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When students no longer understand their country · Cultural Wars | America Out Loud News

0:02
On in the grip of oppression.
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I fought for my liberty.
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I paid with the blood of my people.
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Freedom has never been free.
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Now my doors always open.
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To dreamers and friends.
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When I'm attacked.
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I protect and defer.
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Because my name is America.
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I stand for Hello everyone and welcome.
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This is Karen Shawn.
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You're listening to the Prism of America's Education
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brought to you on the America Outloud.news network.
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Folks, we are facing, and everybody is saying
0:56
it over and over again, one of the
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most important elections of our time.
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And I went back and I took a
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look.
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And yes, it is a very important election,
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but that's not what bothered me.
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What disturbed me was that as a former
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teacher, civics has not been taught in our
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schools for so long that most of our
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young families, young parents, have no idea what
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the election is, what it's about, how the
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makeup of an election actually functions, and where
1:30
does it come from and who's in charge
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and what's going on?
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So I have asked Carol Dunaway, who is
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the supervisor of elections in my county, Jackson
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County, who I might add has done an
1:46
amazing job cleaning up our voter roles and
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election office and procedures.
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And I'm saying that coming from Broward County,
1:56
which was the land of total corruption.
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So it is absolutely wonderful to be working
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in a place that is not corrupt.
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Thank you very much, Carol.
2:08
I appreciate it.
2:09
Thank you for joining me today, Carol.
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And I had a couple of questions that
2:14
I think people need to have some clarification
2:15
on.
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So I'm going to shoot them at you
2:19
as soon as you're ready.
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Okay, I'm ready.
2:22
And thanks for having me on.
2:23
I appreciate it.
2:24
No problem.
2:25
The first part of an election that we
2:27
are facing is a primary.
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Can you explain what that is and why
2:32
it is so important that we pay attention
2:35
and vote in our primaries?
2:38
Certainly.
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Primaries are very important.
2:40
Um, they usually happen uh a few months
2:42
before the general election.
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In Florida, we have what's called a closed
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primary.
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So that voters um will vote a ballot
2:51
in a primary, and that ballot will have
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uh only candidates that are have their party
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affiliation on it.
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Unless it's a nonpartisan race.
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So it is very important that you vote
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in the primary because you are voting for
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your party candidate to represent you in the
3:11
general election.
3:14
Again, let me go back and on a
3:16
close primary.
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That is throughout Florida.
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Um, the only way that you would get
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to vote for someone that was not of
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your party is if it was something called
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a universal primary.
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That means that in that primary election, the
3:30
candidates for one particular race are all of
3:33
one party affiliation, and they will face no
3:36
opposition, the winner will face no opposition on
3:39
the general election ballot.
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So that means, just for instance, I'm just
3:44
gonna throw out an example.
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If you had a sheriff's race and all
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of the candidates were Democrat, even if you
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were a Republican, you could vote in that
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primary election because there were no other candidates
3:59
of other party affiliation, and they're not facing
4:03
a riding candidate on the general election ballot.
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That's called a universal primary.
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But um it can be a little confusing,
4:12
and that's why it's important for voters to
4:15
be educated and to educate themselves on what
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uh is why a primary is important.
4:21
Did that answer your question?
4:23
That answered my question perfectly because I notice
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in Jackson County as you were speaking that
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we do have a universal primary.
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I think it's in district two, where there
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are only two candidates and they are both
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Republican, there is no Democrat running in that
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district.
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So the people of that district, whether they
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are Republican or Democrat, from what you're saying,
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can vote in that election.
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That is correct.
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Now, qualifying has not ended yet.
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Uh there may, who knows?
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There may be a surprise candidate, but after
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qualifying, if you find that in your district
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there uh the candidates are only of one
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party, that means anybody residing in that district
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can vote on that race in the primary.
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Okay, thank you.
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And that is very important, folks, and voting
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in the primary is extremely important, especially if
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there is no opposition party, then the winner
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of the primary wins the general election.
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That's correct.
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So you're voting in the general election, correct?
