Incumbent tax collector addresses budget claims

As reported in your September 9th article, I missed the Tiger Bay panel on September 5th due to my husband's emergency surgery. I am thankful to my Chief Deputy Sherri Smith for her responses concerning the inaccurate assertions made by Mr. Moran.

Regarding the claim that I paid an employee a salary of $400,000 — that is simply incorrect. A few of my staff members had to take on additional responsibilities during the last few years as we experienced staffing shortages from significantly higher turnover. During the period that has come to be known, across the US, as the “Great Resignation,” we had employees leave to care for family members, pursue other opportunities or higher education, move to other regions, etc. Throughout 2023, one employee worked 75-80 hours per week, the equivalent of two jobs, and I paid them for actual administrative time worked.

Concerning Mr. Moran's comment that the Sarasota County Tax Collector is overcharging our taxpayers, if Mr. Moran had done his homework and read Florida Statute 192.091, he would understand that all fees and commissions this office collects are set and required by Florida law — they are neither decided nor set by me, and they are not optional. This office follows the law in carrying out the duties and responsibilities assigned, and my budget is approved by the Florida Department of Revenue. As my Chief Deputy explained, we receive a fee for every driver's license we issue and every registration we process. Further, we receive a commission from each taxing district for the collection of ad valorem and non-ad valorem property taxes. At the end of the fiscal year, we give back to the districts the fees that were not spent on our budget. Therefore, the lower our expenses, the more we can give back. Since we have the lowest cost per capita in all of Florida, we return to the districts more than any other Tax Collector in Florida. This efficiency is due to the competency and professionalism of my exceptional staff. In response to Mr. Moran’s complaint about my budget presentation, I am proud to share this information with the Commissioners annually. I do so even though there is no requirement that I present my budget to them and welcome their questions.

Mr. Moran's explanation of how the Tax Collector’s Office operates shows that he has a misunderstanding of the statutes and rules that govern our operations. If there are any questions about our budget, operations, or the services we provide, I hope your readers will contact me. I always welcome the opportunity to talk about what we do and our operational efficiencies.

– Barbara Ford-Coates Campaign for Sarasota County Tax Collector