JORDAN CHAPEL FREEWILL BAPTIST CH. v. Dade County

334 So. 2d 661
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJune 22, 1976
Docket75-1275
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 334 So. 2d 661 (JORDAN CHAPEL FREEWILL BAPTIST CH. v. Dade County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
JORDAN CHAPEL FREEWILL BAPTIST CH. v. Dade County, 334 So. 2d 661 (Fla. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

334 So.2d 661 (1976)

JORDAN CHAPEL FREEWILL BAPTIST CHURCH, a Florida Corporation, et al., Appellants,
v.
DADE COUNTY, a Political Subdivision of the State of Florida, Appellee.

No. 75-1275.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.

June 22, 1976.
Rehearing Denied July 29, 1976.

*662 Joel Hirschhorn, Angus M. Stephens, Miami, for appellants.

Stuart Simon, County Atty., and Richard Dunn, Asst. County Atty., for appellee.

Before BARKDULL, C.J., and HENDRY and NATHAN, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

By this appeal, we are called upon to review the following order confirmed by final judgment entered by the trial court. In said order, the court made certain findings of fact and conclusions of law in denying a permanent injunction. Said order reads in part as follows:

* * * * * *

"This is an action for declaratory decree and injunctive relief brought by plaintiff, Jordan Chapel Freewill Baptist Church, Inc., and joined in by thirty-six (36) plaintiff-intervenors (hereinafter referred to along with plaintiff as `plaintiffs'), which challenges the constitutionality of Dade County Ordinance No. 75-50 (hereinafter referred to as the `Bingo Ordinance').[1] This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 86.011, Florida Statutes. Pursuant to stipulation of counsel, at least one plaintiff or plaintiff-intervenor has standing to challenge the constitutionality of the ordinance in question. The plaintiff filed a Motion for Temporary Injunction and at a hearing on the motion, Dade County agreed to withhold enforcement of the ordinance in question pending final hearing in this cause.

"The plaintiffs base their claim for relief upon the following grounds among others: that Dade County lacks the legal authority to enact the ordinance; that the ordinance conflicts with and is preempted by state law; that the ordinance was not properly enacted; that the ordinance violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; that the ordinance violates the Due Process Clause of the aforesaid Fourteenth Amendment; and that the ordinance was not a valid exercise of the County police power.

"I. THE ORDINANCE

"The ordinance in question was enacted after the Board of County Commissioners of Dade County determined that:

`... present laws governing the operation of bingo games as provided for in Section 849.093, Florida Statutes, are inadequate to ensure that the various charitable, civic, community, benevolent, religious and scholastic organizations receive all the proceeds to which they are entitled under state law; and
`... since monies from bingo games are frequently retained illegally or taken out for non-charitable purposes through such ruses as abnormally high rentals and salaries; and
`... The Board of County Commissioners wishes to ensure effective enforcement of the above-quoted laws regarding "bingo games" and to see that the proceeds from such games pass into the hands of legitimate charitable organizations *663 to be used for legitimate charitable purposes, . ..'[2]

"The ordinance begins with a section defining some of the more significant terms used therein. It also requires:

"1. All operators of bingo games to obtain a valid permit. Several specific items of information regarding the organization and its bingo operations are required to be disclosed prior to receiving the permit.

"2. Owners of premises and/or lessors who provide space to a bingo operator to obtain a permit. Similar information regarding the organization and benefits received from bingo operations must be supplied prior to issuance of the permit.

"3. Operators to maintain records regarding bingo receipts, prizes, expenses and proceeds.

"4. Certain information regarding identification of the charity, gross receipts, and prize money to be awarded to be posted during each session of bingo.

"5. Specified types of playing materials to be used in bingo games and records of material purchases to be maintained.

"II. DADE COUNTY'S POWER TO ENACT THE ORDINANCE

"Dade County is a constitutional home rule county. Article VIII, Section 11, Florida Constitution. Under this constitutional provision, the electors of Dade County are granted the power to adopt a home rule charter of government for Dade County.

