Sarasota County Tax Collector Mike Moran’s guest column incorrectly frames this as a simple matter of “following the law.” (“Sarasota County tax boss Moran responds to School Board lawsuit,” May 1)
In fact, this is about an interpretation that imposes unjustified costs on students, families and classrooms.
Let’s be clear about a few facts.
The practice in Sarasota County did not occur by accident or oversight.
For nearly a quarter of a century, the school system avoided commission fees under the voter-approved referendum because local leaders never contemplated using voter-approved funds for anything other than what the voters approved.
No statutory language suddenly changed.
The Sarasota County Tax Collector’s Office, led by Moran, chose to impose commission fees on the school district.
This deliberate action in September 2025 ended a longstanding policy that had been in place since the referendum’s inception.
The voters of Sarasota County have – for nearly the same period – repeatedly and overwhelmingly supported strong public schools with the highest approval percentage statewide.
They chose to fund classrooms, teachers and student support, not to see their dollars diverted through a disputed discretionary administrative charge.
The financial impact of this commission fee is substantial: over the current and upcoming four-year referenda, an estimated $8 million to $10 million will be diverted from classrooms and educational programs.
This funding, meant for students and educators, is now at risk due to an avoidable administrative decision.
Calling this a “state-mandated commission” without context is misleading and ignores the actual statutory language.
Sarasota County operated on this structure for 24 years. Every other county in Florida that had an extra 1-mill tax for schools interpreted the statute the same way Sarasota County did.
In fact, the tax collector himself served as a county commissioner for eight years under the same arrangement and never questioned its legality or structure.
This is not law-enforcing action.
It is the opposite: it is a diversion of tax funds in violation of Florida law.
It is a biased interpretation favoring one office at students’ expense.
The suggestion that the district acted hastily or irresponsibly is flat wrong.
We raised concerns early, requested clarity, met with the tax collector in person and pursued negotiation.
Suggesting the district’s first action was to “lawyer up” – as if we hadn’t pursued a non-legal resolution for nearly a year – is gaslighting.
We cannot continue to drag this issue out while millions of dollars intended for classrooms are redirected under a disputed, questionable interpretation.
Requesting an opinion from Florida’s attorney general solves nothing – such requests may not be granted at all, and advisory opinions cannot recover funds that have already been taken from classrooms.
Such an opinion would not concern our case or its facts, and it would not be binding precedent.
Our next steps involve enforcing Florida law that ensures taxpayer dollars are used as intended.
We will advocate for a resolution that protects Sarasota County’s classrooms and honors the voters’ will.
The claim that this complaint “wastes taxpayer money” ignores the real issue. The cost shift is the core problem.
The potential litigation costs pale in comparison to the millions of dollars diverted from the voter-approved trust fund.
This action deprives instruction, student support and school operations of significant funding.
Our responsibility is to defend those resources.
Invoking an oath of office does not validate one’s own legal interpretation.
Every constitutional officer, including myself as superintendent, has taken the same oath.
Our duty is to follow the law and safeguard the public interest.
When attempts for non-legal resolution fail, the courts must resolve disputes.
That is exactly why we are here at this point.
This could have been collaborative. This should have been collaborative.
But collaboration demands a shared commitment to protecting all taxpayers, not shifting costs between public entities and labeling it “compliance.”
Given that the tax collector believes we should not accrue legal costs until a potential attorney general opinion is issued, a step in good faith would be to halt collections and issue refunds until then.
That approach would demonstrate respect for the process – and for the taxpayers who expect these funds to support students.
Terry Connor is the superintendent of the Sarasota County Schools district.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota school boss Connor reacts to tax collector’s claims | Opinion
Reporting by Terry Connor Guest columnist, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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