5:34
Basically, yes, the winner is decided in the
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primary.
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If there is no opposition, that winner will
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face on the general election ballot.
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That winner is decided in the primary.
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So if you don't vote, you've missed your
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opportunity to have a voice in that particular
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race.
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Very important, folks, and notoriously our attendance and
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voting uh is down quite a bit in
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the primary.
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People don't pay attention.
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This is something that you need to pay
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attention to, and please share this information.
6:07
Uh very important.
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Um, Carol, your position, how is it formulated?
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Is this something that is elected?
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That's correct.
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Um, every four years there's an election held
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for uh the constitutional officers, and I am
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one of the constitutional officers.
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There's a four-year tenure.
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Um, and it we are elected by the
6:30
voters.
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Only way we're not elected is if there
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is a vacancy midterm, and the governor would
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appoint someone until the next general election cycle.
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Okay, so folks, a lot of you don't
6:44
even realize that Florida has a constitution.
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Florida has a constitution as every state does,
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and it would be a very good thing
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if you would read it.
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It's not difficult to read or understand, but
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also make sure that the people that you
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Sure, that the people that you elect have
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elect have an idea of what is in
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an idea of what is in the Florida
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the Florida constitution.
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Constitution.
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Uh, it is never at odds with the
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It is never at odds with the federal
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federal constitution, which always uh is supreme over
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constitution, which always uh is supreme over everything.
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everything.
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However, it's the next thing that we have
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However, it's the next thing that we have
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to pay attention to.
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to pay attention to.
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Um, Carol, I notice on your website you
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Um, Carol, I notice on your website you
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have a section called vote by mail.
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have a section called Vote by Mail.
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That is highly controversial.
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That is highly controversial.
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So, what have we done to make sure
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So what have we done to make sure
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that it's
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that it's not?
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Well, it may be controversial in other parts
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of the country, but I think here in
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Florida, as not only with vote by mail,
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but all aspects of conducting elections, we are
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uh leaps and bounds above some of the
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other areas of the country as far as
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election security, integrity, and transparency.
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Regarding vote by mail, we um hold a
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tight reign on that in order to request
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a vote by mail ballot.
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You must now do that after every general
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election cycle.
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That is a law that changed a few
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years ago.
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We are still struggling.
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I won't say struggling.
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We are still working on getting that information
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out to all the voters.
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We've made great strides.
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Every year we always send out uh postcards
8:22
to individuals that have voted in the previous
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election by by mail.
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We send the postcards out.
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Hey, remember you've got to update your requests
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for vote by mail because we don't want
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them to forget about it and then miss
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the deadline to request that vote by mail
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if that is what works for them.
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Many people, uh, especially our elderly population, uh,
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like to vote at home, vote by mail,
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um, because maybe they have mobility issues.
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It's hard for them to uh come out
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uh and vote in the polling sites.
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Um, but so that is a new law,
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a few years old.
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You must request your vote by mail ballot
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after every general election, and it is good
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for that entire election cycle for all of
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the elections held in that election cycle that
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year.
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Once you request it, you when you request
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it, you must provide your driver's license, Florida
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driver's license number, or your Florida ID number,
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or the last four social of your Social
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Security number.
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And we verify that in our voter records,
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and then we're able to send out your
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vote by mail ballot.
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Also something that we offer, and many other
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SOEs throughout the state and through the country
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do offer this.
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It's called ballot tracks, and it's a way
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to get notified when your ballot leaves our
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office, when your ballot comes back to our
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office and we receive it, and when it
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is officially tabulated, it sends out either a
9:53
text or an email, or they can call
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you.
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If you don't text or email, uh a
10:00
phone message will go out.
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So that's just another um little feature that
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we've added.
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It is free.
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You just have to sign up for it
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when you request your vote by mail, and
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uh we'll make sure that you're notified of
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all those important steps about your vote by
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mail ballot.
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One of the things that um sometimes is
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a problem with vote by mail that voters
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fall into this um uh sometimes they forget
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to sign the voter certificate, which is the
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back of the vote by mail ballot.
