Ave Maria Stewardship Community District, Collier County
HB 4023 revises the charter for the Ave Maria Stewardship Community District in Collier County. The bill updates the district’s legal description and boundaries, including a revised overall acreage figure, and makes conforming changes to the district’s authority over revenue collection and service provision. It also references the district’s service area limits as of August 1, 2025, and ties certain utility-related powers to a prior final order of the Collier County Water and Wastewater Authority.
The measure authorizes the district to continue prescribing, collecting, and revising rates, fees, rentals, and other charges for district systems and services, including recreational facilities, water management and control facilities, and water and sewer systems. It also preserves the district’s authority to recover connection costs, impose reasonable penalties for delinquent accounts, and discontinue water and sewer service for nonpayment, along with related enforcement and recovery remedies. In practical terms, the bill updates the special district’s governing law to reflect current boundaries and utility service arrangements while maintaining its operational and financial powers.
The bill amends chapter 2004-461, Laws of Florida, as previously amended, which is the special act governing the Ave Maria Stewardship Community District. Its legal effect is to redraw the district’s boundaries, update the district’s acreage description, and revise provisions governing fees, charges, and service discontinuance for district-provided utilities and related facilities. The bill affects the district, property owners within its boundaries, and users of district services, especially in relation to water, sewer, recreation, and water management infrastructure.
The available voting record suggests strong support and little opposition. The House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee approved the bill unanimously, 13-0, and there are no recorded committee transcripts indicating controversy or significant debate. Overall, the bill appears to have been treated as a routine local or special-district update rather than a broadly contested policy measure.
No substantive contention is reflected in the available materials. The main issues addressed by the bill are technical and administrative: boundary adjustments, updated acreage, and clarification of the district’s authority to assess and collect charges and to discontinue service for nonpayment. If any concerns existed, they are not visible in the provided record, and the unanimous subcommittee vote indicates no recorded opposition at that stage.