07-04
RESOLUTION NO. 07-04
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER,
FLORIDA, URGING MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA
LEGISLATURE TO SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING ISSUES
DURING THE 2007 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WHEREAS, municipal self-determination and local self-government are
constantly under attack from a variety of public and private interests; and
WHEREAS, numerous counties have recently proposed revisions to their charters that
would adversely impact the Home-Rule powers of municipalities within those counties;
and
WHEREAS, a majority of Florida's municipalities have experienced negative impacts to
infrastructure, housing stock and employment base from a series of natural disasters;
higher than expected increases in the cost of building products; double-digit increases
in the cost of property insurance; and inequities in the existing property-tax system; and
WHEREAS, Florida's continuing population increase has presented a challenge to
cities struggling to meet the infrastructure needs required to accommodate new growth
and development without an infrastructure revenue source dedicated to municipalities;
and
WHEREAS, various proposed reVISions to the property-tax system would have
substantial adverse impacts for all municipalities in Florida should they be adopted; and
WHEREAS, Florida's municipalities are dependent on other governmental entities for
financial stability and under the current system the state, counties, and school districts,
control all funding sources authorized for implementing capital improvements and
complying with concurrency requirements; and
WHEREAS, Governor Charlie Crist and Florida's House and Senate leaders have an
opportunity to address the unique concerns of municipalities during the upcoming 2007
legislative session; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA:
Section 1. That the City of Clearwater urges Governor Charlie Crist and
members of the Florida legislature to support legislation during the 2007 legislative
session that:
· Restores and maintains municipal Home-Rule authority for municipalities
located within charter counties;
Resolution No. 07-04
. ..
. Supports a tax structure that is fair and equitable, and is competitively neutral
and allows municipalities the flexibility to provide adequate services in their
communities.
. Preserves the dedicated documentary stamp fees as a funding source for the
State and Local Government Housing Trust Find (Sadowski Trust Fund),
eliminates the cap placed on fund distribution, and prohibits any of these trust
fund dollars from being diverted to the General Revenue Fund.
. Provides a comprehensive and uniform workers' compensation system for all
municipal employees, regardless of employee classification, at a reasonable
cost to employers.
. Provides a dedicated and recurring source of revenue, including municipal local-
option fuel taxes, rental-car surcharges, or other taxes or fees, for municipalities
to fund transportation projects such as TRIP, urban arterial and other projects.
Furthermore, the existing distribution formula for local-option transportation
taxes imposed by a county should be revised to allow for a more equitable
distribution to municipalities and provides for indexing of local-option fuel taxes.
. Requires legislative authorization prior to the Florida Department of
Transportation removing or delaying any project that is contained in the FDOT
Five-Year Work Plan.
. Preserves municipal authority to franchise cable and video services.
Section 2. That a copy of this resolution shall be provided to Gov. Charlie Crist,
Senate President Ken Pruitt, House of Representatives Speaker Marco Rubio and
members of the Florida Legislature
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 31st day of Januarv , 2007.
/~/~
Frarf1{ V. Hibbard
Mayor
Approved as to form: Attest:
~JlA
Pamela K. Akin
City Attorney
2 Resolution No. 07-04