Information related to County ordinances…..
When the subdivision known as Compass Lake in the Hills was created in the mid-80’s, the Jackson County Board of County Commissioners created a taxing method known as a Municipal Services Taxing Unit in order to provide funding for the facilities and maintenance within the subdivision. The funding from the annual assessment was used to operate and maintain the recreation facilities, provide for road maintenance and improvements, and to fund the Volunteer Fire Department. Following a lawsuit filed by a disgruntled property owner, the county decided to cancel all contracts for maintenance within the subdivision and to defund the MSTU. Since 2019, all road maintenance and fire department funding has been provided from the annual county budget.
The MSTU has been changed to MSTBU and is still in existence today, although the county ceased the tax assessment in 2019.
Since the county does not fund the MSTBU, the roads are maintained the same as all other roads in the county and funded through the annual county road department budget.
The volunteer fire department receives no funding other than an annual interlocal agreement and donations.
The recreation facilities and amenities are owned by the Compass Lake in the Hills Property Owners Association, Inc., a private, nonprofit corporation and do not receive any funding or support from the MSTBU. These facilities are funded through an annual membership fee established in late 2019 and receive no funding or assistance from the county.
Click the link below to read the Jackson County ordinance for the MSTBU.
Chapter 48 – Special Districts
For questions about the rules related to your lot, click the below link to the Jackson County ordinance governing land use within Compass Lake in the Hills.
Land use ordinance – Chapter 42, Article III, Division 5
Jackson County budget information can be found on the County Commissioners web pages at this link:
https://jacksoncountyfl.gov/about/financials/