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RESOLUTION OPPOSING SB 1296 OR SIMILAR LEGISLATION THAT WOULD END THE FLORIDA ENTERPRISE ZONE PROGRAM ON JULY 1, 2011 OR AN ALTERNATIVE EARLY DATE; URGING THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE NOT TO PASS SUCH LEGISLATION

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WHEREAS, the Florida Enterprise Zone Program provides economic incentives to induce private investment in economically distressed areas; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Enterprise Zone Program has the goals of revitalizing and rehabilitating distressed areas, encouraging businesses to locate and expand in these areas, stimulating employment among area residents and enhancing the general social and economic well-being; and
WHEREAS, to achieve these goals, state and local governments provide investments and tax incentives to encourage businesses to invest and locate in designated enterprise zones; and
WHEREAS, these incentives include job and property tax credits as well as sales tax refunds; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, the Florida Legislature passed HB 1725 (Chapter 2005-287, Laws of Florida), which re-designated existing enterprise zones and extended the Enterprise Zone Program until December 31, 2015; and

WHEREAS, over the past five years, the Florida Enterprise Zone Program has awarded $187 million in incentives, according to a report issued in January, 2011 by the Florida Legislature�s Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability (OPPAGA), Report No. 11-01; and
WHEREAS, the OPPAGA report indicates that enterprise zones in Miami-Dade County have received 55 percent of the total amount of incentives statewide in the past five years, equaling approximately $87.6 million in incentives; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County's Enterprise Zone Program consists of three areas:
1. North Central, which encompasses a large part of Northwest Miami-Dade County, including Miami International and Opa-locka Airports, parts of east Hialeah, the Empowerment Zone and a satellite in North Dade;
2. South Dade, which covers part of the cities of Cutler Bay, Homestead and Florida City, as well as Perrine and Princeton; and
3. Miami Beach, which includes parts of South Beach, Collins Avenue and North Beach; and
WHEREAS, Senator Nancy Detert (R � Venice) has filed SB 1296 for consideration during the 2011 state legislative; and
WHEREAS, SB 1296 would accelerate the expiration of the Florida Enterprise Zone Program from December 31, 2015 to July 1, 2011, effectively ending the Florida Enterprise Zone Program in just a few months; and
WHEREAS, Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature have set job creation as a critical priority for the 2011 session, but ending the Enterprise Zone Program could significantly hinder efforts to attract businesses and jobs to the most economically distressed areas of Florida; and

WHEREAS, this Board wishes to express its opposition to SB 1296,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Opposes SB 1296 or similar legislation that would accelerate the expiration of the Florida Enterprise Zone Program from December 31, 2015 to July 1, 2011, or an alternative early date effectively ending the Florida Enterprise Zone Program early, and urges the Florida Legislature not to pass such legislation.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit certified copies of the resolution to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade State Legislative Delegation and Senator Nancy Detert.
Section 3. Directs the County's state lobbyists to advocate against any legislation that would accelerate the expiration of the Florida Enterprise Zone Program, and authorizes and directs that the 2011 state legislative package be amended to include this item.