Official List of Special Districts Online

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About the Official List of Special Districts Online

Purposes

The primary purposes of the Official List of Special Districts Online are to improve efficiency, promote special district accountability, and encourage communication and coordination among special districts, local governments, private and non-profit agencies, and the public.  It is an important part of Florida's Local Government Financial Reporting System and is primarily used by the following state and local agencies:

• The President of the Senate
• The Speaker of the House of Representatives
• The Auditor General
• The Department of Revenue
• The Department of Banking and Finance (Comptroller)
• The Department of Management Services
• The State Board of Administration, Division of Bond Finance
• All Counties
• All Municipalities
• All County Property Appraisers
• All Tax Collectors
• All Supervisors of Elections

Data Accuracy

The Official List of Special Districts Online is maintained and updated as follows:

• Chapter 189, Florida Statutes, requires each special district to notify the program within 30 days after creation, dissolution, merger, amendments, and registered agent/address changes.
• State agencies compare entities reporting to them with those listed in the list, and notifies program staff of any discrepancies.
• Each October, during invoicing of the annual special district fee, every special district must verify the accuracy of the information and advise the program of needed updates and/or corrections.

Data Categories

The data collected and maintained in the database is as follows:

• Special District Name is the legal name of the special district.
• Registered Agent's Name is the person that the special district designates to be an agent of the district upon whom any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served upon the district may be served.
• Registered Office Address is the mailing address where the special district receives its mail.
• Telephone is the registered agent's telephone number.
• Fax is the registered agent's fax number.
• E-Mail is the registered agent's e-mail address.
• Website is the special district's website.
• Status refers to the dependent or independent status of the special district pursuant to Section 189.403, Florida Statutes.
• County(ies) - is where the special district has territory.
• Local Governing Authority is the name of the local general-purpose government(s) (municipality or county) in which the special district is located.
• Functions refers to the role of the special district.
• Date Established is the date that the special district was legally created.
• Creation Documents refers to the specific local ordinance, rule of the Governor and Cabinet, special act, court decree or interlocal agreement that created the special district.
• Statutory Authority refers to the Florida Statute(s) governing the operation of the special district.
• Board Selection refers to the way a special district's board is selected as follows:
  • Gov. Appoints: The Governor appointed the board.
  • LGA Appoints: The local general-purpose governing authority appointed the board.
  • Same as LGA: The board is the same as the local general-purpose governing authority's board.
  • Similar to LGA: The board may not include all members of the local general-purpose governing authority's board.
  • Appointed: The board is appointed by an entity other than a single local governing authority or the Governor.
  • Elected: The board is elected by the electors in the special district.
  • Appt./Elected: The board has both appointed and elected members.
  • Other: None of the above.
• Authority to Issue Bonds: "Yes" or "No".
• Revenue Source refers to the special district's actual revenue source(s) such as ad valorem, non ad valorem, special assessments, fees, and TIF (tax increment financing).
• Most Recent Update is the most recent date in which the special district provided an annual update form or other update to the Special District Information Program.
• Creation Method refers to the general method in which the district was created (local ordinance, Rule of the Governor and Cabinet, Special Act of the Legislature, or General Law (such as an through an interlocal agreement).

Common Abbreviations

The following abbreviations appear in the Official List of Special Districts Online:

• C.D.D. - Community Development District
• C.R.A. - Community Redevelopment Agency
• D.D.A. - Downtown Development Authority
• Dep. - Dependent
• E.M.S. - Emergency Medical Services
• F.A.C. - Florida Administrative Code
• F.S. - Florida Statutes
• H.F.A. - Housing Finance Authority
• I.D.A. - Industrial Development Authority
• Ind. - Independent
• LGA - Local Governing Authority
• L.O.F - Laws of Florida
• Multi - Multiple
• NID - Neighborhood Improvement District
• RDA - Research and Development Authority
• WMD - Water Management District
• TIF - Tax Increment Financing