The County Tax Collector is as independent government agency and is
elected for a four-year term in the Presidential election year. It is
essential that a County Tax Collector is independent to ensure that it
can serve the taxpayers, local businesses and local and state agencies
correctly.
The duties of a County Tax Collector are:
• Collecting property taxes for every local government agency with the power to levy taxes
• Serving the state as an agent for the Department of Highway Safety
and Motor Vehicles, the Department of Environmental Protection, the
Department of Revenue and others
• Managing local revenue programs, such as issuing occupational licenses and collecting tourist development taxes
The County Tax Collector is a vital link between the citizens and the
diverse programs that affect them and they have the authority and
resources to manage both state and local revenue programs.
A County Tax Collector can have collections and distributions of
billions of dollars annually. Handling this requires conveniently
located offices, skilled employees, and innovative data systems to
ensure that the County Tax Collector functions efficiently and, most
importantly, works accurately.
Even though the revenues collected by the County Tax Collector are
mostly taxes, the County Tax Collector is not funded from tax dollars
but is a fee office. The fees collected for the services provided by
the County Tax Collector are used to fund the operating budget, which
is approved by the State’s Department of Revenue. Unfortunately, the
work volume of a County Tax Collector, along with cost-effective
operations, normally results in fee revenues that are well in excess of
the budget. The excess fees are returned to the local government
agencies in proportion to the amount they pay by the County Tax
Collector so that they receive tax collection services at the lowest
possible cost.
Amongst other issues, the County Tax Collector bills and collects real
and personal property taxes for the Department of Revenue. The actual
amount of the tax is based on the assessed value of the property and
the mileage rate, which is set by various taxing authorities. They also
issue state motor vehicle licenses and processes applications for
titles on automobiles, trucks, mobile homes, and boats on behalf of the
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Most tax personnel have some form of Municipal Tax Collector
Qualification that is sponsored by local government services. This is
because a tax collector has many legal obligations and financial
responsibilities that must be met in a timely manner. Achieving the
status of Qualified Tax Collector indicates that an individual has
proven his or her competence, knowledge and professionalism in the
field.
