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Commission votes to rescind prior vote allowing tax‑collector commission on school referendum funds
Summary
Following public and internal staff questions about the $589,556 commission and transparency around collection costs, the board voted 3–2 to rescind its August 2025 decision that effectively shifted the tax‑collection commission for a voter‑approved school referendum to the school district; staff was asked to return with options and potential interlocal agreements.
The county commission voted 3–2 on May 5 to rescind a prior budget‑year decision that had allowed the county to shift a commission (about $589,556 cited in materials) related to voter‑approved school referendum millage to the Sarasota County School District. The action followed new attention to a lawsuit between the tax collector and the school district and repeated requests from Commissioner Knight for detailed accounting of the tax collector’s asserted collection costs.
Commissioner Knight said the board had not been provided sufficient documentation last year showing that the $589,556 represented actual extraordinary collection costs rather than a discretionary commission, and argued the public expects voter‑approved funds to go to schools. Other commissioners noted the county historically absorbed the commission and that the issue requires legal clarity; county staff and the county attorney explained the technical mechanics of property‑tax commission accounting and said any formal action would require a follow‑up item and possibly budget amendment work.
The motion passed with three commissioners supporting a rollback and two opposing. Board members asked staff to return with options to formalize arrangements — including possible agreements among the county, tax collector and school district — and to analyze legal exposure related to the pending litigation. Several commissioners said they wanted independent accounting to understand the tax‑collector’s cost claims and the potential for refunds to the school district, while others stressed the need to avoid actions that would create budget instability.
Next steps: staff and legal counsel will prepare options and a path forward for board consideration, including any required budget fixes and intergovernmental agreements.
