Ford-Coates’ sudden inability to attend is quickly remedied by her long-time employee’s opportune appearance
By Florence Fahringer
Original Air Date: September 6, 2024
Host: This year’s Sarasota County Tax Collector’s Race has turned what is usually a low-key affair into a must-see match-up between an incumbent with 40 years of experience, and the controversial outgoing chair of the Sarasota County Commission. Florence Fahringer was at the Tiger Bay Club luncheon — where the two were set to face off — but saw an unexpected turn of events, that included surprise crowd participation. Here is that report.
Florence Fahringer: Yesterday, the Tiger Bay Club hosted a luncheon featuring a debate between the two candidates for Tax Collector: incumbent Barbara Ford-Coates, and challenger Mike Moran. Or more rather, the Tiger Bay Club was supposed to host a debate between the two candidates. Unfortunately, an unexpected medical emergency threw a wrench in the debate plans: Ford-Coates’ husband had to undergo a sudden and immediate surgery, and was still in intensive care by the time of the luncheon; Ford-Coates opted to remain by his side.
Moran, however, was ready to debate. Given the option to cancel the event, Moran chose to get the solo show on the road. Moran came with a prepared critique of Ford-Coates’ forty-year tenure; as the one-man debate commenced, his family members scattered across the luncheon floor, giving attendees a stapled handout which provided alleged evidence of Ford-Coates’ overtaxing of Sarasotans, as well as overpaying one of her employees.
Moran’s handout was met with some pushback; his accusations of overtaxing were met by jeers from the audience, calling his handout erroneous. The host of the debate, Morgan Bentley, stepped in to clarify.
Morgan Bentley: Mike, you can’t stand here and say that Barbara Ford-coates defrauded $18 million out of the Sarasota County tax base.
[applause]
MM: Defrauded is a legal word; you’re an attorney. What I’m suggesting to you is, this is exactly from her reports, not mine.
FF: When questions were opened to the public, the first audience member to get a hold of the microphone was Sherri Smith, a decades-long employee of Ford-Coates. She rejected the accusations made by Moran’s handout.
Sherri Smith: Looking at the handout, I can tell you that these that he has listed here — DMV, property taxes, driver’s license — those are, just like you said, established at the state level. So, when she says profit, we collect those fees that the state establishes; we invest them; we run our budget with them; we pay our salaries, benefits, and all that. And what’s left over, Barbara returned to the county.
FF: In another unexpected twist, Bentley made a proposition to Smith at the end of her comments.
MB: Okay, since we’re just in weird land today — Mike are you gonna object if … Sherry, do you want to sit here?
[applause]
FF: For the remainder of the debate, Smith sat in as the impromptu representative for Ford-Coates. She was impassioned, at several points interrupting Moran when she believed what he was saying was fallacious. At one point, when Moran objected to the interruption, Smith replied saying “I’m not as nice as you,” to laughter and applause.
Now with an unofficial representative on the stage, an actual dialogue between incumbent and challenger began. One audience question was about whether or not Moran would allow his employees to have income deducted to fund organizations such as United Way; Smith was asked what the current practice in the Tax Collector’s office was.
MM: We will be taking no deductions from employees’ payroll track, for any private institution whatsoever, non-profit or otherwise.
Questioner: Are you telling me that it’s not a current practice that employees can have payroll deducted contributions to charity.
MM: I’m telling you it is a practice, and it will stop.
SS: So we believe — and our staff believes — in giving back to the community. And we absolutely welcome them to contribute to United Way. And if they choose to do that, we will absolutely deduct it from their paycheck and send it to the appropriate organizations. Absolutely. I know for a fact, Barabara is behind that, 100%.
FF: Another contentious question was about the Florida PACE program, which Moran heads. PACE issues bonds which go towards financing home improvements, though an important aspect of these bonds involves how the home improvements are assessed in property taxes. Moran’s complaints were thematically congruent with past comments — he accused Ford-Coates’ office of acting in a partisan way, making policy, and breaking the law. Smith denied the accusations outright.
MM: So what happens is, the only reason we have any type of governmental relation at all is for the tax collectors in the state of Florida to do their ministerial duty and carry out the law. Because what happens is, when those institutional investors bring up private money to Florida, they’re like, “How are you going to pay me back?” And the answer is, as a non-ad valorem assessment on your property tax bill. Well what happened is, the Florida tax collectors said, “Well I don’t like PACE,” or whatever personal issue they had with it, trying to make policy — and they are not policy makers — and said, “I’m not going to put it on the tax goal to pay the bondholders back.”
SS: Actually, the law is very, very crystal clear and specific on the job of the tax collector. It’s not our choice. Whether any county agrees or does not agree to PACE or any other non-ad valorem assessment, once the county approves it, the tax collector will collect it. That’s our job: to collect.
FF: Looking to the future, there will be another opportunity for Ford-Coates and Moran to meet face-to-face. The League of Women Voters has extended an invitation to both candidates for a debate on October Seventh. When an audience member asked Moran if he would attend the forum, his response was unclear.
MM: I’ve made it very clear. I try and make every event I possibly can — As a matter of fact, we were just chit-chatting before this meeting; my record is 42 events in 30 days. The problem, I’ll call it, is that some of these — and as a matter of fact, Tiger Bay recently had this issue — is that some of these forums are incredibly partisan.
Questioner: Yes.
MM: Very.
Q: Yes.
MM: Very. Unfairly so.
Q: The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan group.
MM: Ma’am, I think everyone on that board is a democrat.
Audience Member: Nope, I’m not!
[laughter]
MB: So, I think the answer is no.
[laughter]
MM: I didn’t say that. I didn’t say that. I didn’t say that there wouldn’t be a forum, because I think Tiger Bay is a perfect example. I think it’s fair that I’m here, because Morgan, especially you, you’re wonderful. The moderators have all been fair. And I’m standing here before you, I couldn’t be more transparent.
FF: This is Florence Fahringer, reporting for WSLR News.
WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.