People l Excellence l Accountability l Respect l Leadership l Service

Pinellas County Tax Collector | 315 Court Street, 3rd Floor, Clearwater, FL 33756 | 727-464-7777 | taxcollect.com

VISION 2021FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLANPINELLAS COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR

Prepared by:Rachel Panter, Organizational Management Analyst Brenna Haggar, Sr. Manager of Public Affairs

Revised: April 2017

CUSTOMER-FOCUSED EXCELLENCEWe continually pursue organizational excellence. | We empower our workforce to excel.

We serve our customers respectfully, accurately, and professionally. | We provide exceptional stewardship of public funds.

Charles W. Thomaspinellas county tax collector

VISION 2021 1

Table of Contents

BUSINESS OVERVIEW ………….………………………………………...………… 2

STRATEGY MAP………………………………………………………………………. 4

VISION, MISSION, VALUES ………………………………………………………... 5

FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN ……………………………………...……………... 6

CONCLUSION .………………………………………………………………………... 8

VISION 2021 2

Business Overview The office of the Tax Collector is established under the Florida Constitution, Article VIII. From collecting property taxes to issuing driver licenses, the Pinellas County Tax Collector’s office serves nearly every resident of Pinellas County. As an independently elected position that acts as the county’s chief revenue officer, the Tax Collector is responsible for collecting and distributing a variety of local and state taxes. Taxes collected include real estate, tangible personal property, and tourist development. In addition, the office serves as an agent of multiple state agencies, such as the Florida Department of Revenue, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Health, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Each year, the office collects more than $2 billion in tax revenues and driver license and motor vehicle fees. The Tax Collector's office distributes those funds to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, the Pinellas County School Board, local cities, fire districts, and other state and local taxing authorities.

The Florida Department of Revenue reviews and approves the Tax Collector’s annual budget. Commissions and fees fund the budget paid by taxing authorities to the Tax Collector for tax collection and distribution services. At the end of the fiscal year, unused fees not required for operational expenses are returned to the taxing authorities. On average, the Pinellas County Tax Collector's office returns $10 million a year in unused fees.

The Tax Collector’s office works closely with other branches of county government including, but not limited to, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, Property Appraiser, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and Supervisor of Elections. The Tax Collector also collaborates with the Florida Tax Collectors Association and statewide professional coalitions.

The Pinellas County Tax Collector’s strategic advantages begin with its core competencies: workforce training and development, customer service excellence, compliance and transaction accuracy, and continual process improvement. Other key advantages include being a fee-based revenue office, offering multiple state services at the local level, providing one-stop convenient locations throughout the county, possessing an in-house training staff, and having a well-established career ladder process.

VISION 2021 3

Strategic challenges include the ability to maintain workforce capacity and facilities required to meet customer expectations, the ability to remain competitive in recruitment and retention of team members, and retention of institutional knowledge when employees leave. Additional strategic challenges for the Tax Collector’s office can also come in the form of unforeseen legislative actions and unfunded mandates.

In an effort to capitalize on the office’s strengths and mitigate strategic challenges, the Tax Collector develops five-year strategic plans, which are reviewed and updated annually. This strategic plan centers on four perspectives and six goals adopted by the organization. These perspectives include 1.0 Financial Responsibility; 2.0 Exceptional Customer Service; 3.0 Organizational Excellence; and 4.0 Engaged and Knowledgeable Workforce.

All initiatives have been developed to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time bound (SMART).

