What is a C.D.D?

Background Information. A Community Development District is a governmental entity. 

C.D.D.s & CITIES AND COUNTIES. Most people have a good idea of what a state is and know that there are counties and cities within a state.  

There is a difference between the way cities are organized and the way counties are organized. In the classic concept, cities developed to provide a high level of services to a concentrated group of people while counties provided only the basic governmental services to the more rural areas located outside the city limits.

In the classic definition of cities and counties, cities typically have an elected mayor whose separate powers compliment and lead an elected city council.  A county typically only has an elected commission with an appointed county manager or administrator.  In the historical distinctions between cities and counties, cities provided a higher level of services to a concentrated group of people within a relatively small area while counties only provided basic services to a smaller and more rural population.  But both cities and counties are called general purpose units of local government because 1) they both provide general governmental services 2) to a local area within a state.

The rise of the automobile after WWII helped develop large residential areas outside cities, in the unincorporated areas of a county.  [A city is a municipal corporation, thus a city is a corporation and land outside a city is unincorporated because it is not part of a city.]  The rapid development of residential areas outside the city limits of most cities after WWII is one of factors that has tended to blur the functional differences between cities and counties.

While cities and counties are the only general purpose units of local government, there are other "special" purpose units of local government.  One of these is a Community Development District or a C.D.D.  A C.D.D. is a type of special district, which is a type of a local government unit, which is organized for a special or particular function within the boundaries of the district.

A C.D.D. IS ORGANIZED LIKE A COUNTY.  A C.D.D. is organized and structured like a county.  There is an elected board (a board of supervisors) possessing all the power granted to it by the state legislature and usually an appointed district manger who carries out the decisions of the board of supervisors.  Section 190.006, Florida Statutes governs how a C.D.D. is organized.  Go to Index of Florida Statutes. 

A C.D.D. BUILDS AND MAINTAINS FACILITIES.  A C.D.D.'s powers are limited to certain capital projects or special facilities approved by the county within which the C.D.D. is created. A list of C.D.D. powers is in section 190.012, Florida Statutes. Go to Index of Florida Statutes.

 C.D.D. Subject to the Florida Public Records Law

Like all C.D.D.s, our C.D.D. is a government entity, and as such is subject to the Florida Public Records law, chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Go to Index of Florida Statutes.