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So when you tuck your ballot inside your
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envelope, make sure that you sign the back
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of it.
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That is important.
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If you fail to sign that, um, it
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can hold up the tabulation or it will
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hold up the tabulation until that vote by
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mail ballot is cured, meaning you provide your
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signature to us.
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So that's just one of the things that
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sometimes folks forget about vote by mail.
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If you don't want to mail it back
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in, you can certainly drop it off at
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our office.
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We have a secure ballot intake station inside
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of our office, and also during early voting
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hours, those are located at our two early
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voting at three early voting sites we have
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here in our county.
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So early voting can be done not necessarily
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in the SOE office.
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There are designated offices around this the county
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that can accept early voting.
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Is that the way that works?
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Uh well, they have early voting hours.
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They are there's three locations, one being our
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office.
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It's in our early voting room.
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Um, and the other two are located on
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other ends of the county.
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And uh they have early voting hours where
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you go in and vote your ballot.
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It's not vote by mail.
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You go in and vote your ballot, cast
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your ballot uh that day.
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Usually they're about 12 days ahead of the
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general, excuse me, the election day.
11:55
Carol, what happens if you receive a ballot
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after the election?
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Well, um, unfortunately, we don't go by postmark
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um for stateside voters.
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There is a difference for um Uacaba voters,
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voters that are um overseas military voters, but
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you must have your vote by mail ballot
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into this office by 7 p.m.
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on election day for it to be counted.
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Um, if if it I mean, and I'll
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be honest, sometimes we have received ballots as
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late as two, three months.
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I don't know where they've been.
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Uh, but um, and some are postmarked uh
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prior to the election, but that doesn't count.
12:45
They have to be in this office, physically
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in this office by 7 p.m.
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on election night.
12:53
Okay, and um, how long does it usually
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take to get the results?
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And I know each office may be different
13:00
because of the population of the county, but
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generally, how long does it take to get
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the results?
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I'll speak for for our county.
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Um, Florida has the ability.
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Some other states don't do this, but Florida
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has the ability to start counting vote by
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mail ballots ahead of election day.
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So uh by being able to do that,
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we're able to deliver results much quicker than
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some other states.
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Um, for instance, we are typically posting results.
13:34
Well, I can tell you vote by mail
13:37
and early voting results are posted uh just
13:41
a little after seven, like 7 p.m., 701,
13:44
702 on election night.
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And then the actual election day votes, we're
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usually done by 7:35, 740, 45 at the
13:55
latest.
13:58
We have posted all the results.
14:00
Results.
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So that's how we find out.
14:01
So that's how we find out.
14:04
Um, I always wondered where the numbers came
14:05
I always wondered where the numbers came from
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from with when the polls just closed, and
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when the polls just closed, and all of
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all of a sudden it's like the numbers
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a sudden it's like the numbers are there.
14:10
are there.
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Where did they come from?
14:12
Where did they come from?
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How fast was that?
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How fast was that?
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And that you clear it up.
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And that you clear it up.
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Um, there are several different ways to vote.
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There are several different ways to vote.
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So could you go over that?
14:21
So could you go over that?
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Absolutely.
14:24
Absolutely.
14:24
Well, we've talked about vote by mail.
14:24
Well, we've talked about vote by mail.
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Um, and that there's three ways to vote,
14:27
And that there's three ways to vote vote
14:28
vote by mail, early.
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by mail, early voting, and election day.
14:31
Vote by mail.
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We've talked about you know having that request
14:35
in, getting your vote by mail, ballot back
14:37
to this office no later than 7 p.m.
14:40
on election day.
14:43
Early voting.
14:45
We certainly have around 10 to 12 days
14:47
of early voting.
14:49
We have fewer days of early voting in
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the midterms.
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The turnout is not as great as a
14:57
presidential election year.
15:00
So we have to look at our budget
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and you know evaluate all those things.
15:06
But I can tell you for this year,
15:08
we have uh early voting from August 6th
15:10
through the 15th.
