Terms Used In Florida Statutes > Chapter 171 - Local Government Boundaries

• Active duty: means full-time duty in active military service of the United States. See Florida Statutes 250.01
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Annexation: means the adding of real property to the boundaries of an incorporated municipality, such addition making such real property in every way a part of the municipality. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Chief administrative officer: means the municipal administrator, municipal manager, county manager, county administrator, or other officer of the municipality, county, or independent special district who reports directly to the governing body of the local government. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Contiguous: means that a substantial part of a boundary of the territory sought to be annexed by a municipality is coterminous with a part of the boundary of the municipality. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Contraction: means the reversion of real property within municipal boundaries to an unincorporated status. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Enclave: means :
  (a) Any unincorporated improved or developed area that is enclosed within and bounded on all sides by a single municipality; or
  (b) Any unincorporated improved or developed area that is enclosed within and bounded by a single municipality and a natural or manmade obstacle that allows the passage of vehicular traffic to that unincorporated area only through the municipality. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Feasibility study: means an analysis conducted by qualified staff or consultants of the economic, market, technical, financial, and management feasibility of the proposed annexation or contraction, as applicable. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Independent special district: means an independent special district, as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Initiating county: means a county that commences the process for negotiating an interlocal service boundary agreement through the adoption of an initiating resolution. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Initiating local government: means a county, municipality, or independent special district that commences the process for negotiating an interlocal service boundary agreement through the adoption of an initiating resolution. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Initiating municipality: means a municipality that commences the process for negotiating an interlocal service boundary agreement through the adoption of an initiating resolution. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Initiating resolution: means a resolution adopted by a county, municipality, or independent special district which commences the process for negotiating an interlocal service boundary agreement and which identifies the unincorporated area and other issues for discussion. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Interlocal service boundary agreement: means an agreement adopted under this part, between a county and one or more municipalities, which may include one or more independent special districts as parties to the agreement. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Invited local government: means an invited county, municipality, or special district and any other local government designated as such in an initiating resolution or a responding resolution that invites the local government to participate in negotiating an interlocal service boundary agreement. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Invited municipality: means an initiating municipality and any other municipality designated as such in an initiating resolution or a responding resolution that invites the municipality to participate in negotiating an interlocal service boundary agreement. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Municipal service area: means one or more of the following as designated in an interlocal service boundary agreement:
  (a) An unincorporated area that has been identified in an interlocal service boundary agreement for municipal annexation by a municipality that is a party to the agreement. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Municipality: means a municipality created pursuant to general or special law authorized or recognized pursuant to…. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• National Guard: means the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. See Florida Statutes 250.01
• Newspaper of general circulation: means a newspaper printed in the language most commonly spoken in the area within which it circulates, which is readily available for purchase by all inhabitants in its area of circulation, but does not include a newspaper intended primarily for members of a particular professional or occupational group, a newspaper whose primary function is to carry legal notices, or a newspaper that is given away primarily to distribute advertising. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• Notified local government: means the county or a municipality, other than an invited municipality, that receives an initiating resolution. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Office of Economic and Demographic Research: means an entity designated by joint rule of the Legislature or by agreement between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Participating resolution: means the resolution adopted by the initiating local government and the invited local government. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Parties affected: means any persons or firms owning property in, or residing in, either a municipality proposing annexation or contraction or owning property that is proposed for annexation to a municipality or any governmental unit with jurisdiction over such area. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• political subdivision: include counties, cities, towns, villages, special tax school districts, special road and bridge districts, bridge districts, and all other districts in this state. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Requesting resolution: means the resolution adopted by a municipality seeking to participate in the negotiation of an interlocal service boundary agreement. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Responding resolution: means the resolution adopted by the county or an invited municipality which responds to the initiating resolution and which may identify an additional unincorporated area or another issue for discussion, or both, and may designate an additional invited municipality or independent special district. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Servicemember: means any person serving as a member of the United States Armed Forces on active duty or state active duty and all members of the Florida National Guard and United States Reserve Forces. See Florida Statutes 250.01
• State active duty: means full-time duty in active military service of the State of Florida when ordered by the Governor or Adjutant General in accordance with…. See Florida Statutes 250.01
• Unincorporated service area: means one or more of the following as designated in an interlocal service boundary agreement:
  (a) An unincorporated area that has been identified in an interlocal service boundary agreement and that may not be annexed without the consent of the county. See Florida Statutes 171.202
• Urban in character: means an area used intensively for residential, urban recreational or conservation parklands, commercial, industrial, institutional, or governmental purposes or an area undergoing development for any of these purposes. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• Urban purposes: means that land is used intensively for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and governmental purposes, including any parcels of land retained in their natural state or kept free of development as dedicated greenbelt areas. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• Urban services: means any services offered by a municipality, either directly or by contract, to any of its present residents. See Florida Statutes 171.031
• veteran: means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under honorable conditions only or who later received an upgraded discharge under honorable conditions, notwithstanding any action by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on individuals discharged or released with other than honorable discharges. See Florida Statutes 1.01
• writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01