The Florida Tax Collectors Association (FTCA) presented Scott Lunsford, Escambia County Tax Collector, with the Legacy Award for Continued Excellence in Financial Operations at the Fall Education Forum in Orlando. The award recognizes offices that have achieved innovation, customer focus, a well-managed budget and a clean audit in finance operations. The award is given only to those tax collectors previously recognized with the Excellence in Finance Operations Award.
“The Legacy Award is one of the highest achievements the Florida Tax Collectors Association can award a local tax collector,” said Florida Tax Collectors, Inc. past-president Sharon Jordan of Suwannee County. “The judging process was arduous and included a detailed review of the financial functions of the tax collector’s office. I am very proud to say that the Honorable Scott Lunsford has earned the designation. He represents the very top echelon of elected officials.”
Previously, the office earned the Excellence in Financial Operations Award after demonstrating proficiency in four areas of expertise: innovation and automation, a perfect annual audit report, customer focus and budgeting. For the 2018 Legacy Award, Lunsford demonstrated that his office had further improved its financial operations by introducing an enhanced website, EscambiaTaxCollector.com, and new online services that resulted in time and cost savings to taxpayers.
“We have an extraordinary finance team who work diligently to ensure accuracy and excellence,” said Lunsford. “The office also, for the seventh consecutive year, received a Certificate of Merit for achieving a clean audit. The staff of the accounting department are deserving of this recognition, and we are very proud of Chief Financial Officer, Brenda Chestnutt, and her accountants, Aimee Sluder and Lumi Williams.”
A five-person judging panel made up of government financial executives throughout Florida reviewed the tax collector’s processes as related to the four areas of competency.
“Scott Lunsford has continually proven that he operates his office in an exemplary and award-winning manner,” said Ben Anderson, President of the Florida Tax Collectors Association. “The panelists’ review of his office far exceeded simply reviewing his perfect audit report. Mr. Lunsford’s methods for delivering service to the people he serves and consideration of the technological innovations he has developed and put into place were also analyzed.”
Anderson further states, “Tax Collectors carry out State of Florida work at the local level on behalf of Florida’s citizens, including property tax collections and enforcement; driver licenses and motor vehicle services; hunting and fishing licenses; birth certificates, and so much more. Mr. Lunsford represents his County well in providing these services.”
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