Taxes; non-ad valorem assessments.

(1) AD VALOREM TAXES.—An elected board shall have the power to levy and assess an ad valorem tax on all the taxable property in the district to construct, operate, and maintain assessable improvements; to pay the principal of, and interest on, any general obligation bonds of the district; and to provide for any sinking or other funds established in connection with any such bonds. An ad valorem tax levied by the board for operating purposes, exclusive of debt service on bonds, shall not exceed 3 mills, except that a district authorized by a local general-purpose government to exercise one or more powers specified in s. 190.012(2) may levy an additional 2 mills for operating purposes, exclusive of debt service on bonds. The ad valorem tax provided for herein shall be in addition to county and all other ad valorem taxes provided for by law. Such tax shall be assessed, levied, and collected in the same manner and same time as county taxes. The levy of ad valorem taxes shall be approved by referendum when required by the State Constitution.

(2) BENEFIT SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.—The board shall annually determine, order, and levy the annual installment of the total benefit special assessments for bonds issued and related expenses to finance district facilities and projects which are levied under this act. These assessments may be due and collected during each year that county taxes are due and collected, in which case such annual installment and levy shall be evidenced to and certified to the property appraiser by the board not later than August 31 of each year, and such assessment shall be entered by the property appraiser on the county tax rolls, and shall be collected and enforced by the tax collector in the same manner and at the same time as county taxes, and the proceeds thereof shall be paid to the district. However, this subsection shall not prohibit the district in its discretion from using the method prescribed in either s. 197.363 or s. 197.3632 for collecting and enforcing these assessments. Notice of the proposed amount of the assessment pursuant to s. 200.069 that includes the date and time of the hearing may be used in lieu of the notice provisions of s. 197.3632(4)(b). These benefit special assessments shall be a lien on the property against which assessed until paid and shall be enforceable in like manner as county taxes. The amount of the assessment for the exercise of the district’s powers under ss. 190.011 and 190.012 shall be determined by the board based upon a report of the district’s engineer and assessed by the board upon such lands, which may be part or all of the lands within the district benefited by the improvement, apportioned between benefited lands in proportion to the benefits received by each tract of land.

(3) MAINTENANCE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.—To maintain and preserve the facilities and projects of the district, the board may levy a maintenance special assessment. This assessment may be evidenced to and certified to the property appraiser by the board of supervisors not later than August 31 of each year and shall be entered by the property appraiser on the county tax rolls and shall be collected and enforced by the tax collector in the same manner and at the same time as county taxes, and the proceeds therefrom shall be paid to the district. However, this subsection shall not prohibit the district in its discretion from using the method prescribed in either s. 197.363 or s. 197.3632 for collecting and enforcing these assessments. Notice of the proposed amount of the assessment pursuant to s. 200.069 that includes the date and time of the hearing may be used in lieu of the notice provisions of s. 197.3632(4)(b). These maintenance special assessments shall be a lien on the property against which assessed until paid and shall be enforceable in like manner as county taxes. The amount of the maintenance special assessment for the exercise of the district’s powers under ss. 190.011 and 190.012 shall be determined by the board based upon a report of the district’s engineer and assessed by the board upon such lands, which may be all of the lands within the district benefited by the maintenance thereof, apportioned between the benefited lands in proportion to the benefits received by each tract of land.

(4) ENFORCEMENT OF TAXES.—The collection and enforcement of all taxes levied by the district shall be at the same time and in like manner as county taxes, and the provisions of the Florida Statutes relating to the sale of lands for unpaid and delinquent county taxes; the issuance, sale, and delivery of tax certificates for such unpaid and delinquent county taxes; the redemption thereof; the issuance to individuals of tax deeds based thereon; and all other procedures in connection therewith shall be applicable to the district to the same extent as if such statutory provisions were expressly set forth herein. All taxes shall be subject to the same discounts as county taxes.

(5) WHEN UNPAID TAX IS DELINQUENT; PENALTY.—All taxes provided for in this act shall become delinquent and bear penalties on the amount of such taxes in the same manner as county taxes.

(6) TAX EXEMPTION.—All bonds issued hereunder and interest paid thereon and all fees, charges, and other revenues derived by the district from the projects provided by this act are exempt from all taxes by the state or by any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof; however, any interest, income, or profits on debt obligations issued hereunder are not exempt from the tax imposed by chapter 220. Further, districts are not exempt from the provisions of chapter 212.

(7) TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS.—Nothing in this act shall be deemed to affect any benefit tax, maintenance tax, non-ad valorem assessment, ad valorem tax, or special assessment imposed by a community development district as of June 21, 1991. Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect any tax or assessment pledged to secure or authorized pursuant to a trust indenture under this chapter, and the district imposing such tax or assessment is hereby authorized to impose such tax or assessment under the terms required by the trust indenture. The terms benefit taxes or maintenance taxes used in this chapter prior to June 21, 1991, are redesignated as benefit or maintenance special assessments pursuant to this act, and such terms may be used interchangeably under the terms of an existing trust indenture.

(8) STATUS OF ASSESSMENTS.—Benefit special assessments, maintenance special assessments, and special assessments are non-ad valorem assessments as defined by s. 197.3632.

(9) ASSESSMENTS CONSTITUTE LIENS; COLLECTION.—Benefit special assessments and maintenance special assessments authorized by this section, and special assessments authorized by s. 190.022 and chapter 170, shall constitute a lien on the property against which assessed from the date of imposition thereof until paid, coequal with the lien of state, county, municipal, and school board taxes. These non-ad valorem assessments may be collected, at the district’s discretion, by the tax collector pursuant to the provisions of s. 197.363 or s. 197.3632, or in accordance with other collection measures provided by law.

(10) LAND OWNED BY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY.—Except as otherwise provided by law, no levy of ad valorem taxes or non-ad valorem assessments under this chapter, or chapter 170, chapter 197, or otherwise, by a board of a district on property of a governmental entity that is subject to a ground lease as described in s. 190.003(14), shall constitute a lien or encumbrance on the underlying fee interest of such governmental entity.