Citrus County Hospital Board v. Citrus Memorial Health Foundation, Inc.

Summary

The Court affirmed the First District's decision holding that the contract clause applies to the Foundation's contracts with the Hospital Board and that the special law unconstitutionally impaired those contracts. The Foundation was a separate not-for-profit entity created under general law to operate the hospital, and the special law substantially transferred control to the Hospital Board and imposed new obligations beyond the parties' agreements. Justice Canady, dissenting, would have treated the Foundation as a public corporation subject to legislative control and would have quashed the First District's decision.