Five county constitutional officers, together with a Board of County Commissioners, form the executive branch of government in Collier County and in each of the 46 other non-charter counties in Florida. This “plural executive” form of government established by the Florida constitution ensures that no single person is responsible for the administration of all county functions.
The constitutional officers are a sheriff, a tax collector, a property appraiser, a supervisor of elections, and a clerk of the circuit court.
They are independently elected county-wide to four-year terms on a partisan ballot in presidential years. There are no term limits.
Constitutional officers perform various administrative duties and policy functions for the state and county. They each administer their own office but obtain their budgets and facilities from the Board of Commissioners.
This post will look at Collier County’s five constitutional officers and their responsibilities, budget, salary, and staff. See a similar look at the Collier County Board of County Commissioners in my primer post here. Similar information for other Florida counties is available on each county government’s website.
Sheriff
The powers, duties, and obligations of a Florida county sheriff include maintaining peace, preserving order (with force when necessary), and, as required by law, providing assistance to a federal immigration agency upon request. (s. 908.104(6), F.S.). Sheriffs are also required to assist school boards in maintaining “safe schools”. (Ch. 30 F.S; Ch. 1006.12 F.S.)
The Collier Sheriff’s Office’s 2024/25 operating budget is $278.5 million, about 18 percent of the county’s total operating budget, and has 1,468 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.
Kevin Rambosk has been the Collier County Sheriff since 2009. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Safety Administration from William Paterson University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Nova University, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Before becoming sheriff, he held positions of increasing responsibility in the Collier Sheriff’s Department from 2003. He had previously served in the Naples Police Department and as Naples City Manager.
Visit the Collier Sheriff website at www.colliersheriff.org.
Tax Collector
The tax collector collects ad valorem taxes, which are the single largest tax collected in Florida. In addition, the tax collector:
- Is an agent for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, where you can renew your registration, apply for a title, replace a lost decal, obtain a parking permit for people with disabilities, and more.
- Provides full driver’s license services, including written tests, driver tests, and reinstatements.
- Acts as an agent of the State of Florida to collect the registration fee for all boats or “vessels” that are both motorized and “domiciled” in Florida.
- Issues local business tax receipts, which are required for any business operating in the county.
The Tax Collector’s Office’s 2024/25 operating budget is $36.2 million, or about two percent of the county budget, and has 166 FTEs.
Rob Stoneburner has been the Collier County Tax Collector since 2020. Before his election, he worked in the Tax Collector’s Office for the previous 11 years, including as Deputy Tax Collector for the last nine.
Visit the Tax Collector’s website at colliertaxcollector.com.
Property Appraiser
A county property appraiser is responsible for determining the “just valuation” of all real and tangible personal properties in the county for ad valorem taxation.
The factors to be taken into consideration in doing so include the amount a willing purchaser would pay a willing seller; the highest and best use to which the property can be expected to be put in the immediate future; the present use of the property; the location, size, and condition of the property; and more. (Ch. 193 F.S.)
The Property Appraiser’s Office’s 2024/25 operating budget is $12.1 million, or about one percent of the county’s total operating budget, and has 64 FTEs.
Vickie Downs has served in the Collier Property Appraiser’s Office for more than 30 years. Starting from the ground up, she climbed the ranks, rising to the position of Director of MIS, Records and Facilities in 1997, Chief Deputy in March 2024, and elected Appraiser in November 2024.
Visit the Property Appraiser’s website at collierappraiser.com.
Supervisor of Elections
The Supervisor of Elections is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the electoral process in Collier County.
Her duties include updating voter registration information, entering new voter registrations into the statewide voter registration system, and acting as the official custodian of documents received by the supervisor related to voter registration and changes in the voter registration status of voters in the county. (Ch. 98 F.S.)
The Supervisor of Elections Office’s 2024/25 operating budget is $5.5 million, or 0.26 percent of the county’s total operating budget. It has a staff of 24 FTEs.
Melissa Blazier has worked for the Supervisor of Elections office since 2006, advancing to the position of Chief Deputy Supervisor of Elections under Jennifer J. Edwards. Upon Edwards’ resignation, she was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to complete the term in May 2023 and was subsequently elected in her own right in 2024.
Blazier holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, magna cum laude, from Hodges University. She is a Certified Elections/Registration Administrator and a Master Florida Certified Elections Professional.
Visit the Supervisor of Elections’ website at colliervotes.gov.
Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
The Clerk performs more than 1,000 different constitutional and statutory roles and functions in the areas of record keeping, information management, and financial management for the 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida and for Collier County Government. (Ch. 28 F.S.)
They fall within the areas of:
- Clerk of the Circuit & County Courts,
- Recorder of Official Land Records,
- Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners,
- Accountant and Custodian of County Funds,
- County Auditor,
- Other duties of the Clerk.
The Clerk’s Office’s 2024/25 operating budget is $19.6 million, or about one percent of the county’s total operating budget, and has 122.21 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.
Crystal Kinzel has been the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller since 2018. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from George Washington University. Before joining the Clerk’s Office as Deputy Clerk in 2005, she served for 16 years as Finance Director for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. She is a Certified Government Financial Manager and a Certified Clerk of Courts and Comptroller.
Visit the Clerk’s website at collierclerk.com.
Salaries
The salaries of Florida’s constitutional officers, like those of the county commissioners and other elected officials, are determined by a salary compensation formula based on county population and five other factors. (Ch. 145 F.S.)
For FY 2024/25, the salary for the Clerk, Property Appraiser, and Supervisor of Elections is $183,2888. The Tax Collector’s salary is $210,795, and the Sheriff’s salary is $249,854.
I hope this primer post was informative. Thank you for wanting to be a more informed voter.