Public Record Requests

As a government entity within the State of Florida, The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office (hereinafter “the Office”) is subject to Florida’s Public Record laws set forth in Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. In furtherance of these laws, the Office shall provide all applicable and available records to the public for personal inspection and/or copying.

A public records request may be made in any format, including in person, by phone, fax, e-mail, or regular mail.

All public record requests are promptly docketed and confirmation of receipt of the request is sent to the requestor. Each request is unique and requires time to research, gather, and review. The nature and volume of the responsive records may increase the time it takes to fulfill the request.

Confidential and/or Exempt Records

Please be aware that some public records, or portions thereof, are made confidential or exempt from disclosure by Chapter 119, Florida Statutes and other State and Federal laws. Specifically, Florida Statutes Section 119.071 defines which records are exempt and/or confidential from inspection or copying. If the records you have requested contain exempt and/or confidential information, the records will be provided with the confidential information redacted.

If an entire record is exempt and/or confidential, it will not be produced, and the Office will notify you regarding the exemption and/or confidentiality of the requested records.

If exempt and/or confidential records are requested, the Office will specifically identify the statute that exempts the record from disclosure.

Fees

Please note that potential fees to public records may be applicable. The Office does not waive costs for indigent requesters. Pursuant to section 119.071(4), Florida Statutes, the Office may impose the following fees:

• Duplicated copies – 15 cents each page per one-sided copy
• All other copies – Actual cost of duplication of the record (cost of materials used to duplicate the record, not including labor cost or overhead cost associated with such duplication)
• Certification of copied records - $1.00 per certified record

Costs Assessed and Invoices

Pursuant to section 119.07(4)(d), Florida Statutes, if the nature or volume of public records requested to be inspected or copied requires extensive use of information technology resources and/or extensive clerical and/or supervisory assistance by the Office and/or agency vendors/contractors, or both, a special service charge will be incurred in the form of an invoice. The special service charge is in addition to the actual cost of duplication.

The Office will assess this statutorily authorized “extensive use” charge for any request requiring more than fifteen (15) minutes of clerical, supervisory, and/or information technology resources. The Office voluntarily waives the first 15 minutes of resources required to fulfill your request. The charge will be calculated using the hourly amount of the lowest paid qualified employee and the lowest cost technological resource used to fulfill the request.

If the actual costs incurred are less than such payment as estimated within the invoice, the overpayment will be refunded to you. However, if the cost is more than the estimate you will be required to pay the additional monies before we release the documents

All invoices created will be made in “good faith” and will not be created to cause hardship, delay, or undue burden on the requestor.

When possible, good-faith deposit invoices will be provided prior to extensive use costs being incurred to fulfill public records requests. However, depending on the nature, volume, and/or the specificity of the request, labor costs may be incurred prior to the issuance of an invoice.

Once payment of the invoice is received, the Office will begin working to fulfill the public record request.

Because the Office is a local government entity, credit cannot be extended. If you have previously received public records for a request that requires payment of an invoice or an invoice for labor time already expended on your request and you have not paid the costs associated with that response, the Office will not provide records for subsequent requests until such time as the due invoices have been paid.

Public record requests will be closed if the requesting party fails to pay the final and/or good-faith deposit invoice or fails to respond to inquiries for clarification pertaining to a public records request for thirty (30) days following the issuance of the invoice or clarification inquiry. If you have previously received an invoice for costs incurred for your request and you have not paid the costs associated with that request, the Office will not provide records for subsequent requests until such time as the due amounts have been paid. After payment is received, the outstanding request will be resubmitted and processed as a new request. If a response to an inquiry for clarification is made 30 days after the inquiry, the request will be resubmitted and processed as new request.