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ABOUT SIRWCD
The South Indian River Water Control District - known as SIRWCD - provides water management and road maintenance as well as related services for Jupiter Farms, Palm Beach Country Estates, Egret Landing and the Jupiter Commerce Park in Northern Palm Beach County.
This is an area of 20 square miles with 23 miles of paved roads, 165 miles of unpaved roads, 60 miles of canals and 376 miles of swales.
There are more than 4,500 homes in the District with a population of approximately 13,000. There also are churches, shopping centers, schools, commercial centers, industrial centers and recreation areas.
SIRWCD was founded in 1923 and is one of the oldest governments in Palm Beach County. Special districts are unique forms of government providing services not normally furnished by other governments. These services are not duplicated. For example the District does not have police or fire powers. The county Fire and Rescue departments and Sheriff's offices provide these services.
The County's Code Enforcement Board also is actively involved with SIRWCD's operations.
Water Management
In water management, the District's main responsibilities are the maintenance of secondary and primary drainage systems. The regional surface water management system is operated by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). SFWMD does not get involved with the day to day operations of SIRWCD. However they do have permitting authority over outfall sites, discharge rate and water quality.
The District builds, operates and maintains canals and water control structures. In Jupiter Farms, seven east-
west canals drain to the east into the C-14 canal that flows into the Northwest fork of the Loxahatchee River. In Palm Beach Country Estates, seven canals drain into the east side of Florida's Turnpike borrow canal which outfalls downstream from the SFWMD S-46 structure at Indiantown Road.
Since the District canals connect with the Loxahatchee River, it is worth noting that the District is an integral member of the Loxahatchee River Management Coordinating Council. This group is involved with water quality, exotic plant management, greenways and promoting environmental education.
The District is continually working to keep canals and swales clean of refuse and regularly sprays to control aquatic weeds.
Local Governments
The District interfaces with more than 30 local, county, state and federal agencies ranging from the Palm Beach County Commission to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Board of Supervisors
The District is governed by a five-member board of supervisors who serve three-year terms. Reporting to the board is a general staff made up of the general manager; engineer, treasurer; attorney and public information officer.
Daily Operations
The general manager and office administrator run the daily operations with a crew of eight maintaining the roads, canals and swales with graders, back hoes and other heavy equipment.
Board Meetings
The board meets regularly on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30p.m. in the Jupiter Community High School Media Center. It is located at 5OO N. Military Trail between Indiantown Road and Toney Penna Drive in Jupiter. All meetings are open to the public. Landowners' comments are the first business items on the meeting agenda, and agendas are available at the District headquarters.
Annual Reports
The general manager and engineer produce annual reports which are presented at the yearly Landowners' meeting in September. The reports detail the activities of the District during the year and are available at the District Headquarters for review. Appointments are suggested.
Road Paving
Petitions are used by landowners requesting roads to be paved. A majority of landowners must sign a petition requesting the specific road be paved. The engineer prepares an engineering plan for construction including cost estimates. A referendum is then held with landowners voting for or against paving. If the road paving is approved, landowners will be assessed their proportionate share of the paving costs.
Voting
The District was formed by an act of State legislature. The act has provisions for review and changes. Supervisors are elected by a vote of the landowners.
SPECIAL DISTRICT OVERVIEW
Special districts have long been part of the structure of American government. Also known as public corporations and authorities, the earliest special districts date as far back as 1797 in Rhode Island. Traditionally, special districts were established to perform specific functions; some examples are the toll road and canal corporations of the 1880's. Florida's introduction to special districts dates back to 1822 when the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida passed an act concerning roads, highways and ferries.
According to the 1987 Census of Governments, published in 1990, at least 29,427 special districts are now active in the U.S.,
representing one-third of all government entities providing public services. Increased public demand for the provision of special services is a compelling reason for the expanded use of special districts. Because most special districts perform only one function or a very limited number of functions, their establishment allows a greater a degree of concentrated effort in providing services in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Investment in capital improvements or in new construction for infrastructure systems involves enormous expenditures. The fiscal resources of many cities and counties are, however, curtailed by voter-enacted limitations on taxes and spending city and county revenue sources are also affected by cutbacks in state and federal aid. The result is that many cites and counties are experiencing difficulty in raising revenues rapidly enough to keep pace with mounting costs and public demands for increased services.
Financing infrastructure improvements through special districts shifts infrastructure costs from all taxpayers within the jurisdiction of a general-purpose local government to the residents or property owners who will specifically benefit from such improvements. Public officials often favor special districts as a means of providing facilities at no direct cost to the local government. Special districts provide a mechanism for financing infrastructure that directly ties benefits to costs, yet allows major capital costs to be spread over a long period by use of revenue bonds.
Special districts represent a response to the need for alternative financing mechanisms. Since the mechanism establishes a revenue source and spending capabilities independent of local governments it is a powerful tool for expanding the fiscal capacities of specific communities in need of funding. Special districts also allow services to be targeted for specific groups of consumers who pay for the amount and quality of services they demand.
Special districts raise their revenue from direct charges for services rendered and from special assessments. Only a small percentage of special districts are empowered to levy ad valorem taxes. In contrast, ad valorem taxes account for more than one-half of all revenues raised by counties, townships, municipalities and school districts.
In many cases, special districts provide the only institutional mechanism that allows a balance between the economic constraints and the demands for levels of service. Citizens interested in obtaining new or expanded services or a special quality of service may find special districts easier to establish than persuading a general-purpose government to increase its budget.
This overview has been prepared by the Florida Association of Special Districts for the purpose of providing key facts regarding special districts and the underlying reasons for their widespread use.
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