The Florida Tax Collectors Association (FTCA) presented Janet Holley, Escambia County Tax Collector, with the Excellence in Financial Operations Legacy Award 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 Eric Zwayer, of Highlands 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 Janet Holley has earned the designation. She represents the very top echelon of elected officials.”
Previously, Holley 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 2016 Legacy Award, Ms. Holley demonstrated that her office had further enhanced its financial operations.
“We have an extraordinary finance team who work diligently to ensure accuracy and excellence,” said Tax Collector Janet Holley. “We are very proud of Chief Financial Officer, Brenda Chestnutt, and her accountants, Aimee Sluder, Lumi Williams and Jessica Grimes. They also have received a Certificate of Merit for achieving a clean audit for the past five years and are deserving of this recognition.”
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.
“The citizens of Escambia County can be very proud of the Honorable Janet Holley for the award-winning manner in which she operates the Tax Collector’s Office,” Larry Hart, President of the FTCA, said. “The panelists’ review of her office went far and above reviewing her perfect audit report. The review included methods utilized by Ms. Holley to deliver service to the citizens she serves and consideration of the technological innovations she has developed and implemented.”