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The Educational Facilities Authority was created by Ordinance No. 96-7, adopted April 2, 1996 and effective April 10, 1996. The Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance No. 2013-10 on April 23, 2013, reducing the membership from seven to five and including a preference for applicants with professional experience in public financial matters, post-secondary, or higher education. On May 21, 2019, the Board adopted Ordinance 2019-03 dissolving the Educational Facilities Authority effective May 30, 2019.

Five members appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, one of whom shall be a trustee, director, officer or employee of an institution for higher education and of the remaining four members, preference shall be given for applicants with professional experience in public financial matters, post-secondary, or higher education. NOTE: Each member of the Authority before entering upon his or her duties shall take and subscribe the oath or affirmation required by the State Constitution. A record of each such oath shall be filed with the Department of State and with the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Of the members first appointed, one shall serve for one year, one for two years, one for three years, one for four years, and the remainder for five years, and in each case, until his or her successor is appointed and has qualified. Thereafter, the commission shall appoint for terms of five years each a member or members to succeed those whose terms expire.

1) To determine the location and character of any project to be financed under the provisions of Chapter 243.22(5)(a) through (d), Florida Statutes. 2) To issue bonds, bond anticipation notes and other obligations of the authority for any of its corporate purposes, and to fund or refund the same. 3) Generally, to fix and revise from time to time and charge and collect rents, rates, fees and charges for the use of and for the services furnished or to be furnished by a project or any portion thereof and to contract with any person, partnership, association, or corporation or other body public or private in respect thereof. 4) To establish rules and regulations for the use of a project or any portion thereof and to designate a participating institution for higher education as its agent to establish rules and regulations for the use of a project undertaken by such participating institution for higher education. 5) To receive and accept from any public agency loans or grants for or in aid of the construction of a project or any portion thereof, and to receive and accept loans, grants, aid, or contributions from any source of either money, property, labor, or other things of value, to be held, used, and applied only for the purposes for which such loans, grants, aid, and contributions are made. 6) To mortgage any project and the site thereof for the benefit of the holders of revenue bonds issued to finance such projects. 7) To make loans to any participating institution for higher education for the cost of a project in accordance with an agreement between the authority and the participating institution for higher education; provided no such loan shall exceed the total cost of the project as determined by the participating institution for higher education and approved by the authority.

Dale Burket, Esq.
Lowndes
(407) 418-6363

Financial Disclosure required.