shall be elected from each of the five districts.

5. Require the election of board members for the surviving merged district to be held at the next general election following the merger, at which time all terms of preexisting board members shall end and the merger shall be legally in effect.

(c) Before filing the merger petition with the local general-purpose government under this subsection, each district proposing to merge must hold a public hearing within its district to provide information about and take public comment on the proposed merger, merger agreement, and assignment of board seats. Notice of the hearing shall be published at least 14 days before the hearing. If, after the public hearing, a district board decides that it no longer wants to merge and cancels the proposed merger agreement, the remaining districts must each hold another public hearing on the revised merger agreement. A petition to merge may not be filed for at least 30 days after the last public hearing held by the districts proposing to merge.

(5) The local general-purpose government within the geographical boundaries of which the district lies may adopt a nonemergency ordinance providing for a plan for the transfer of a specific community development service from a district to the local general-purpose government. The plan must provide for the assumption and guarantee of the district debt that is related to the service by the local general-purpose government and must demonstrate the ability of the local general-purpose government to provide such service:

(a) As efficiently as the district.

(b) At a level of quality equal to or higher than the level of quality actually delivered by the district to the users of the service.

(c) At a charge equal to or lower than the actual charge by the district to the users of the service.

(6) No later than 30 days following the adoption of a transfer plan ordinance, the board of supervisors may file, in the circuit court for the county in which the local general-purpose government that adopted the ordinance is located, a petition seeking review by certiorari of the factual and legal basis for the adoption of the transfer plan ordinance.

(7) Upon the transfer of all of the community development services of the district to a general-purpose unit of local government, the district shall be terminated in accordance with a plan of termination which shall be adopted by the board of supervisors and filed with the clerk of the circuit court.

(8) If, within 5 years after the effective date of the rule or ordinance establishing the district, a landowner has not received a development permit, as defined in chapter 380, on some part or all of the area covered by the district, then the district will be automatically dissolved and a judge of the circuit court shall cause a statement to that effect to be filed in the public records.

(9) In the event the district has become inactive pursuant to s. 189.062, the respective board of county commissioners or city commission shall be informed and it shall take appropriate action.

(10) If a district has no outstanding financial obligations and no operating or maintenance responsibilities, upon the petition of the district, the district may be dissolved by a nonemergency ordinance of the general-purpose local governmental entity that established the district or, if the district was established by rule of the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission, the district may be dissolved by repeal of such rule of the commission.

History.—s. 2, ch. 80-407; ss. 13, 19, ch. 84-360; s. 49, ch. 89-169; s. 11, ch. 91-308; s. 43, ch. 99-378; s. 34, ch. 2004-345; s. 31, ch. 2004-353; s. 10, ch. 2009-142; s. 22, ch. 2013-15; s. 70, ch. 2014-22; s. 3, ch. 2016-94; s. 4, ch. 2017-3; s. 1, ch. 2019-164.