Important links for Florida's SWCD's 

Check back regularly for updates and new info.

Required supervisor financial forms, ethics training, and assigned coordinator

 Form 1 Financial Disclosure must be filed within 30 days of appointment or employment and then annually by July 1 of each year- now filed online through the Electronic Financial Disclosure Management System (EFDMS)!

4 hours of Ethics training must be completed each year. You will self-certify that you have completed the required training through a check box on the Form 1 you file each year . The training is a calendar year requirement and corresponds to the form year. Free training links are available from the Florida Commission on Ethics!

District reporting - January each year: Each District must assign an Organization Coordinator to liason with the Florida Commission on Ethics. The coordinator will compile the mailing list of public officials and employees required to file financial disclosure and submit this list using the EFDMS. You will recieve an email when your list is ready to check and update if needed. 

Running the District 

The legal foundation of Florida's Soil and Water Conservation Districts is found in the 2024 Florida Statutes Title XXXV AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, AND ANIMAL INDUSTRY - Chapter 582 SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION, including supervisor qualifications and tenure, mandatory meeting requirement, powers of districts and supervisors, district to district cooperation, and duties of state agencies to cooperate with district activities.

Florida Special Districts Handbook 2024 - the primary resource helping Florida's special districts comply with the requirements specified in Chapter 189, Florida Statutes (the Uniform Special District Accountability Act).

Special District Accountability Program - with more info on new statutory requirements starting 2024/2025, FAQs, and more

One of the critical updates is the requirement for Districts to have goals, objectives, and performance outcomes for each program or activity by October 1 2024, and to develop an annual report including these goals and objectives and whether performance measures were achieved - or the reasons they were not met. Learn more including tips on writing goals with performance-based objectives, example reports, and more.

Each year, Districts recieving any funds will need to pay the appropriate Annual Special District State Fee. Forms are mailed annualy to the Registered agent for each district.

Annual Financial Reporting

Each year, Districts must submit an Annual Financial Report to the Florida Department of Financial Services, Bureau of Financial Reporting. 

Annual Financial Report (AFR) to the Department of Financial Services for local governments are due nine months after the close of the fiscal year. For those governments that close

March 31, the deadline is December 31

June 30, the deadline is March 31

September 30, the deadline is June 30

December 31, the deadline is September 30.

Records, announcements,  and Sunshine Law

Records complience must be filed annually with the Florida Department of State. Complience materials will be sent to the designated supervisor for each district. 

Announcements for meetings - more coming soon!

Sunshine Laws in Florida - more coming soon!