Sarasota County Tax Collector: Barbara Ford-Coates

Age: 76

Current occupation: Sarasota County Tax Collector

How long have you been a resident of Sarasota County? 52 years

Why are you running for election? 

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. I read every comment card, nearly all of which are positive, and we contact the few that are not so we can learn to do better. 

Providing quality customer service and innovation depends on hiring good people, training them, telling them to have fun, showing appreciation for their work and empathy for each person. 

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.

What makes you a better candidate than your opponents?

Promises are easy to make, but results matter more. 

My team has earned a reputation for exceptional service while maintaining the lowest cost per capita of all Florida tax collectors. I have a proven record of looking for a better way to do something and remembering that kindness and empathy are part of process improvements. 

When reviewing a process, I consider both the customer and my staff: “What will this feel like to the people affected; do we need special training, new technology, better communications, etc.?” 

My people-centered attitude has been crucial in not only leading this office, but in positions of leadership at state and national levels. 

Our office team will continue our commitment to innovation as evidenced by the numerous pilot programs we have undertaken for the Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles, including the vetting of state system upgrades and procedural changes, being the first tax collector in Florida to issue a driver’s license, and establishing a program to send tax bills via email, which led to a rewrite of the law to provide electronic notification to taxpayers. 

Our success is because of each staff member’s commitment to kindness and innovation. When re-elected, voters can count on me to continue meeting the challenge of looking for better ways to serve our customers.

What priorities would you have if elected and why? 

• 1) Exceptional customer service at the lowest cost per capita in Florida. We must continue to innovate and find improvements to our processes. I will continue to challenge staff to find a better way, and I am confident they will continue to rise to every occasion.

• 2) PACE — Property Assessed Clean Energy: Resolve the problem facing all Florida tax collectors. 

The PACE program, which provides private financing for home improvements, has an unusual method for paying back that loan; it is placed on the tax bill. Therefore, the loan payment becomes a priority lien on the property, even over the mortgage. 

State law requires a local government to regulate PACE providers as Sarasota County does in its 2017 ordinance. There are requirements to ensure that the property owner understands the increase in their tax bill and the potential risk if taxes are not paid. 

Here in Sarasota County, one of the four PACE providers has recently taken the position that it does not need an agreement to operate. The executive director of Florida PACE is the current chair of the Sarasota County Commission and one of my opponents. 

Because our ordinance and the state law require an agreement, I am not legally able to collect these assessments on future tax rolls. Additionally, this is a statewide issue because Florida PACE has been making loans in counties where it does not have an agreement with the county or municipality. This means there is no local government oversight of the process and no one looking out for the homeowner and ensuring consumer protection measures are being followed. 

I will continue to follow the law and our local ordinance unless the law changes or a judge decides otherwise. 

Hopefully this issue will be resolved within the next year.

• 3) Expanded services in South County. 

Soon, our Venice office will be undergoing renovations and expansion. We have outgrown our current footprint in the Anderson Administration Building and, following those renovations, in 2025 we will expand into the space across the hall from our current location.

This will allow customers to be welcomed immediately and seated upon arrival. Additional updates include improving the manner and space in which the written driver’s license test is given and the implementation of a self check-in kiosk alongside the greeter. For residents in North Port, my staff and I are continually monitoring capacity levels inside the office in City Hall and evaluating the needs of the community. I believe it is only a matter of time before we need a free standing office in North Port; we are looking ahead to that challenge.