Fort Pierce Farms Water Control District, St. Lucie County:
HB 4047 amends the special act governing the Fort Pierce Farms Water Control District in St. Lucie County. The bill raises the district’s maximum annual maintenance tax from $25 to $60 per acre and for parcels under one acre, while also capping any year-to-year increase in the annual assessment rate at 10 percent compared with the prior year.
The bill does not take effect automatically. Instead, it requires approval by a majority of the district’s landowners voting in a mail-ballot referendum conducted by the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections on or before December 31, 2026. The referendum question must ask whether the maximum maintenance tax should be increased to $60 per acre with the 10 percent annual increase limit. If approved, the act updates the district’s charter provisions in chapter 2013-256, Laws of Florida, affecting the district’s authority to levy maintenance assessments on landowners within the district.
The bill changes the statutory charter of the Fort Pierce Farms Water Control District by expanding its authority to levy a higher maintenance tax on assessed acreage and parcels under one acre. It also imposes a statutory limit on annual assessment growth, preventing increases above 10 percent in any single year. The practical effect is to alter the financial obligations of landowners in the district, subject to voter approval in the required referendum.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented debate or opposition in the supplied materials. The bill’s structure suggests a localized, administrative measure focused on district funding, with the use of a landowner referendum indicating an effort to secure direct approval from those affected. The enrolled status and enactment as chapter 2025-240 indicate it ultimately passed the Legislature and became law, contingent on the referendum process described in the act.
The main point of contention is likely the increase in the maximum maintenance tax from $25 to $60 per acre, since that directly raises costs for district landowners. At the same time, the bill includes a 10 percent annual cap on assessment increases, which appears designed to address concerns about sudden or excessive tax growth. Because the referendum is limited to landowners in the district, the issue is primarily between the district’s funding needs and landowners’ willingness to accept higher assessments.