Legislative Positions

CS/HB 9, related to Florida Community Redevelopment Agencies, was passed by the 2019 legislature.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2019/9/BillText/er/PDF

Using “#Redevelopmentworks” we post examples of tools to promote the good work of CRAs throughout the state. The FRA has also built an online library of best practices. Look under the Awards section for 10 years of great examples of redevelopment projects.

CS/HB 9 contained increased accountability and transparency requirements without undue limitations on the operations or administration of Florida CRAs.

 

CS/HB 9 (LeMarca)

• Requires ethics training for all CRA board members;
• Requires the CRA to use the same procurement processes as the city or county
• Revises the annual reporting requirements for agencies;
• Allows for extensions of CRA terms beyond 2039;
• Limits the extension of outstanding bonds’ maturity beyond 2039;
• Updates state agency requirements when declaring inactive CRAs;
• Allows the amounts of funding by each taxing authority who passes the funding ordinance of a CRA trust fund to be lowered to 50%;
• Requires all CRA expenditures to be pursuant to the annual budget;
• Such budget/amendments shall be submitted to the county 10 days after approval;
• Revises the list of allowed expenditures by a CRA;
• Allows end of fiscal year carry over of project funds beyond the 3 year limitation;
• Revises audit requirements;
• Requires the audit to accompany the annual financial report under 218.32;
• Effective October 1, 2019.

2019 Legislative Positions

The Florida Redevelopment Association takes great pride in representing Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) throughout Florida. CRAs bring economic vitality and jobs to our communities. Our members support thriving urban centers; improve infrastructure; recruit and retain businesses; promote growth and development in our urban areas; and facilitate public-private partnerships. Redevelopment is a sound investment by cities, counties and the private sector, and leads to long term economic development and job creation. 

• Florida’s community redevelopment agencies (CRAs) serve to revitalize communities through projects such as streetscapes and roadway improvements, building renovations, neighborhood parks and more.
• CRAs are created by local governments and funded by tax increment funding, which captures tax revenue from property value increases in a designated area – increases that are the result of effective redevelopment.
• Unfortunately, Florida’s CRAs are currently under attack by proposed legislation that will enact crippling limitations in an attempt to impede the creation of new CRAs and terminate existing programs by 2039.
• CS/Florida Senate Bill 1054 and CS/Florida House Bill 9 aim to impose a long list of limitations that will have an enormous negative impact on the survival of local CRAs.
• Without local CRAs, the progress that has been made in redevelopment will come to a halt; property values will drop, and communities will suffer.
• The Redevelopment Works campaign is working to raise awareness about the importance of Florida’s CRAs to ensure continued progress in community redevelopment.

For further information, contact Carol Westmoreland, Executive Director of the Florida Redevelopment Association, at (850) 701-3608, cwestmoreland@flcities.com, or visit www.redevelopment.net.

The Redevelopment Works campaign is raising awareness about the importance of Florida’s community redevelopment agencies (CRAs), which serve to revitalize communities. Our CRAs are currently under attack by legislation under consideration in the 2019 session. We are working with legislators to find areas of agreement, and we appreciate their consideration. However, CRAs must be left intact to continue to improve our communities. To ensure forward movement, and not regressive policy development, we’re calling on lawmakers to protect our CRAs.

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