Fishkind & Associates, Inc. has extensive experience providing consulting and management services to special districts located throughout Florida. Fishkind provides services at every stage of a district’s life, from establishment to full development. The information below outlines some of the services we can provide to special districts.

Fishkind & Associates can assist districts in obtaining financing for planned public infrastructure improvements through the issuance of tax exempt bonds. We have acted as financial advisor to numerous districts throughout Florida over the course of more than one hundred transactions, raising more than five billion dollars. Financial advisory services include:

Fishkind & Associates, Inc. provides ongoing district management services to many successful special districts throughout the state, including several of the largest districts within the State of Florida – the Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District and the Babcock Ranch Community Independent Special District. Our district management services include managing the public records, public meetings, accounting, and other operations of a district.

Summaries of the district management-related services we provide are found below:

1. Organizing the meetings of the district’s board of supervisors. This includes, but is not limited to, providing agenda packages, scheduling meetings, and publicizing board meeting and public hearing notices pursuant to Florida law.
   
   
2. Preparing and submitting to the district’s board of supervisors a proposed annual budget, and administering the adopted budget of the district. This includes the processing of the district’s accounts payable and receivable.
   
   
3. Organizing such discussions, site visits, workshops, and hearings that may aid in the administration and accomplishment of the various projects and services provided by the district (as directed by the district’s board of supervisors).
   
   
4. Advising the district’s board of supervisors on matters related to the operation and maintenance of the district’s public infrastructure, including coordinating with the district engineer to oversee the work of district contractors and employees.
   
   
5. Drafting all necessary district resolutions and other documents not provided by the district counsel or bond counsel.
   
   
6. Acting as the primary point of contact for property owners within the district for all district-related matters.

1. Defining and implementing an integrated management reporting system which will allow the district to represent fairly and with full disclosure the financial position of the district. Such system will comply with the requirements of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for government fund accounting. The district’s accounting activities will be handled by a degreed accountant.
   
   
2. Tracking the district’s general fund and bond fund activities, and providing monthly details on this activity.
   
   
3. Providing monthly government fund financial statements, including a budget-to-actual analysis, along with year-end annual statements.
   
   
4. Coordinating all accounting services with the district’s auditors to assure a smooth and efficient audit of the district’s books each year.

1. Defining and implementing a system of record management for the district, including a concise and accurate record of the official actions of the board of supervisors and any district committees.
   
   
2. Complying with all public records requests and maintaining an up-to-date record. Complete audio and written summary minutes of the board of supervisor’s meetings will also be maintained.

1. Developing the annual tax roll for the district.
   
   
2. Coordinating tax roll activities with the city, county, property appraiser, and tax collector for the jurisdiction in which the district exists.
   
   
3. Creating and maintaining the district’s lien book in which is recorded the details of any debt that the district may incur. The lien book will account for all district debt and show how that debt is allocated to all properties in the district.

The map below indicates the location of the CDDs and other special districts managed by Fishkind & Associates, Inc. in Florida.

CDD and Special District Master List (PDF).