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Res. No. 172-07-12557RESOLUTION NO. 172-07-12557 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, RECOGNIZING FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK, OCTOBER 21 -27, 2007, AND ENCOURAGING ALL CITIZENS TO SUPPORT THE CELEBRATION AS PART OF AN ONGOING EFFORT SPONSORED BY THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT CITIES PERFORM AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON HOW CITY GOVERNMENT WORKS; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, Florida City Government Week is part of an ongoing effort sponsored by the Florida League of Cities to raise public awareness about the services that cities perform and to educate the public on how city government works; and WHEREAS, city government is the government closest to most citizens, and the one with the most direct daily impact upon its residents; and WHEREAS, the City of South Miami's officials and employees, share the responsibility to pass along their understanding of public services and their benefits; and WHEREAS, throughout the year we have recognized sponsors from local business who have generously contributed to the various functions of the City; and WHEREAS, Florida City Government Week offers an important opportunity to convey to all the citizens of Florida that they can shape and influence government through their civic involvement; and WHEREAS, in recognition of Florida City Government Week, Mayor Feliu will be acting as `Principal for a Day' on October 24th at Ludlam Elementary School where he will be sharing information with teachers and students about facts on Florida cities and related government information. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. That the City of South Miami joins the Florida League of Cities in an effort to encourage all citizens, city government officials and employees to do everything possible to ensure that this week is recognized and celebrated as the "FLORIDA CITY GOVERNMENT WEEK." Res. No. 172 -07 -12557 Section 2. That the City of South Miami pledge to continue support and encourage educational partnerships between city government and schools. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 16'' day of October, 2006. ATTEST: CITY CLE READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTORNEY APPROVED: COMMISSION VOTE: Mayor Horace G. Feliu: Vice Mayor Randy G. Wiscombe: Commissioner Velma Palmer: Commissioner Marie Birts: Commissioner Jay Beckman: 7:1My Documentslreso lations\RESOLUTION Florida City Govemment WeA2007.doc Page 2 of 2 5 -0 Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea 301 South Bronough Street, Suite 300 + Post Office Box 1757 + Tallahassee, FL 32302 -1757 (850) 222 -9684 + Suncom 278 -5331 • Fax (850) 222 -3806 Web site: www.ficities.com TO: City Managers and City Clerks FROM: Sharon G. Berrian, Associate Director, Public Affairs DATE: August 2007 RE: Celebrate Florida City Government Week This year's Florida City Government Week is October 21 -27, 2007. Florida City Government Week is a very special time to recognize the important role played by city government in our lives. Most importantly, this week is a time to spread the word to all citizens of Florida that they are an integral part of the government that is closest to the people. City Government Week is part of an ongoing effort sponsored by the Florida League of Cities (FLC) to raise public awareness about the services that cities perform and to educate the public on how city government works. Cities are encouraged to involve their local schools, businesses, Chambers of Commerce, media and civic clubs in planning City Government Week activities. Cities provide a higher level of service than most governments, and generally receive a higher approval rate than any other level of government, and yet, many residents are unaware of how city services impact their lives. Through City Government Week, the League hopes to heighten the public's awareness of city government's role in enhancing the quality of life in communities. For this year's Florida City Government Week, we are sending you a packet of information, which includes numerous ideas for celebrating that special week. We have enclosed Media and PR Tips, a sample press release, a sample letter -to- the - editor and sample resolution for your use. The "My City. I'm Part of It, I'm Proud of it" booklet is available online and by mail upon request. The Lesson Booklet provides city staff and teachers with one week of lessons and activities about city government, as well as the ABC's of city government - an educational supplement for elementary teachers, grades 2 -5. ( *Bumper stickers and buttons are packaged and mailed separately this year. Contact the League if you have not received buttons or bumper stickers by October f.) While we encourage you to celebrate this important week some cities choose to host their event during a different time, in conjunction with another planned city holiday, festival or occasion. In planning your city's celebration of Florida City Government Week, be sure to keep the League informed, l will be available to answer questions and to offer recommendations about your project. Please send me copies of resolutions, photos, public relations materials and information on your activities, as these ideas may be used in future League publications. A summary and evaluation form is included to assist you in reporting on your city's activities. If you have any questions regarding this program, please feel free to contact me or Estella Gray at the League (sberrian(a7fl cities. com or egr@V6a?flcities.com). Thank you. A Model Program Promoting Active. Citizenship to All Florida Students Facts on Florida Cities There are 408 cities, towns and villages in Florida. For these lessons, the word city will be used to refer to all these municipal terms. The capital city of Florida is Tallahassee. Pensacola and St. Augustine are Florida's oldest cities; Loth were chartered in 1822. St. August- ine was settled in 1565 and is the oldest