New Florida Law Empowers Homeowners to Recall CDD Board Members

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Governor Ron DeSantis has signed legislation creating a formal recall election process for elected board members of Community Development Districts, closing a gap in state law that left homeowners with limited options to hold board members accountable.

The measure, CS/CS/SB 1180, sponsored by Senator Kristen Arrington of Osceola County and Representative Jose Alvarez of Kissimmee, passed both chambers of the Florida Legislature unanimously and takes effect July 1, 2026.

Before the new law, residents of Florida more than 1,700 Community Development Districts had no mechanism to remove elected board members before their terms expired, even in cases of alleged malfeasance or neglect of duty. Addressing misconduct often required lengthy legal proceedings or law enforcement involvement.

"This legislation grew out of concerns raised by residents in my district who felt they had no meaningful recourse when problems arose within their Community Development District. Their advocacy helped shine a light on a gap in state law, and this reform ensures residents across Florida have a stronger voice in the governance of their communities," said Senator Arrington.

Nocatee, a master-planned community in St. Johns County about 20 miles southeast of Jacksonville, has a population of roughly 25,000 and is located near PGA TOUR headquarters.

The law was directly inspired by the experiences of residents in the Concorde Estates community in Osceola County, who alleged financial mismanagement and governance failures by their CDD board. The new recall process is modeled on the existing recall procedure for municipal and county officials.

"I am extremely proud of the work we did this session to ensure we brought back an avenue of accountability for our residents at Concorde Estates. This is a first step to regaining control and restoring faith in honest leadership on CDD boards across this state," said Representative Alvarez.

The legislation was among 15 bills DeSantis signed on June 26, bringing the year total to more than 200 new laws. The governor also vetoed three measures the same day, including a bill that would have set a 10-mile-per-hour speed limit for e-bikes on sidewalks.