(1) Each county government which meets the provisions of subsection (2) or subsection (8) and which participates in the local government half-cent sales tax shall receive a distribution from the Local Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund in addition to its regular monthly distribution as provided in this part.
(2) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that a fiscal emergency exists in any county which meets the following criteria:
(a) The county has a population of 65,000 or less; and
(b) The moneys distributed to the county government pursuant to s. 218.62 for the prior fiscal year were less than the current per capita limitation, based on the population of that county.
(3) Qualification under this section shall be determined annually at the start of the fiscal year. Emergency and supplemental moneys shall be distributed monthly with other moneys provided pursuant to this part.
(4) For the fiscal year beginning in 1988, the per capita limitation shall be $24.60. Thereafter, commencing with the fiscal year which begins in 1989, this limitation shall be adjusted annually for inflation. The annual adjustment to the per capita limitation for each fiscal period shall be the percentage change in the state and local government price deflator for purchases of goods and services, all items, 1983 equals 100, or successor reports for the preceding calendar year as initially reported by the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, as certified by the Florida Consensus Estimating Conference.
(5) At the beginning of each fiscal year, the Department of Revenue shall calculate a base allocation for each eligible county equal to the difference between the current per capita limitation times the county’s population, minus prior year ordinary distributions to the county pursuant to ss. 212.20(6)(d)2., 218.61, and 218.62. If moneys deposited into the Local Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund pursuant to s. 212.20(6)(d)3., excluding moneys appropriated for supplemental distributions pursuant to subsection (8), for the current year are less than or equal to the sum of the base allocations, each eligible county shall receive a share of the appropriated amount proportional to its base allocation. If the deposited amount exceeds the sum of the base allocations, each county shall receive its base allocation, and the excess appropriated amount, less any amounts distributed under subsection (6), shall be distributed equally on a per capita basis among the eligible counties.
(6) If moneys deposited in the Local Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund pursuant to s. 212.20(6)(d)3. exceed the amount necessary to provide the base allocation to each eligible county, the moneys in the trust fund may be used to provide a transitional distribution, as specified in this subsection, to certain counties whose population has increased. The transitional distribution shall be made available to each county that qualified for a distribution under subsection (2) in the prior year but does not, because of the requirements of paragraph (2)(a), qualify for a distribution in the current year. Beginning on July 1 of the year following the year in which the county no longer qualifies for a distribution under subsection (2), the county shall receive two-thirds of the amount received in the prior year, and beginning July 1 of the second year following the year in which the county no longer qualifies for a distribution under subsection (2), the county shall receive one-third of the amount it received in the last year it qualified for the distribution under subsection (2). If insufficient moneys are available in the Local Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund to fully provide such a transitional distribution to each county that meets the eligibility criteria in this section, each eligible county shall receive a share of the available moneys proportional to the amount it would have received had moneys been sufficient to fully provide such a transitional distribution to each eligible county.
(7) There is hereby annually appropriated from the Local Government Half-cent Sales Tax Clearing Trust Fund the distribution provided in s. 212.20(6)(d)3. to be used for emergency and supplemental distributions pursuant to this section.
(8)(a) Any county the inmate population of which in any year is greater than 7 percent of the total population of the county is eligible for a supplemental distribution for that year from funds expressly appropriated therefor. At the beginning of each fiscal year, the Department of Revenue shall calculate a supplemental allocation for each eligible county equal to the current per capita limitation pursuant to subsection (4) times the inmate population of the county. If moneys appropriated for distribution pursuant to this section for the current year are less than the sum of supplemental allocations, each eligible county shall receive a share of the appropriated amount proportional to its supplemental allocation. Otherwise, each shall receive an amount equal to its supplemental allocation.
(b) For the purposes of this subsection, the term:
1. “Inmate population” means the latest official state estimate of the number of inmates and patients residing in institutions operated by the Federal Government, the Department of Corrections, or the Department of Children and Families.
2. “Total population” includes inmate population and noninmate population.
History.—s. 10, ch. 82-154; s. 1, ch. 83-299; s. 39, ch. 88-119; s. 1, ch. 90-93; s. 2, ch. 94-245; s. 328, ch. 96-410; s. 10, ch. 98-258; s. 93, ch. 99-2; s. 24, ch. 99-8; s. 3, ch. 2000-206; s. 31, ch. 2001-140; s. 2, ch. 2006-229; s. 8, ch. 2009-68; s. 47, ch. 2014-19.
