The ongoing fight between Sarasota County Schools and Tax Collector Mike Moran over millions in tax dollars is now drawing attention in Tallahassee, where state lawmakers are proposing a change that could clarify who pays the cost of collecting voter-approved school taxes.
State Rep. James Buchanan, R-Osprey, introduced a measure that would allow county tax collectors to waive the collection fee or require counties to cover the cost if collectors choose to charge it.
The proposal, which was added to Florida’s tax package with approval from House Ways and Means Committee Chair Wyman Duggan, R-Jacksonville, comes as similar disputes are surfacing in other Florida districts. Broward County Schools last week authorized legal action over $5.5 million withheld by its tax collector, while Manatee County Schools said it had lost about $2.5 million to collection fees but since got nearly half back…