Sarasota County Tax Collector
The Sarasota County Tax Collector is responsible for not only the collection of ad valorem taxes, which is the single largest tax collected in the county, but also collection of other taxes at the local level and on behalf of state agencies. Furthermore, Tax Collectors are the only locally elected officials who come into contact with almost every citizen.
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Barbara Ford-Coates
(Dem)
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Mike Moran
(Rep)
Why are you running for office and what qualities, experience and skills would you bring to the Tax Collector position? (750 character limit)
In your opinion, what are the three main responsibilities of the Tax Collector and how do you plan to approach them if elected? (750 character limit)
The Tax Collector's office has a high volume of citizen interactions. Do you see any areas for improvement? Please explain. (500 character limit)
How will you ensure good communication between the Tax Collector's office and the special tax districts?
(750 character limit)
I want to continue working with my staff to meet the challenge of providing exceptional customer service at the lowest cost per capita in Florida. I am always looking for ways to improve and I welcome questions, complaints and compliments. Each communication is an opportunity to review and improve our processes. My staff includes 100+ exceptional and kind people who make it fulfilling to come to work each and every day. I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Sarasota County.
1) To follow the law which assigns all duties & responsibilities.
2) To make paying taxes as painless as possible.
3) To hire exceptional individuals, train and motivate them to provide exceptional service to the public at the lowest possible cost.
Soon, my Venice office will be undergoing renovations which will allow for better customer flow. For residents in North Port, my staff & I are continually monitoring capacity levels inside the office in City Hall and evaluating when we need to have additional space. We recently expanded online payments to include the Tourist Tax, and continue to look for ways to improve. We welcome customer questions which often lead to improvements.
Of course, this office is always available to answer any question, whether from taxing district or a tax payer. Florida law specifies certain communications: ad valorem districts communicate directly with the Property Appraiser who sends the information to us; non-ad valorem districts must sign an agreement with our office for collection of their assessment roll which is due by September 15th. A staff member contacts each district directly to get their contact information for tax payer inquiries and to be their contact with our office. In regard to the cost of collecting taxes and fees, ad valorem fees are specified by Florida law. Non-ad valorem fees are the actual cost. At the end of the fiscal year, we return money to every district.
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