The five-member Board of County Commissioners (BCC) is Collier County’s legislative and governing body. Each county commissioner is elected by voters in their district for a maximum of three 4-year terms. Each January, the Board elects a chair as its presiding officer.
The Board of County Commissioners has the responsibility of setting policies that protect the health, safety, welfare and quality of life of the county’s residents and visitors. This includes approving the County Government’s annual operating budget and capital improvements program. It also includes, but is not limited to, taxation, human services, public safety, land use and development decisions, roadways and traffic, legislating local laws and ordinances, water quality and water treatment, and solid waste, as well as coordination with federal, state, city, and school district partners on many of these matters.
County commissioners are subject to the Florida Sunshine Law, which means they may not communicate with each other in private on an issue that is to be voted on by the Board. The three basic requirements of the Sunshine Law are that 1) meetings of public boards, commissions and committees must be open to the public, 2) reasonable notice of such meetings must be given, and 3) minutes of meetings must be taken.
County commissioner salaries are dictated by the state and are based on the county’s population. Collier County commissioners’ salary for fiscal year 2024-25 is $107,234.
Collier County District Map
Collier County is divided into five districts of roughly equal population every ten years following the decennial census. This is the most recent Collier County District Map:
Find your commissioner district.
Commissioners
The current Collier County commissioners are all Republicans. Their names, the dates they entered office, and the dates of their next elections are:
| District | Commissioner | In Service From | Term Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rick LoCastro rick.locastro@colliercountyfl.gov | 12/20 | 11/28 |
| 2 | Chris Hall chris.hall@colliercountyfl.gov | 12/22 | 11/26 |
| 3 | Burt Saunders burt.saunders@colliercountyfl.gov | 12/16 | 11/28 |
| 4 | Daniel Kowal dan.kowal@colliercountyfl.gov | 12/22 | 11/26 |
| 5 | Bill McDaniel bill.mcdaniel@colliercountyfl.gov | 12/16 | 11/28 |
District 1 – Rick LoCastro
Rick LoCastro earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and three Master of Science degrees, including one in Public Administration & Policy from Central Michigan University. He retired as a colonel in 2012 after 24 years in the Air Force. Upon retirement, he was recruited to Naples for a hospital executive position and moved to Marco Island.
Read LoCastro’s county bio here.
District 2 – Chris Hall
Chris Hall earned a B.S. degree in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University and worked in electrical wholesale and network marketing before turning to real estate investing in 2000. After selling their business, Dunamis Rental Properties, in Brownwood, TX, he and his wife Dot moved to Collier County in 2018.
Read Hall’s county bio here.
District 3 – Burt Saunders
Burt Saunders received a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of South Florida, a Juris Doctorate from the College of William and Mary Law School, and a Master of Laws Degree in Ocean and Coastal Law from the University of Miami Law School. He served as Collier County Attorney from 1982 – 1986, as a Collier County Commissioner from 1986 – 1994, in the Florida House from 1994 – 1998, and in the Florida Senate from 1998 – 2008. He returned to the County Commission in 2020 and has been re-elected twice since then.
Read Saunders’ county bio here.
District 4 – Daniel Kowal
Daniel Kowal graduated with honors from the Federal Law Enforcement Academy and later studied Public Administration at Barry University. He served for six years in the U.S. Army as a combat medic and with the US Capitol Police’s Dignitary Protection unit as a special agent. In 2003, he moved to Naples and joined the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
Read Kowal’s county bio here.
District 5 – Bill McDaniel
Bill McDaniel attended Clarion State University, where he majored in accounting and computer programming and minored in economics. He moved to Naples in 1982. In 1987, he launched a realty company, Big Island Excavating, and in 1988, a mining company, Big Island Excavating. He also owns Lazy Springs Recreation Park.
Read McDaniel’s county bio here.
Board Meetings
The Board of County Commissioners typically meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 9:00 a.m. in the Commission Chambers located in the County Administration Building at 3299 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 303, Naples, FL 34112-5745 (map).
Meetings are aired live on Collier Television CTV and are available online via Video On Demand (here).
Commissioners also serve as the Community Redevelopment Agency Board (CRAB), oversee the County’s Airport Authority, and are responsible for appointing members to several County advisory boards and committees.
Public Participation in Board Meetings
The public is welcome to attend BCC meetings in person or remotely. All registered speakers will have up to three minutes unless the chairman adjusts the time. Other registered speakers, who must be present when the speaker is heard, may cede additional minutes to an in-person speaker.
Individuals who wish to participate in person must fill out and submit a speaker form, available outside the meeting room, before the discussion on the item.
Individuals who wish to participate remotely must full out and submit the online speaker registration form before the meeting’s start. To participate remotely in a Hybrid Remote BCC meeting, find the meeting listed on the Calendar of Events webpage. Clicking on the meeting name will open a page containing the link to register for remote participation and the agenda.
The County Manager
A County Manager is appointed by the BCC to carry out policies and oversee the county’s day-to-day operations. See the County Manager’s Office organization chart here.
Amy Patterson has been the County Manager since June 2022. She served as Deputy County Manager since May 2021 and was named Acting County Manager the following year. In all, Patterson has served Collier County for more than two decades. Continue reading at colliercountyfl.gov.
Resources
- Collier County Commissioners Web Page
- Collier County Government Website
- Board of County Commissioners Meeting Agendas
- Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes
- Collier County Supervisor of Elections – Candidate Handbooks & Forms
- Florida Constitution, Article VIII, Section 1— County Government