218.34  Special districts; financial matters.--

(1)  The governing body of each special district shall adopt a budget by resolution each fiscal year. The total amount available from taxation and other sources, including amounts carried over from prior fiscal years, must equal the total of appropriations for expenditures and reserves. The adopted budget must regulate expenditures of the special district, and it is unlawful for any officer of a special district to expend or contract for expenditures in any fiscal year except in pursuance of budgeted appropriations.

(2)  The proposed budget of a dependent special district shall be presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and as such either be:

(a)  Contained within the general budget of the local governing authority and be clearly stated as the budget of the dependent district; or

(b)  Budgeted separately in which case the governing authority shall certify to the department compliance with the auditing requirements of s. 11.45 for each dependent special district.

(3)  The proposed budget of an independent special district located solely within one county shall be filed with the clerk of the county governing authority by September 1 of each year.

(4)  The local governing authority may, in its discretion, review the budget or tax levy of any special district located solely within its boundaries.