Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 732
       
       
        
       By Senator Martin
       
       
       
       
       
       33-00710-25                                            2025732__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to county officers; repealing ss.
    3         145.051, 145.09, and 145.10, F.S., relating to
    4         compensation for clerks of the circuit court and
    5         county comptrollers, supervisors of elections, and
    6         property appraisers, respectively; amending s. 145.11,
    7         F.S.; aligning the compensation of property
    8         appraisers, supervisors of elections, clerks of the
    9         circuit court, and county comptrollers with the
   10         compensation provided to tax collectors; providing
   11         that salaries are based on a 5-day workweek and must
   12         be prorated in certain circumstances; authorizing a
   13         special qualification salary in certain circumstances;
   14         authorizing property appraisers, supervisors of
   15         elections, clerks of the circuit court, and county
   16         comptrollers to voluntarily reduce their salary rate;
   17         amending ss. 104.051, 192.115, 193.1147, and 195.002,
   18         F.S.; conforming cross-references; providing an
   19         effective date.
   20          
   21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   22  
   23         Section 1. Sections 145.051, 145.09, and 145.10, Florida
   24  Statutes, are repealed.
   25         Section 2. Section 145.11, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   26  read:
   27         145.11 Tax collector; property appraiser; supervisor of
   28  elections; clerk of the circuit court; county comptroller.—
   29         (1) Each tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of
   30  elections, clerk of the circuit court, and county comptroller
   31  must shall receive as salary the amount indicated, based on the
   32  population of his or her county. In addition, a compensation
   33  must shall be made for population increments over the minimum
   34  for each population group, which shall be determined by
   35  multiplying the population in excess of the minimum for the
   36  group times the group rate.
   37  
   38  Pop. Group      County Pop. Range        Base Salary     Group Rate
   39                     Minimum      Maximum                            
   40  I                      -0-       49,999      $26,250       $0.07875
   41  II                  50,000       99,999       29,400        0.06300
   42  III                100,000      199,999       32,550        0.02625
   43  IV                 200,000      399,999       35,175        0.01575
   44  V                  400,000      999,999       38,325        0.00525
   45  VI               1,000,000                    41,475        0.00400
   46         (2) The salaries provided in subsection (1) are based upon
   47  a 5-day workweek. If a tax collector, property appraiser,
   48  supervisor of elections, clerk of the circuit court, or county
   49  comptroller does not keep his or her office open 5 days per
   50  week, excluding regular holidays, his or her salary must be
   51  prorated accordingly.
   52         (3)(a)(2)(a) There shall be an additional $2,000 per year
   53  special qualification salary for each tax collector who has met
   54  the requirements of the Department of Revenue and has been
   55  designated a certified Florida tax collector. Any tax collector
   56  who is certified during a calendar year must shall receive in
   57  that year a pro rata share of the special qualification salary
   58  based on the remaining period of the year. The Department of
   59  Revenue shall establish and maintain a certified Florida tax
   60  collector program.
   61         (b) In order to qualify for the special qualification
   62  salary described in paragraph (a), the tax collector must
   63  complete the requirements established by the Department of
   64  Revenue within 4 years after first taking office.
   65         (c) After a tax collector meets the requirements of
   66  paragraph (a), in order to remain certified the tax collector
   67  must annually shall thereafter be required to complete each year
   68  a course of continuing education as prescribed by the Department
   69  of Revenue.
   70         (4)(a) There shall be an additional $2,000 per year special
   71  qualification salary for each property appraiser who has met the
   72  requirements of the Department of Revenue and has been
   73  designated a certified Florida property appraiser. Any property
   74  appraiser who is certified during a calendar year must receive
   75  in that year a pro rata share of the special qualification
   76  salary based on the remaining period of the year. The Department
   77  of Revenue shall establish and maintain a certified Florida
   78  property appraiser program.
   79         (b) In order to qualify for the special qualification
   80  salary described in paragraph (a), the property appraiser must
   81  complete the requirements established by the Department of
   82  Revenue within 6 years after first taking office.
   83         (c)After a property appraiser meets the requirements of
   84  paragraph (a), in order to remain certified the property
   85  appraiser must annually complete a course of continuing
   86  education as prescribed by the Department of Revenue. The
   87  executive director of the Department of Revenue may, at his or
   88  her discretion, waive the requirements of this paragraph for any
   89  property appraiser who has reached 60 years of age and who has
   90  been a property appraiser for at least 20 years.
   91         (5)(a) There shall be an additional $2,000 per year special
   92  qualification salary for each supervisor of elections who has
