She has received the recognition each year since 2011
Sarasota County Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates has earned a special designation for excellence in the field of financial operations from the Florida Tax Collectors Association, her staff has announced.
The process entailed in being considered for recognition with the Legacy Award “is rigorous and includes a comprehensive review of the financial functions, records, practices, and use of technology of the Tax Collector’s Office,” a news release explains.
“Award recipients are selected by a five-person judging panel made up of government financial executives from throughout Florida,” the release says. This panel examines the tax collector’s processes as they relate to the following four areas of competency, the release notes:
- Innovation and automation.
- Perfect annual audit report.
- Customer focus.
- Budgeting.
“It is always an honor to bring home this award to my staff,” Ford-Coates said in the release. Having consistently received this award since its inception in 2011, she added, “This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our whole team and the exceptional work they do on behalf of Sarasota County residents each and every day.”
Ford-Coates has been serving as the county’s tax collector since her first election to the position in 1984. She joined the office staff in 1975, her official biography points out.