Larry Ray

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Tax collectors may have held a less-than-noble status in biblical times, but that doesn’t bother candidates Larry Ray and Chris Fanno. On Nov. 4, Collier voters will chose between the two for the title of Collier County Tax Collector.

For more than 28 years, the position has been held by Guy Carlton, who announced his retirement plans earlier this year.

Ray, 65, currently serves as compliance officer in the Collier County Tax Collector’s office. He previously served as vice president of facilities and construction for Naples Community Hospital and has been active in the Naples community, having served on the boards of Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida and the Health Planning Council of Southwest Florida. He has also been a member of the Collier County Privatization Committee and the Collier County Transportation Citizens Advisory Committee. Ray is a graduate of Leadership Collier and the Leadership Institute Executive Management Program at Hodges University, and is a past president of the Naples North Rotary Club.

Fanno, 54, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology and currently teaches chemistry at Lorenzo Walker Technical High. She worked as a district sales manager for Frito Lay, has been a bookkeeper/office manager for a trucking company and owned two businesses before becoming a science teacher. She was formerly President of the Collier County PTA, tutors students without charge and was an Optimist soccer volunteer.

Chris Fanno

Q Why did you choose to run for tax collector?

Fanno: “I’ve been looking for a change in my life. My girls are grown and I have done a number of things in management. When I started looking around last year and Guy (Carlton) was retiring, I thought I could do a very good job in that position and could serve the community more than in the past.”

Ray: “I’ve always been drawn to community service kinds of jobs. I was in the military for 23 years and I worked for the hospital. I look at these as community service sorts of jobs. This is something that fits right into that. I have been involved in this community since 1991. I know the job and I know I can do a good job if elected.”

Q What qualifies you for this job?

Ray: “I’ve got some 40 years in the workplace with plenty of background and experience in management and personnel you’d want. Plus, I’ve been on the job in the tax collector’s office. I’ve taken all four courses and been in the business for two years, as required, so as of Jan. 1, I will carry the title of Certified Florida Tax Collector.”

Fanno: “I have eight years in managing and training people in various jobs in customer service where they had to be sure the public was satisfied with their work. I think I have very good people skills and can train people to do the very best they can.”

Q What do you see as the biggest challenge for the tax collector’s office?

Fanno: “The biggest challenge is making sure the staff is well-trained and that they understand how important their job is in the community, so they will take personal responsibility to do the best job they can.”

Ray: “The biggest challenge is providing service to the public efficiently. We do a lot of things. We collect the property tax; with issue drivers’ licenses and hunting or fishing licenses; handle vehicle and boat registrations and tourist development taxes.

We want to make it as convenient as we can. We don’t want you to have to jump in your car and drive down here to the courthouse. Service is our only product. People from Lee County come here to take care of business. Up there, they stand in line for hours at a state office and even then might not get waited on. That’s why we have 13 branch offices here.”

Q What areas do you see that can be improved?

Ray: “First, I think we can better serve the public by communicating better with people. People miss deadlines or change their names and don’t tell us. The information is there, but it’s not highlighted. I’m going through every piece of correspondence we do with the public and changing the forms. The Web site can be improved; it’s a great Web site, all the information is there, but again, it is how you communicate that information that makes the difference.

“Second, I will work to strengthen our relationship with the sheriff’s office. There are people with drivers’ licenses that shouldn’t be driving. With the Real ID Act going into effect, it won’t be long until people can’t get on an airplane or go into any federal facility without a Real ID or passport. I will work to make sure this office is Real ID compliant, if elected.”

Fanno: “I think verification of documentation will help solve problems with illegal aliens being given drivers’ licenses and employees being paid off to provide them. There needs to be a 24- to 48-hour hold put on license applications to verify identification.

“Cash has been stolen from the office on multiple occasions and has not been accounted for. Employees need to be held accountable with proper training for dealing with the money they handle and the customers they are serving.

“I am such a good trainer and work well with people. The tax collector is a local branch of a state office; it’s a good job to be working for the state. If they get the training, they might be less likely to do these things.”