Opinion ID: 1821287
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Legislative, Permitting, Licensing, and Executive Officer Functions.

Text: Clearly, the legislature, commissions, boards, city councils, and executive officers, by their enactment of, or failure to enact, laws or regulations, or by their issuance of, or refusal to issue, licenses, permits, variances, or directives, are acting pursuant to basic governmental functions performed by the legislative or executive branches of government. The judicial branch has no authority to interfere with the conduct of those functions unless they violate a constitutional or statutory provision. There has never been a common law duty establishing a duty of care with regard to how these various governmental bodies or officials should carry out these functions. These actions are inherent in the act of governing. See Commercial Carrier; City of Tampa v. Islands Four, Inc., 364 So.2d 738 (Fla. 2d DCA 1978) (refusal to renew license); Hensley v. Seminole County, 268 So.2d 452 (Fla. 4th DCA 1972) (vehicle inspection); Central Advertising Co. v. City of Novi, 91 Mich. App. 303, 283 N.W.2d 730 (1979) (enactment of zoning ordinance); Bidinger v. City of Circleville, 177 N.E.2d 408 (Ohio App. 1961) (enactment of criminal ordinance); J.S.K. Enterprises, Inc. v. City of Lacey, 6 Wash. App. 433, 493 P.2d 1015 (1972) (enactment of ordinance).