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What is
the Double Branch Community Development District?
The Double Branch Community
Development District, which encompasses approximately
1,204 acres, is a special purpose government created
and governed by Chapter 190, Florida Statutes.
The District was established on July 3, 2002 by
the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission.
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Who governs
the Double Branch Community Development District?
The District is governed by
a five member Board of Supervisors elected initially
by District landowners on a one acre/one vote
basis. No sooner than the sixth year following
establishment, and not before there are at least
250 qualified electors in the District, Supervisors
will begin to be elected by the District’s
qualified electors. A qualified elector is a resident
of the District and the State of Florida who is
registered to vote in Clay County, Florida.
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How will
the Double Branch Community Development District
be managed?
The Board of Supervisors has
selected an independent manager to run the day-to-day
operations of the District. In addition, the District
has its own legal counsel, District engineer,
and financial advisor.
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What is
the function of the Double Branch Community Development
District?
The District was created to
plan, finance, construct, acquire, operate, and
maintain various public improvements and community
facilities. These will include certain recreational
amenities, road improvements, storm/water management
and drainage systems, open space and wetland preservation
areas, landscape medians and buffer areas, entry
and identification monuments, street lights and
common areas.
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What services
are not covered by the Double Branch Community
Development District?
While the District has provided
many of the roads within its boundaries, Clay
County is expected to own and maintain most of
the roads in the community. The District will
retain enhanced maintenance responsibilities for
roads, landscaping, entrances
and common areas, as well as certain other improvements.
There is a Homeowners Association which will handle
architectural review and other duties outside
of the scope of the District’s responsibilities.
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Are there
other Community Development Districts in Florida?
Yes. There are currently over
one hundred active Community Development Districts,
with over 1,000 other special purpose Districts
serving specific local communities in the State
of Florida. Some projects with Community Development
Districts that you may be familiar with include:
• Celebration, Orlando
• St. Johns Golf & Country Club, St.
Johns County
• Julington Creek Plantation, St. Johns
County
• Eagle Harbor, Orange Park
• Fleming Island Plantation, Orange Park
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Do I pay
more taxes or assessments if I live in a Community
Development District?
Yes, in a sense, but your real
estate taxes, including Community Development
District assessments, will not be materially different
than those of homeowners in similar amenitized
communities in the area. Some of the maintenance
and operation services by the Community Development
District would be provided and assessed by Homeowner
Associations in other communities. In addition
to service charges and taxes which would be collected
by the county, city or school board, notwithstanding
the existence of the District, landowners will
also pay non-ad valorem special assessments for
the capital costs, operation and maintenance of
District facilities and services. While not taxes,
the District’s assessments will appear on
your tax bill prepared annually by the Clay County
Tax Collector’s office.
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What advantages
are there to living in the Double Branch Community
Development District?
There are many advantages to
a Community Development District; four being especially
noteworthy. First, the District provides landowners
with consistently high levels of public facilities
and services managed and financed through self-imposed
fees and assessments. Second, the District helps
ensure that community facilities and services
will be completed as required by the Development
of Regional Impact and Development Order imposed
upon the property. Third, District landowners
and, ultimately, electors choose the Board of
Supervisors and through these representatives
are able to determine the type, quality and expense
of District facilities and services. Fourth, funds
necessary to complete all infrastructure are held
in trust for the sole purpose of completing District
projects.
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How will
my Double Branch Community Development District
assessments be determined?
Based on current plans for
the District, each property owner will pay an
annual assessment to the District based on two
component costs. One is the fixed amount required
to amortize the debt for the facilities constructed
by the District. Once all bond debt is retired,
this component of the annual assessment will stop.
The other is an annual assessment for District
operations and maintenance of District facilities.
This portion may fluctuate from year to year depending
upon levels of service and negotiated maintenance
contracts.
Each year, the District Board of Supervisors holds
a public hearing to set its budget and the level
of maintenance or operations assessments. In this
way, District residents will know each year’s
maintenance or operations assessment in advance.
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How will
the Double Branch Community Development District
pay for the improvements it will build?
The District has sold bonds
to raise money for its capital program. These
bonds will be paid off over time through assessments
levied against the benefited property owners in
the District. The interest paid to the bondholders
will be exempt from federal income taxes, so the
District will be able to pay a favorable rate
of interest to its lenders. All landowners, including
developers and builders, pay assessments on the
property they own.
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How much
are these assessments and when will they be determined?
Included in this brochure is
a table listing the expected capital assessments
which will retire the District’s outstanding
bonds. These capital assessments are fixed and
will be repaid over approximately 30-years. It
is important to understand that there will also
be an operating and maintenance assessment which
will fund the ongoing administrative and maintenance
activities of the District. The enclosed chart
contains an estimate of the expected amount of
this assessment.
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When do
the assessments begin?
The maintenance assessments
will begin as part of the 2004 tax bill (issued
November 2003). Special assessments to begin amortizing
the 2002 A Bond Issue will appear for the first
time on the 2005 tax bill (issued November 2004).
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How do
I find out more about the Double Branch Community
Development District?
Copies of all minutes of District
meeting, contract, permits, construction plans,
annual operating budgets and other District records
are on file for review. All meetings are advertised
and are open to the public. If you would like
to have more information about the District, please
call Governmental Management Services: 288-9130.
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CDD Office
If you have questions regarding
the Double Branch Community Development District,
please contact the District Manager, Jim Perry.
Jim Perry
Governmental Management Services
14785-4 St. Augustine Rd.
Jacksonville, FL 32258
Phone: 904-288-9130
E-mail: jperry@govmgtsvc.com
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THE DOUBLE BRANCH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DISTRICT IMPOSES AND LEVIES TAXES OR ASSESSMENTS,
OR BOTH TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS, ON THIS PROPERTY.
THESE TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS PAY THE CONSTRUCTION,
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COSTS OF CERTAIN PUBLIC
FACILITIES AND SERVICES OF THE DISTRICT AND ARE
SET ANNUALLY BY THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE DISTRICT.
THESE TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS ARE IN ADDITION TO
COUNTY AND ALL OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL TAXES
AND ASSESSMENTS AND ALL OTHER TAXES AND ASSESSMENTS
PROVIDED FOR BY LAW. |
