§ 10-111. Legislative findings.

The board of county commissioners finds and determines that:

(1)

Due to the "loopholes" existing under F.S. § 849.0931, there is a need for county regulation in order to assure the ability of charitable, nonprofit and veterans organizations engaged in charitable, civic, community, benevolent religious or scholastic works and other similar activities to conduct bingo games for the purpose of raising and donating, to such organizations and causes, funds derived from such games.

(2)

F.S. § 849.0931(2)(a) prohibits the proceeds from bingo games from being used for any purpose whatsoever other than the enumerated charitable and nonprofit purposes.

(3)

F.S. § 849.0931 contains various other provisions intended to assure that only the groups, associations and organizations referred to in the statute are involved in and receive and/or distribute the proceeds of these games for charitable and nonprofit purposes, but the present law is inadequate to fully achieve this objective.

(4)

Money from bingo games are frequently diverted or taken for noncharitable purposes through various ruses and artifices such as unreasonably high rentals or salaries.

(5)

Arrangements between and among lessors of places where bingo games are conducted, actual or putative nonprofit organizations and concessionaires at such games have become commercialized to an extent not contemplated or intended by the legislature.

(6)

Effective enforcement of state law regarding bingo games can only be brought about by local regulation of these games to insure that the proceeds from the games pass into the hands of the groups, organizations or associations identified in F.S. § 849.0931 in the manner and for the purposes set forth in the statute.

(Ord. No. 95-25, § 1, 5-25-95)