New Orange Tax Collector Wants to Modernize Operations
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
By: Tom Parkinson

January 8, 2013 | WMFE - Orange County has a new tax collector. Former Democratic State Representative Scott Randolph is among dozens of state and local officials taking the oath of office this week. Randolph says he plans to update the agency's technology to modernize operations at the office.

Randolph, former Chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party, won the office after longtime Tax Collector Earl K. Wood died a few weeks before Election Day. Local Democratic leaders appointed Randolph as a substitute and votes for Wood were counted for Randolph.

He says will look for ways to use technology to improve operations and reduce wait times, at the Tax Collector’s eight locations. 

“Our goal is to make sure that you can get in and out of the office as quickly as possible and maybe not even come to the office.”

Randolph says he’s working to move many common transactions online and to develop cell phone apps that will give users the current wait times at various office locations.

He says he will also reinforce the agency’s anti-discrimination policies.

“There hasn’t a problem with it in the past.” Randolph says. “But I want to make sure that we are very up-front with all our employees that we will not tolerate any type of discrimination.”

Randolph also says he will immediately begin issuing free identification cards to homeless county residents. He says he will work with the state’s iDignity program to help poor and homeless people get personal-identification.

“A government photo ID is necessary many times even just to apply for a job.” He says.

A government issued identification card is also needed to cash checks or apply for a rental lease.

Randolph says the Tax Collector’s office will waive the $6.25 state fee for the ID cards and says he hopes the free ID cards will help people break the cycle of homelessness.  

The 39-year-old Orlando resident is a former three-term state representative. While in the legislature, he served as the Ranking Democratic Member of the House Finance and Tax Committee.

The Tax Collector’s office is best known for issuing auto tags and collecting taxes on motor vehicle and boat sales but also collects property, business, occupational and a number of other taxes.