Florida communities with surplus former military installations could reap a significant amount of money through increased property taxes if SB 126, which passed the Senate Military Affairs and Domestic Security Committee Tuesday, becomes law.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Larcenia J. Bullard, D-Miami, provides that land previously used as a military facility and currently undeveloped -- and has been declared surplus by the federal government within the past 20 years -- may be defined as a "blighted area" for purposes of the Community Redevelopment Act (CRA). The "blighted" designation would allow local communities to exercise eminent domain, oversee develoment of the property and return it to local tax rolls.
Bullard said she doesn't know how many military installations might fall under the blighted definition statewide. But, there is an abandoned Air National Guard base in Homestead that would benefit. Homestead is in her district. Groundbreaking for a 350-bed facility for homeless persons is scheduled on the site for April.
Ron Book, chairman of the board of the Miami-Dade County Trust, said financing for the homeless facility is being provided by his organization, with an initial investment of $8 million and another $15 million for the project.
"The economic benefit, if surplus military bases throughout the state could be put to use, would be enormous," Bullard said.
Development financing of the former military installations would come through CRAs, which are not permitted to levy or collect taxes. However, the local governing body is permitted to establish a community redevelopment trust fund derived from tax-increment financing, a public financing method used for redevelopment and community improvement projects.
A companion bill in the House, HB 381, is sponsored by Rep. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville. She said the House bill has yet to make it out of committee.
"In my district, parts of Cecil Field have been used as a business center, classroom space for a junior college and low income housing," Gibson said. "We have other former military installations that can be used for multi-purpose functions. The tax credits would be of enormous value and create a ripple effect across the state."
