Sarasota County Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates has earned a special designation for excellence in the field of financial operations. The process involved for consideration of the Legacy Award is rigorous and includes a comprehensive review of the financial functions, records, practices, and use of technology of the Tax Collector’s Office. Award recipients are selected by a five-person judging panel made up of government financial executives from throughout Florida. This panel examines the Tax Collector’s processes as it relates to the following four areas of competency: Innovation & Automation, Perfect Annual Audit Report, Customer Focus and Budgeting. “It is always an honor to bring home this award to my staff,” shared Mrs. Ford-Coates. Consistently receiving this award since its inception in 2011, “this recognition is a testament to the hard work of our whole team and the exceptional work they do on behalf of Sarasota County residents each and every day,” Mrs. Ford-Coates added.