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the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22 23 Section 1.Sections 145.051, 145.09, and 145.10, Florida 24 Statutes, are repealed. 25 Section 2.Section 145.11, Florida Statutes, is amended to 26 read: 27 145.11Tax collector; property appraiser; supervisor of 28 elections; clerk of the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: 128 104.051Violations; 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: 137 192.115Performance 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: 152 193.1147Performance 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: 167 195.002Supervision 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.