   93  met the certification requirements established by the Division
   94  of Elections of the Department of State. The Department of State
   95  shall adopt rules to establish the certification requirements.
   96  Any supervisor who is certified during a calendar year must
   97  receive in that year a pro rata share of the special
   98  qualification salary based on the remaining period of the year.
   99         (b) In order to qualify for the special qualification
  100  salary described in paragraph (a), the supervisor must complete
  101  the requirements established by the Division of Elections within
  102  6 years after first taking office.
  103         (c)After a supervisor meets the requirements of paragraph
  104  (a), in order to remain certified the supervisor must annually
  105  complete a course of continuing education as prescribed by the
  106  Division of Elections.
  107         (6)(a) There shall be an additional $2,000 per year special
  108  qualification salary for each clerk of the circuit court who has
  109  met the certification requirements established by the Supreme
  110  Court. Any clerk of the circuit court who is certified during a
  111  calendar year must receive in that year a pro rata share of the
  112  special qualification salary based on the remaining period of
  113  the year.
  114         (b) In order to qualify for the special qualification
  115  salary described by paragraph (a), the clerk must complete the
  116  requirements established by the Supreme Court within 6 years
  117  after first taking office.
  118         (c) After a clerk meets the requirements of paragraph (a),
  119  in order to remain certified the clerk must annually complete a
  120  course of continuing education as prescribed by the Supreme
  121  Court.
  122         (7)(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or s.
  123  145.19, each tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of
  124  elections, clerk of the circuit court, and county comptroller
  125  may reduce his or her salary rate on a voluntary basis.
  126         Section 3. Subsection (5) of section 104.051, Florida
  127  Statutes, is amended to read:
  128         104.051 Violations; neglect of duty; corrupt practices.—
  129         (5) Any supervisor who willfully violates any provision of
  130  the Florida Election Code is, upon a finding of such violation
  131  by a court of competent jurisdiction, prohibited from receiving
  132  the special qualification salary pursuant to s. 145.11(5) s.
  133  145.09(3) for a period of 24 months, dating from the time of the
  134  violation.
  135         Section 4. Section 192.115, Florida Statutes, is amended to
  136  read:
  137         192.115 Performance review panel.—If there occurs within
  138  any 4-year period the final disapproval of all or any part of a
  139  county roll pursuant to s. 193.1142 for 2 separate years, the
  140  Governor shall appoint a three-member performance review panel.
  141  Such panel shall investigate the circumstances surrounding the
  142  disapprovals and the general performance of the property
  143  appraiser. If the panel finds unsatisfactory performance, the
  144  property appraiser shall be ineligible for the designation and
  145  special qualification salary provided in s. 145.11(4) s.
  146  145.10(2). Within not less than 12 months, the property
  147  appraiser may requalify therefor, provided he or she
  148  successfully recompletes the courses and examinations applicable
  149  to new candidates.
  150         Section 5. Section 193.1147, Florida Statutes, is amended
  151  to read:
  152         193.1147 Performance review panel.—If there occurs within
  153  any 4-year period the final disapproval of all or any part of a
  154  county roll pursuant to s. 193.1142 for 2 separate years, the
  155  Governor shall appoint a three-member performance review panel.
  156  The panel shall investigate the circumstances surrounding such
  157  disapprovals and the general performance of the property
  158  appraiser. If the panel finds unsatisfactory performance, the
  159  property appraiser shall be ineligible for the designation and
  160  special qualification salary provided in s. 145.11(4) s.
  161  145.10(2). Within not less than 12 months, the property
  162  appraiser may requalify therefor, provided he or she
  163  successfully recompletes the courses and examinations applicable
  164  to new candidates.
  165         Section 6. Subsection (2) of section 195.002, Florida
  166  Statutes, is amended to read:
  167         195.002 Supervision by Department of Revenue.—
  168         (2) In furtherance of its duty to conduct schools to
  169  upgrade assessment skills and collection skills, the department
  170  may establish by rule committees on admissions and
  171  certification. The department may also incur reasonable expenses
  172  for hiring instructors, travel, office operations, certificates
  173  of completion, badges or awards, food service incidental to
  174  conducting such schools, salaries and benefits of department
  175  employees whose duties are directly associated with developing
  176  and conducting such schools, and administering any certification
  177  program under s. 145.10, s. 145.11, or s. 194.035. The
  178  department may charge a tuition fee and an examination fee to
  179  any person who attends such a school and may charge a fee to
  180  certify or recertify any person under such a program. The
  181  department shall deposit such fees into the Certification
  182  Program Trust Fund which is created in the State Treasury. There
  183  shall be separate school accounts and program accounts in the
  184  trust fund for property appraisers, tax collectors, and special
  185  magistrates. The department shall use money in the fund to pay
  186  such expenses.
  187         Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.