§ 2-2-235. General provisions.

(a)

An applicant must submit an application and provide supporting evidence and documentation in the manner deemed necessary by the county administrator or his/her designee in considering the application. A recipient found to be eligible for assistance pursuant to the terms of this article shall be afforded assistance in accordance with this article, policies adopted by resolution of the board of county commissioners and rules and procedures established by the county administrator or the administrator's designee.

(b)

The county administrator shall assign the responsibility for reviewing applications to appropriate staff who shall be responsible for providing applicants with notice of the final staff determination of the applicants eligibility status and the right and method to appeal the determination.

(c)

Eligibility. An eligible recipient must at a minimum, meet the following criteria and such additional criteria as may, from time to time, be established by resolution of the board of county commissioners.

(1)

For fees and assessments for services furnished to real property:

a.

The applicant shall be the owner and occupant of the property against which the fee is being assessed or benefited by the project, or service for which the fee will be charged, and entitled to claim homestead tax exemption under the Constitution and Laws of Florida. Proof of obtaining homestead tax exemption or certification of eligibility for homestead tax exemption by the property appraiser for the county shall establish fulfillment of this requirement. In the event that the occupant of the property is the elderly parent of the owner, a disabled relative of the owner or an heir or relative of a deceased owner the owner/occupancy/homestead requirements do not apply.

b.

All ad valorem taxes on the property must have been paid or the owner must have obtained a homestead tax deferral.

c.

The property must not be the subject of a pending or threatened foreclosure action and the mortgage or other encumbrance creating a lien against the property shall not be in default.

(2)

For fees or charges for services and programs provided to individuals, the individual or if a minor, the custodial parent or guardian of the minor, must be a permanent resident of Manatee County and eligibility will be based upon an evaluation of the following indicia of residency and interpreted substantially in the same manner as applicable to a permanent resident status for homestead tax exemption purposes:

a.

Valid Florida driver's license;

b.

Proof of home ownership;

c.

Lease of a residence or dwelling still in effect;

d.

Rent receipts or letter from the landlord dated within four (4) weeks prior to the date of application (a receipt with respect to a dwelling considered to be a facility in which transients reside or a receipt from a motel or hotel will not be accepted);

e.

Public utility bill in the name of the applicant or the applicant's spouse dated within four (4) weeks prior to the date of application;

f.

State, county, or federal government document addressed with a postmark to the applicant dated within four (4) weeks prior to application date;

g.

Current vehicle registration in the name of the applicant or the applicant's spouse;

h.

Current voter registration of the applicant;

i.

Proof of the applicant's child or children being enrolled in schools within the county;

j.

Other documents of no lesser weight than those listed above that prove an applicant's residence.

k.

With respect to fees other than those fees and assessments for real property, qualifications under other government programs for the economically disadvantaged may be adequate to establish eligibility set forth in resolution adopted by the board of county commissioners.

(3)

Allowable family earnings and assets criteria shall be based upon the poverty level guidelines published by the Federal Government. Such criteria shall be used as a guideline and for the initial determination of eligibility.

(4)

An applicant whose family assets are in excess of the annual poverty level earnings permitted under the Federal Poverty Level Guidelines for a family of one shall not be eligible for assistance under this ordinance provided however, that the following assets shall not be included:

a.

Property qualified for homestead exemption under the Laws of Florida.

b.

Life Insurance.

c.

Burial plots.

d.

Unbuildable lots.

e.

One car per family.

f.

Rental property, when rental revenue combined with all other income is within the allowable earnings criteria, for the following situations:

1.

When the renter is an elderly parent of the applicant;

2.

When the renter is a relative of the applicant and is disabled.

3.

When the applicant is unable to work due to a physical impairment.

g.

Essential personal property (including clothes, furniture, housewares and home appliances).

(5)

Nothing herein is intended to limit or restrict the creation of additional assistance to be provided in connection with community development block grant programs or other similar programs. The expenditure of county funds for services that are part of such programs or additional one-time county fees associated with the provisions of services provided pursuant to such programs is explicitly authorized. Nothing herein shall be deemed to limit or restrict the level of funding assistance or eligibility criteria that may be established pursuant to resolutions and policies established or approved by the board of county commissioners in creating and implementing such programs.

(Ord. No. 92-26, § 5, 9-8-92)