Community Development District

A community development district (CDD) is a local, special-purpose government framework authorized by Chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes as amended, and is an alternative to municipal incorporation for managing and financing infrastructure required to support development of a community.

Authority for CDDs was established by Florida's Uniform Community Development District Act of 1980. The legislation was considered a major advancement in managing growth efficiently and effectively. Although CDD's provided a new mechanism for the financing and management of new communities, their operation was consistent with the regulations and procedures of local governments, including state ethics and financial disclosure laws for CDD supervisors. All meetings and records must comply with the Florida Sunshine Law, and an annual audit is also required.

As of 2012, Florida had over 600 CDDs with municipal bonds totalling $6.5 billion. Nearly three-quarters of them were established during the housing boom years between 2003 and 2008. The developer makes payments to the CDD for all properties in the district that they own. As long as new homes were selling, they had the money to cover that expense. When the bottom dropped out of the housing market in 2008, property sales in CDDs plummeted, as did developer income. Many developers did not have cash reserves to cover more than a year of CDD payments, so they had no choice but to declare bankruptcy, and 168 CDDs have defaulted on municipal bonds valued at $5.1 billion.

County politicians endorse them because they increase property values (plus property taxes) and create infrastructure without cost to government. Developers love them because they don't have to use their own money to pay for all the development infrastructure up front. Residents like them because the initial price of their property should be lower due to deferred infrastructure costs.

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