Independent special districts: Where lobbyists ride free and the public is in the dark | Broward Bulldog

Excellent review of the unique governmental species known collectively as "special districts." It turns out the lobbyist registration laws do not apply to many of the districts in the state. Lake Worth resident and attorney for special districts is quoted in the rather lengthy article. Here are some of his remarks. Click title for link to the article by Dan Christiansen.

“The issue is transparency: who is getting the benefit of governmental largess,” said Frank S. Palen, a West Palm Beach attorney who specializes in government law and special districts.  “If people don’t have knowledge it undermines legitimacy, but as a practical matter it would depend on the scale of the entities.”
Independent special districts have been around for 100 years. The oldest, the Hastings Drainage District in Putnam and St. Johns counties, was created July 1, 1913, according to Jack Gaskins Jr., who runs the state’s Special District Information Program.
Today, these agencies offer dozens of specialized governmental services – from water management, mosquito control and community development to public hospitals, children’s services, ports and airports.