Incumbent's rhetoric lacks accuracy

The recent “Letter to the Editor” article written by the Sarasota County Tax Collector was frankly alarming. Not only was it tone-deaf to public sentiment, but it was also factually incorrect. It is shocking that someone that has been in this office for 49 years can be so misinformed.

First, it was uncovered that the Tax Collector was paying an employee $448,367.92, not $400,000.  The actual payroll amounts were $17,244.92 per pay period, and there are 26 payroll periods in the year. Following a Public Records Request, the payroll stopped the next payday. What’s even more alarming is Mrs. Ford-Coates’ explanation that the additive pay was for “additional responsibilities during the pandemic.”  The problem with this explanation is that the “additive pay” was three years after the pandemic. The most troublesome part of this research is that Mrs. Ford-Coates sent mandatory documents to the Department of Revenue showing the employee’s annual salary was $165,474. Lastly, and most frustrating is this payroll additive is included in the employees Florida Retirement System (FRS) calculation and the residents of Sarasota County will be paying this increased retirement calculation for the life of this employee. These payroll documents are sent to the Department of Revenue so this type of behavior can’t take place.  In Florida, government employee’s retirement is calculated on the highest five years of payroll during their career.

Second, the Tax Collector’s explanation to “overcharging our taxpayers” is factually incorrect. The Tax Collector stated, “…that all fees and commissions this office collects are set and required by Florida law – they are neither decided nor set by me.”  This is simply inaccurate. While state fees are mandated from Tallahassee (for example a driver’s licenses and vehicle plates), Mrs. Ford-Coates mandates the fees on local Non-Ad Valorem Assessments. In just one example, Mrs. Ford-Coates was over-charging almost 13 times more than Charlotte County for the same work. Not 13% more, 13 times more. In this real example, the Sarasota County Tax Collector charges $1,295.61, and the Charlotte County Tax Collector charges a flat fee of $100. It is unacceptable.

Nobody has taken a deep look into the operations of the Sarasota County Tax Collector’s office for almost five decades. It is time for a change.

–Mike Moran