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Elected Office Job Descriptions

Board of County Commissioners

The Board of County Commissioners is the legislative and policy-making body of County Government. The Board establishes policies through the enactment of ordinances and adoption of resolutions. The Board adopts the budget and makes all budget decisions with regard to appropriation of funds to county departments, divisions, and some Constitutional Officers in accordance with State Statutes.

The Board of County Commissioners normally holds meetings twice a month. The five members of the Board of County Commissioners are elected countywide from districts. The Board appoints the County Administrator and the County Attorney and confirms the appointment of department heads.

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School Board Member

The district school board shall operate, control, and supervise all free public schools in their district and may exercise any power except as expressly prohibited by the State Constitution or general law. The school board shall:

 

  • Determine policies and programs necessary for efficient operation and improvement of the district school system.
  • Adopt rules to implement provisions of law.
  • Prescribe and adopt standards for improving the district school system.
  • Act as the contracting agent for the school system.
  • Perform duties assigned by law or by rules of the State Board of Education.
  • Assign students to schools.

The five members of the District School Board are elected countywide from districts.

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County Court Judge

The Constitution establishes a county court in each of Florida's 67 counties. County judges serve six-year terms. To be eligible for the office of county judge, a person must be a resident of Pasco County and must have been a member of The Florida Bar for five years.

The trial jurisdiction of county courts is established by statute. The jurisdiction of county courts extends to civil disputes involving $10,000 or less for actions accruing on or after July 1, 1990, and $15,000 for causes of action accruing on or after July 1, 1992.

The majority of non-jury trials in Florida take place before one judge sitting as a judge of the county court. The county courts are sometimes referred to as "the people's courts," probably because a large part of the courts' work involves volume citizen disputes, such as traffic offenses, less serious criminal matters (misdemeanors), and relatively small monetary disputes.

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Clerk & Comptroller

The Clerk & Comptroller, as an elected Constitutional Officer, serves as Clerk to the Circuit Court, Clerk to the County Court, and Clerk to the Board. The primary duties of the office are outlined in Chapters 28 and 218, Florida Statutes, and include recording all instruments that are required by law to be recorded, including instruments relating to the ownership, transfer, or claims against real or personal property, judgments entered into by any court of this state, certificates of military discharge or separation, notices of liens for taxes, petitions for proceedings under the Bankruptcy Act of the United States, and dissolutions of marriage.

Clerk of the Court services, funded by the State, include jury management, providing clerks for all courtroom attendance for juvenile and County Court proceedings, maintaining records for case management, file control, evidence inventory and control, and court docketing. Fines and fees are recorded, collected, accounted for, and disbursed for traffic, misdemeanors, public defender fees, and restitution. Disbursements are made to municipal, county, and state governments.

Clerk to the Board services, also known as the Comptroller responsibilities, funded by the Board, include maintaining records, contracts, ordinances, and minutes of all Board meetings, workshops, committees, and commissions; financial services; preparation of annual financial statements, as well as processing of payroll for all County Commission employees; preaudit of all vendor checks and travel reimbursement; maintenance of all inventory records for fixed assets; participation in issuance of all County bonds; monitoring all data processing systems for disbursements through life cycle to ensure adequate audit and security controls; and investment of all Board funds for the purpose of maximizing interest revenues.

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Property Appraiser

The Property Appraiser, an elected official, is responsible for determining the value of property in the County for taxing purposes and to process and review applications for exemptions. The total funding for the Property Appraiser's Office is provided on a formula basis of ad valorem property taxes assessed by the Board of County Commissioners, various special taxing districts, Mosquito Control, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Property Appraiser's budget is approved by the Florida Department of Revenue, with the County Commission having the discretion to review and comment only.

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Sheriff

The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county and is the Constitutional authority for the Office of the Sheriff. The Sheriff may appoint deputies to act on his/her behalf and they have the same arresting powers. The Sheriff provides law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of the county and assists the municipal police departments with various support services.

