Candidate: Michael McElroy

My name is Michael McElroy, a Certified Florida Collector and I am seeking re-election as your Gilchrist County Tax Collector.  In July of 2019 I was appointed by the Honorable Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida to fill this vacated position.  Before my appointment I earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from St. Leo University and worked in the private sector-financial services industry as a local banker for 35 years.  This experience prepared me well to represent the residents of Gilchrist County and lead the office of Tax Collector.  An effective leader must be a good communicator, think critically and be resilient, especially in a rural community where budgets can be challenging.  Change is the only constant and I am positioned to navigate the challenges and develop solutions to benefit the citizens of Gilchrist County.

In an effort to serve the citizens of Gilchrist County the following initiatives, under my direction, have been completed: 1) With the assistance of the Bell Town Council we opened a branch office located in the Bell Library, performing tag & title transactions including renewal registrations, hunting and fishing licenses and property tax collection 2) With the assistance of the County Commissioners we moved the Tax Collector’s office out of the courthouse into an adjacent building, providing much needed additional space 3) Added Driver License and Concealed Weapon services providing convenience to our taxpayers and additional fees retained, previously collected by adjacent counties.  All these new services and initiatives have been completed utilizing current staff, thus saving taxpayer dollars.

Community service has always been my passion.  Serving in various capacities for the Gilchrist County Republican Executive Committee, Gilchrist County Rotary, Gilchrist County Education Foundation, Gilchrist County Character Council, Gilchrist County SHIP, and the Gilchrist County Chamber of Commerce.  In 2016 I was presented with the Gilchrist County Citizen of the Year Award and in 2019 the J. Min Ayers Lifetime Achievement Award, both by the Gilchrist County Chamber of Commerce. 

It has been my pleasure to serve the citizens of Gilchrist County over the past five years. It has always been my goal to be knowledgeable, accountable, accessible, community centric and innovative.  My experience has groomed me to be frugal, stretching budgetary dollars and the ability to think independently.  A passion for public service and a love for this community is the catalyst that drives me to seek ways to improve processes and delivery. As our local population continues to grow, we will investigate/implement additional services to ensure your transactions are handled in a timely and professional manner.  I look forward to serving the citizens of Gilchrist County for many years to come.