continuously occupied community in U.S. history, having been founded 55 years before Plymouth Rock. The youngest cities in Florida are Palmetto Bay, Doral and Miami Gardens, all incorporated in 2003. There are 8,261,119 Floridians living in incorporated areas. The percentage of Floridians living in incorporated areas is 49.5 percent. Florida's Ten Largest Cities Jacksonville 765,826 Orlando 194,913 Miami 366,496 Tallahassee 156,703 Tampa 311,880 Fort Lauderdale 155,275 St. Petersburg 250,354 Pembroke Pines 144,792 Hialeah 231,270 Hollywood 141,083 Source: Florida Population: Census Summary 2000 Many cities in Florida have a surprisingly small population. For example, Miami, which is often assumed to be Florida's largest city, is actually much smaller than Jacksonville. This is because the City of Miami is actually part of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), a large urban area consisting of a central city and several smaller municipalities which are dependent on the central city for jobs, services, shopping and entertainment. The population of the MSA known as Miami, which includes Hialeah, Miami Beach and Coral Gables, is well over 1 million people. Tampa and Orlando are other cities with higher MSA populations. A Florida's Ten Smallest Cities I La Crosse 143 Indian Creek 32 Otter Creek 130 Bay Lake 28 Bascom 117 Lake Buena Vista 19 Belleau Shore 71 Weekie Wachee 12 Lazy Lake 34 Marineland 7 Source: Florida Population: Census Summary 2000 Florida has 67 counties that were created by the Legislature as an arm of the state to provide state services at the focal level. Cities in Florida are created when the Legislature responds to a request from the people living in a local area who want that area to become a city. The people making the request usually do so because they desire to determine their service delivery and to have a voice in governing them- selves. Municipal government is the oldest form of local government in Florida. Historically, the idea of a city was brought over from England and Spain through the granting of a charter by the king. The granted charter was a business contract. Today, the charter is a contract with the people to provide governmental services. No municipal government may be created without a proposed charter, and no municipal government may exist without a charter. According to Florida Statutes, an area should meet the following requirements in order to be eligible for incorporation: 1. It must be compact, contiguous, and amenable to separate municipal government. 2. In a county of less than 50,000 population, it must have a population of at least 1,504 people; in more populous counties, it must have a population of at least 5,004 people. 3. It must have a population density of at least 1.5 persons per acre. 4. Its nearest point must be at least two miles from the boundary of an existing municipality in the county; or an extraordinary natural boundary must exist which requires a separate municipal government. 5. It must have a proposed charter which meets these conditions: a. prescribes the form of government and clearly defines the responsibility for legislative and executive functions, and b. does not restrict the taxing authority granted the city council by the state constitution or general law. These criteria are considered to be general guidelines only. A failure to meet all of these guide- lines does not necessarily preclude the adoption of a special -act charter for incorporation. Florida Statutes allow for two possible sources of a proposed charter, a group of petitioning citizens, or through the assistance of the county commission. Having been proposed by one of these methods, a charter must be adopted by the Legislature through enactment of a special act. This special act creates the municipality as a "municipal corporation," specifies its official name and recognizes the proposed charter as the charter of the municipal government created by the act. A city charter is the document that governs and controls a municipality. Laws passed by cities are called ordinances and are not part of the charter. Some of the items usually found in char- ters include provisions governing or establishing ® incorporation, boundaries, and powers; ® the structure and type of government the city will have; ® administrative organization and function; 13 judicial powers and procedures; ® city election procedures and regulations; ® city financial powers; and ® general provisions. There are four basic forms of municipal government in Florida: council -weak mayor, council - strong mayor, commission and council- manager. (See page 9.) The most common form of city government in Florida today is the council- manager form. A second common form, found in many smaller cities, is the council -weak mayor form. Income to pay for government services comes from a variety of sources: * Property Tax: real property tax (land, buildings, fixtures on land) and personal property tax (moveable items such as boats, machinery, motor vehicles, stored merchandise) * Nora- property Tax; local government half -cent sales tax, local option sales tax, gas taxes, tourist taxes, insurance premium tax, beverage license tax BE Non -tax Revenue: charges for services, licenses and permits, intergovernmental revenue (grants from the federal or state government), fines, penalties, and forfeitures. Municipal government provides many services to the citizens within its jurisdiction. These services fall into several general categories: ® Public Safety: police, fire, animal control, building codes, disaster preparation and traffic regulation ® Public Works: roads and streets, water and sewer, storm drainage, public buildings, and solid waste collection and disposal ® Public Utilities: water works, sewage treatment plants, electric power, and natural gas ® Planning and Development: land -use regulations and development of public property such as parks ® Administration: includes internal operations, external information services, archival and other record keeping, financial and personnel operations.