A Municipal Services Benefit Unit (“MSBU”) is a legal financing mechanism wherein a local government establishes a discrete area within which to provide for the delivery and funding of essential services or improvements such as potable water, wastewater, paving and drainage, sidewalks, street lighting, beach restoration, solid waste collection, etc. through the imposition of special assessments (sometimes referred to as non-ad Valorem assessments) against real property located therein. In other words, it gives a group of property owners a way to finance improvements that they desire by paying a pro-rata share of the cost through a special assessment.

The MSBU boundary is legally determined by the properties which will derive a special benefit from the service or improvement.

If an MSBU is created and assessments are levied, property owners have the option of financing their assessment amount over a ten to twenty-year period or prepaying their assessment in full prior to bank financing, thereby saving interest and financing fees. If the assessment is paid overtime, annual payments would be collected on the property’s property tax bill. The special assessments would be levied and collected by the County in accordance with the procedure set forth in the County’s Code of Ordinances and as authorized by Florida Statute. 

The steps in bringing a typical MSBU project to fruition is time-consuming. Petition validation, engineering design, permitting, land acquisition, construction, bond validation, financing and the MSBU ''legal process'' will usually take about two years.

For more information or to request a petition packet, please contact Barbara Guettler at (772) 462-2568 or GuettlerB@stlucieco.org.

Resources

Florida Statute 197.3632

MSBU St. Lucie County Code of Ordinances

Street Lighting Districts, St. Lucie County Code of Ordinances

Sustainability District, St. Lucie County Code of Ordinances (Energy conservation and renewable energy projects)

Property Clean-up, St. Lucie County Code of Ordinances

Solar Energy Loan Fund

Culvert, St. Lucie County Code or Ordinances

Culvert Assistance Program | St. Lucie County, FL (stlucieco.gov)