"Dade County's Charter, at Section 1.01A, provides in relevant part:

`The Board of County Commissioners shall be the legislative and governing body of the county and shall have the power to carry on a central metropolitan government. This power shall include but shall not be restricted to the power to:
* * * * * *
`21. Exercise all powers and privileges granted to municipalities counties, and county officers by the Constitution and laws of the state, and all powers not prohibited by the Constitution or by this Charter.
`22. Adopt such ordinances and resolutions as may be required in the exercise of its powers, and prescribe fines and penalities for the violation of ordinances.
`23. Perform any other acts consistent with law which are required by this Charter or which are in the common interest of the people of the county.'

"In addition to the above grants of power, Section 1.01B of the Dade County Home Rule Charter provides that enumerated powers include all implied powers necessary and proper to carrying them out. These provisions of the Dade County Charter were expressly validated in Article VIII, Section 6(e) of the 1968 Florida Constitution. There is clear authority in the above-cited sections for Dade County to enact Ordinance No. 75-50.

"There are also other authorities available which authorized Dade County to enact of the bingo ordinance. Section 125.01, Florida Statutes, which establishes the power of legislative bodies in counties, provides that a county shall have the power to:

`(h) Establish, coordinate, and enforce zoning and such business regulations as are necessary for the protection of the public;
* * *
`(t) Adopt ordinances and resolutions necessary for the exercise of its power and prescribe fines and penalities for the violation of ordinances in accordance with law.
* * *
`(w) Perform any other acts not inconsistent with law which are in the common *664 interest of the people of the county, and exercise all powers and privileges not specifically prohibited by law.'

"Further, pursuant to Article VIII, Section 6(f), Metropolitan Dade County is permitted to exercise all powers conferred upon municipalities by general law. Chapter 166.021 (1) provides:

`As provided in § 2(b), Art. VIII of the state constitution, municipalities shall have the governmental, corporate, and proprietary powers to enable them to conduct municipal government, perform municipal functions, and render municipal services, and may exercise any power for municipal purposes, except when expressly prohibited by law.'

"The allegation in the plaintiffs' complaint which contends that Dade County is without the power to enact the ordinance regulating bingo is unsubstantiated and without merit. Pursuant to the Florida Constitution, the Dade County Home Rule Charter and the Florida Statutes, cited above, Dade County has the power to enact an ordinance regulating the operation of bingo games.

"III.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

City of Miami v. Emilio Tomas Gonzalez
District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2025
D'agastino v. the City of Miami
189 So. 3d 236 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2016)
Miami-Dade County v. Dade County Police Benevolent Assoc.
154 So. 3d 373 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2014)
Jass Properties, LLC v. City of North Lauderdale
101 So. 3d 400 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2012)
Hoesch v. Broward County
53 So. 3d 1177 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2011)
EXILE v. Miami-Dade County
35 So. 3d 118 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2010)
Phantom of Clearwater v. Pinellas County
894 So. 2d 1011 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2005)
Engineering Contractors Association of South Florida, Inc. v. Broward County
789 So. 2d 445 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2001)
Lowe v. Broward County
766 So. 2d 1199 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2000)
FYI Adventures, Inc. v. City of Ocala
698 So. 2d 583 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1997)
Food Spot Corp. v. Renfrow
668 So. 2d 1053 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1996)
Alachua County v. Lewis Oil Co.
554 So. 2d 1210 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1989)
LABORERS'INTERN., LOCAL 478 v. Burroughs
541 So. 2d 1160 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1989)
LABORERS'INTERN, L. 478 v. Burroughs
522 So. 2d 852 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1988)
Ago
Florida Attorney General Reports, 1986
Bennett M. Lifter v. METRO. DADE CTY.
482 So. 2d 479 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1986)
Bennett M. Lifter, Inc. v. Metropolitan Dade County
15 Fla. Supp. 2d 60 (Florida Circuit Courts, 1985)
Duval v. State
6 Fla. Supp. 2d 217 (Florida Circuit Courts, 1984)
Metropolitan Dade County v. Santos
430 So. 2d 506 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1983)
City of Miami v. Metropolitan Dade County
407 So. 2d 243 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
334 So. 2d 661, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jordan-chapel-freewill-baptist-ch-v-dade-county-fladistctapp-1976.