The Tax Collector has developed specific goals that link to each perspective area:

1.1 Ensure Fiscal Accountability

2.1 Exceed External and Internal Customer Service Expectations

3.1 Improve Processes for Increased Efficiency and Effectiveness

3.2 Ensure Regulatory Compliance and Operational Excellence

4.1 Empower the Workforce to Succeed Now and in the Future

4.2 Make a Positive Impact through Community Partnerships

VISION 2021 4

Pinellas County Tax Collector Strategy Map

1.0 Financial Responsibility

1.1 Ensure fiscal accountability

2.0 Exceptional Customer Service

2.1 Exceed External and Internal Customer Service Expectations

3.0 Organizational Excellence

3.1 Improve Processes for Increased Efficiency and Effectiveness

3.2 Ensure Regulatory Compliance and Operational Excellence

4.0 Engaged & Knowledgeable Workforce

4.1 Empower the Workforce to Succeed

Now and in the Future

4.2 Make a Positive Impact through Community Partnerships

Mission:

We continually pursue organizational excellence by:

§ Empowering our workforce to excel; § Serving our customers respectfully,

accurately, and professionally; and § Providing exceptional stewardship

of public funds.

VISION 2021 5

VISION 2021 6

Five-Year Strategic Plan

The goals of the strategic plan and objectives within each goal will guide the direction of the Tax Collector’s office for the next five years. Each component of the plan serves to fulfill the Tax Collector’s mission and supports the organization’s vision of “Customer-Focused Excellence.”

Perspectives, Goals, and Objectives 1.0 Financial Responsibility

1.1 Ensure fiscal accountability Reviewed annually as part of the strategic planning process

2.0 Exceptional Customer Service

2.1 Exceed external and internal customer service expectations Objectives – Target Dates:

1. Update customer requirements for all segments – FY17 Q4 2. Implement internal customer service program – FY17 Q4 3. Open North County Driving Range – FY18 Q4 4. Open South County Branch – FY19 Q4 5. Close Tarpon Spring Branch – FY17 Q3 6. Remodel NC Branch & 2nd Floor Expansion – FY17 Q4 7. Implement Optimum Solutions for Branch Operation – FY19 Q4 8. Pilot Toll Violation Clearances – F717 Q4 9. Explore Fingerprinting Services – FY17 Q4

3.0 Organizational Excellence

3.1 Improve processes for increased efficiency and effectiveness Objectives – Target Dates:

10. Implement uploading property tax corrections to PAO – FY17 Q4 11. Coordinate branch security audits – FY17 Q3 12. Phase 1 – Exploration – FY17 Q3 13. Phase 2 – Implementation – FY18 Q4 14. Abra Improvements – FY18 Q2 15. Implement Optimum Solutions for Processing Support – FY17 Q4 16. Develop Master Report Database – FY18 Q2

VISION 2021 7

17. SharePoint Governance Board – FY17 Q4 18. Q-Flow Upgrade & Appointment System – FY18 Q4 19. Implement RenewExpress – FY18 Q4 20. Refresh DL Printer – FY18 Q1 21. Implement Office 365 & Exchange – FY18 Q3 22. Explore Purchase Order Automation – FY17 Q4 23. Explore Travel Authorization Automation – FY17 Q4 3.2 Ensure regulatory compliance and operational excellence Objectives – Target Dates:

24. Finalize Cashiering Policy & Procedure – FY17 Q4

4.0 Engaged and Knowledgeable Workforce

4.1 Empower the workforce to succeed now and in the future Objectives – Target Dates:

25. Refresh annual awards program – FY18 Q2 26. Refresh annual workforce satisfaction/engagement survey – FY18 Q3 27. PCTC Policy Review – FY17 Q3 28. Develop Cashiering Curriculum – FY18 Q2 29. Salary Study - Exempt Positions – FY17 Q4

4.2 Make a positive impact through community partnerships Objectives: 30. Maintain >60% donor level for driver license transactions – Continuous

VISION 2021 8

Conclusion

In an effort to provide the highest quality customer service, and to create an attractive, rewarding work environment, the Pinellas County Tax Collector’s office has developed the preceding strategic plan. This plan incorporates the office's perspectives of Financial Responsibility, Exceptional Customer Service, Organizational Excellence, and an Engaged and Knowledgeable Workforce. It also takes into account the office's core values of People, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, Leadership, and Service in the following manner.

The Pinellas County Tax Collector’s office is committed to high standards of accountability, service, and the continual pursuit of organizational excellence. Every aspect of this strategic plan serves to fulfill these standards.