The Tax Collector’s Office is often referred to as the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), but while it provides DMV services it is, in fact, not the DMV. The Tax Collector is an independent, constitutional officer elected by the citizens of the county in which they serve.
While Tax Collectors across the state serve as agents for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the tax collector also provides services on behalf of our other state agencies and local taxing authorities.
The elected county office of Tax Collector in Florida was established in the 1885 State Constitution on the idea that property taxes were best collected and distributed at a local level. By being an elected office, it was determined the Tax Collector would be more responsible to the needs of the community from which he/she was elected.
Since that time, lawmakers have added to the duties of tax collectors through legislation and tax collectors themselves have lobbied to provide additional state services at the local level to better serve citizens.
In Bay County, Tax Collector Chuck Perdue’s Office currently provides motor vehicle and driver license services for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, hunting and fishing license services for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, birth certificate issuance for the Florida Department of Health, as well as, concealed weapon license application intake and renewal processing for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Each county tax collector is responsible for managing their own budget, but the Florida Department of Revenue provides review and approval of the budget. The Tax Collector’s budget is funded by the fees and commissions of the services they provide as outlined in the Florida Constitution. Additionally, an independent firm audits the office each year to ensure proper financial management.
What does this mean to Bay County citizens? It means fiscal responsibility and customer service matter to Bay County Tax Collector Chuck Perdue. As an elected official, Mr. Perdue listens to the feedback from customers and puts in place new processes and technology in his office to better serve Bay County. It also means he is bound to follow the processes and procedures of the state agencies he serves to ensure the proper documentation and requirements are followed in carrying out transactions.
While the standards and guidelines for processing transactions cannot be waived by Mr. Perdue, the opportunity to hear directly from customers regarding matters does put him in a unique position to work for change on their behalf. Tax collectors are in a position to make lawmakers aware of how legislation impacts local citizens and some of the unintended consequences resulting from current laws.
Mr. Perdue currently serves as an officer of the Florida Tax Collector’s Association, which provides tax collectors across Florida with a collective voice to meet with state agency leadership to discuss the challenges they see in their offices and the frustrations of customers. Additionally, it allows them the opportunity to meet with legislators from all over the state to lobby for change in the areas impacting the services they provide.
The Florida Tax Collector’s Association is working to make doing business more convenient for citizens. Currently, the Tax Collector’s Association is supporting legislation to move the 1.5 million mobile home registration renewal dates to the birth date of the owner just as was done last year with heavy trucks. They are also piloting a program for mobile DL/ID card services for home bound and nursing home residents and implementing the ability to clear toll stops in tax collector offices.
For more information regarding the Bay County Tax Collector’s Office and services provided, please visit BayTaxCollector.com.
