The Alachua County Tax Collector's Office, which was recently awarded the 2022 Governor’s Sterling Award for performance excellence in management and operations, is the only organization in the state of Florida to receive the prestigious award this year.

The award is presented annually to organizations and businesses that meet or exceed the Sterling/Baldrige National Criteria for Performance Excellence, a framework for achieving and sustaining organizational excellence and efficiency. 

The award's rigorous assessment is based on criteria from seven categories including leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement analysis, knowledge management, workforce focus, operations and results. The Sterling Council’s panel is made up of six judges, nationally and internationally recognized experts on organizational performance excellence in the Sterling/Baldridge Management System.

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“To be nationally recognized as a leader in organizational excellence and exemplary service, the organization has focused on maintaining a culture of innovation, continual process improvement, and respect," a news release from the Tax Collector's Office says. "Accordingly, all work at the Tax Collector’s Office is performed in conjunction with an internally developed automated information management system called 'JARVIS,'  which is an innovative data analytics tool custom-designed and utilized to ensure all management and operational decisions are data driven and fact based."

During the last four years, the Tax Collector’s Office has shown high performance ratings, exceeding its comparative peer groups. Utilizing an innovative appointment system, more than 80% of customers received service within 15 minutes while 50% of those received service within 5 minutes. Customer satisfaction was rated an average of 98%, transaction accuracy achieved an average of 99.8%, and workforce satisfaction attained an average of 90%. Costs have consistently remained below budget and external audits are clean and error-free.

The Alachua County Tax Collector’s Office acts as an agent for multiple local and state agencies, providing a wide range of services to the public. Total collections are approximately $390 million annually in taxes and fees, which are distributed among 25 taxing authorities. The Tax Collector also provides services for Motor Vehicle titles and registrations, Driver Licenses including road tests, Concealed Weapons licenses, and Birth Certificates.

“We are an organization focused on continual improvement with the goal of mastering all aspects of organizational efficiency. This award shows the citizens of Alachua County our office is committed to excellence and is achieving great success,” Tax Collector John Power said in a release. “I respect and admire every member of our team and thank them for their dedication and hard work. Receiving this award from the Sterling Council is an honor for our team and the entire community.”