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Tax Collector prepared for next big storm

 

TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 2, 2005) - Hurricane Ivan had just left Tampa in its wake when Hillsborough County Tax Doug Belden realized changes would have to be made if the county’s tax operation was going to survive a direct hit from a major storm.

 

At stake was a revenue collection system that takes in over $1.4 billion a year and funds all government in Hillsborough County, including the school district.

 

Now, not quite a year later, a reinforced concrete bunker on Falkenburg Road houses the Tax Collector’s computer and communications systems. Two of the seven offices have been outfitted with shutters designed to withstand 180 mph winds and three offices can operate a week without standard power, thanks to new generators and newly designed communication towers.

 

“The devastation that Charley caused woke everyone up,” said Tax Collector Doug Belden. “All the storms that followed simply reinforced the belief that something needed to be done.”

 

A particular problem is the proximity of Florida’s hurricane season to Florida’s tax collection season. Hurricanes tend to hit Florida in August and early fall, and tax collectors begin collecting property taxes Nov. 1.

 

“We were fortunate in Hillsborough County, but some tax collector offices were not open when Nov. 1 rolled around,” Belden said. “We don’t want that to happen here.”

 

Not only should Hillsborough’s revenue collection be able to survive a storm, but it should also be able to open right after a storm passes, Belden said. This is especially critical because the office is responsible for issuing the vital occupational licenses to out-of-area contractors that show up after a storm.

 

The Tax Collector’s hurricane mitigation program was funded through an interlocal agreement with the Board of County Commissioners, which allocated $542,000 for the project. The three Tax Collector offices outfitted with generators were also equipped with extra computer and phone capabilities so other agencies, such as the county commission or the building permit department, can set up shop after a storm if the need arises.

 

“These offices are located in different areas of the county, so we should be able to accommodate both the public and other government agencies,” Belden said. “Another positive aspect is the partnership we are forming with the county and other agencies.

 

“In the event of a disaster, we need to work together.”

 

Belden is also proud the project is on schedule and under budget. “We were able to procure and install generators and shutters in a matter of weeks when other government agencies were discovering six- to eight-month backlogs. The concrete “safe house,” a steel-reinforced structure that houses the agency’s servers and phone systems, was built in 10 weeks.

 

The project also includes the purchase of satellite phones that can be used if the office’s wireless communications system fails as well as some video conferencing equipment that will allow office personnel to communicate both during and after a storm, Belden said.

 

There is also a chance the county can receive reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for some of expenses, Belden added. The county must apply to the state, which in turn applies to FEMA on behalf of the county, he said.

 

 

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