The Sheriff is also responsible for operating the Pasco County Detention Center and all the support services to run the jail. The Sheriff services warrants in the county and also provides security for county courthouses. Other Units that assist the Sheriff in the day to day operations of the jail are: Housing, Warrants, Trustee Program, Inmate Work Program and Medical.

Within the Sheriff’s Office are specialized units that assist the Sheriff in protecting the citizens of Pasco County. Some of these units include: Road Patrol, K-9, Air, Forensics, Marine, Agriculture, Vice/Narcotics, Communications, DUI enforcement, Special Weapon and Tactics, Intelligence Led Policing, Sex Offender, School Resource Officer’s, Property Crimes, Major Crimes, and Economic Crimes, and Child Protective Investigators. The Sheriff’s Office also has a large number of civilian volunteers who work alongside law enforcement in a supportive, non-law enforcement role. Volunteers work in several areas including: Citizen Service Unit/Traffic, Parking Enforcement, Court Services, Fingerprinting, Chaplain Corps, and Mounted Posse.

On June 1st of each year the Sheriff is responsible for submitting a budget for the Sheriff’s operations to the Pasco Commission, in compliance with Florida Statute 30.49. The Sheriff is a constitutional position elected by popular vote and serves a four-year term.

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Superintendent of Schools

The office of superintendent of schools is created in Article IX of the Constitution of the State of Florida. The superintendent of schools shall:

 

  • Excercise oversight over the school system in order to determine problems and needs, and recommend improvements.
  • Advise, counsel, and recommend to the school board on educational matters to be acted upon.
  • Recommend policies considered necessary for more efficient operation of the school system.
  • Recommend rules to supplement those adopted by the State Board of Education and implement the rules when they are adopted.
  • Recommend to the school board standards necessary for efficient operation of any aspect of education in the district and execute those standards.
  • Perform duties and exercise responsibilities as assigned to the Superintendent by laws and by regulations of the State Board of Education.

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Supervisor of Elections

The Supervisor of Elections is the Constitutional Officer designated by Florida law to administer elections and voter registration for Pasco County. The primary duties of the Supervisor and staff are:

  • Conduct municipal, district, county, state, and federal elections
  • Register voters
  • Maintain voter registration rolls
    • remove voters who no longer live in Florida, are deceased, or for any other reason the voter is no longer eligible to vote in Florida
    • change information on voters registration when a change request is received (e.g., name, address, party affiliation)
  • Mail advance notice of election for vote by mail request to voters who are overseas, in the military, or who request notification
  • Accept vote by mail ballot requests and send, receive and verify vote by mail ballots
  • Qualify candidates for district and county offices
  • Receive candidate campaign finance reports for district and county offices and make them available to the public
  • Maintain voting equipment
  • Hire and train election workers
  • Acquire and equip polling places
  • Maintain statistics on election results, voting history, and voter registration
  • Verify petition signatures for initiative petitions, municipal, district, and county candidate qualifying petitions
  • Maintain and update mapping for precinct and street information for each precinct in county
  • Conduct voter outreach drives
  • Conduct voter education activities

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Tax Collector

The Tax collector, an elected official, is the only Constitutional Officer whose budget is funded totally by fees and commissions with no direct ad volorem tax levy. The tax collector collects, invests, and distributes monies for various state, regional, and local governmental agencies and taxing authorities.

The Tax Collector's primary duty throughout the year is serving as the local "DMV." In Florida, county tax collectors - acting as special agents for the state - register motor vehicles and boats; and issue various licenses. In Pasco County, the tax collector has become the sole provider of driver licenses.

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Mosquito Control Commissioner

The Mosquito Control Commission is responsible for the suppression of target mosquito populations to prevent the transmission of diseases and significant annoyance.This three-member board is elected from within the district. The salary for a commissioner is $4,800.00 per year.

 

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Community Development Districts

A Community Development District is a local unit of special-purpose government. A five-seat board is elected from within the district and the annual salary for each member is not to exceed $4,800.00.

 

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