15:12
That includes uh two Saturdays and one Sunday.
15:16
Uh and our polls are open from 8
15:19
to 5:30 every day.
15:21
That's early voting, where you come in, present
15:23
your ID, get a ballot, um, you uh
15:26
mark your ballot, and then you tabulate your
15:28
ballot before you leave.
15:31
And then, of course, election day.
15:33
Election day, you've got to vote at your
15:35
assigned polling location.
15:37
They're no exception to that.
15:38
Um, and that information is going to be
15:40
on your voter ID card.
15:42
And if you're not, you don't have your
15:44
voter ID card, you've misplaced it.
15:46
Um, you can certainly request another one from
15:48
us, but you don't need it to vote.
15:49
You can simply call our office, provide some
15:51
information, and we'll tell you where your polling
15:53
site is.
15:55
But again, you must vote at your assigned
15:58
polling location on election day.
16:00
And polls are open on election day, 7
16:02
a.m.
16:03
to 7 p.m.
16:06
Oh, that's certainly gives everybody enough time, and
16:09
there are certainly plenty of ways to vote.
16:12
Um, one of the things that we keep
16:14
on saying to the people is before you
16:17
choose a candidate, look at their actions and
16:19
look at their donors and see if it
16:21
lines up with who you would be interested
16:24
in voting for.
16:27
Is there a way to look for the
16:29
donors on the website who is uh sponsoring
16:31
the candidate?
16:34
Sure.
16:34
Candidates are required to file financial reports.
16:38
Um, they usually are once a month, but
16:41
after, as we get closer to an election,
16:43
they start with more frequency every two weeks
16:46
than every week.
16:49
Um, but that information can be found on
16:51
any supervisor of elections uh website for our
16:53
county.
16:55
Just go to our county and you look
16:56
up candidate information.
16:58
It's really simple to find.
17:01
Um candidates and committees, and you can go
17:04
in and find their candidate forms and publications.
17:09
Um also our candidates are encouraged to put
17:12
a photo and a bio on their page
17:15
as well, so that when you look up
17:19
their financial information, you could also find some
17:22
background information on them as well.
17:25
But yes, you can search reports and see
17:27
who their donors are and see what their
17:29
expenses are.
17:31
Well, that would be a very good thing,
17:33
folks, especially if you're targeting a particular candidate
17:36
and you want to see who they'll be
17:38
sponsoring, because for the most part, those are
17:40
the people that they'll listen to when they
17:43
get to Tallahassee or their county, wherever they're
17:45
going.
17:48
Um, we have been hearing a lot, Carol,
17:51
about redistricting, and they just did a whole
17:53
new redistricting map.
17:56
What was that all about and why is
17:58
that important?
18:01
And generally speaking, redistricting is based on population
18:05
and making sure that uh districts, voting districts
18:10
are broken up into equal population sectors.
18:15
And um, it is typically done in a
18:18
non-election year, typically, and it is done after
18:21
a census.
18:24
So we have uh current information, if you
18:27
will.
18:30
So I really I really won't speak on
18:33
what happened recently in this election year, other
18:36
than the fact that it did not affect
18:38
our district in which we live.
18:41
Our lines were not redrawn here in this
18:43
area.
18:46
Um, the whole panhandle of Florida was not
18:49
affected, which was a good thing, uh, because
18:52
I know there are some supervisor of elections
18:54
or scrambling um downstate and trying to uh
18:57
you know, not only just put on the
19:00
elections and get ready for that, but now
19:03
they have to uh address redistricting in their
19:06
area.
19:09
And um, yeah, that's that's basically what I
19:13
want to say on retisting.
19:16
Okay.
19:17
Um, but it is supposed to be about
19:19
population, making sure that we have equal population
19:22
in our voting districts.
19:25
Okay, well, that's kind of difficult, and uh
19:27
it is a good thing that they're paying
19:30
attention, whether or not it's a good thing
19:32
the way it came out.
19:34
It depends upon, I guess, what party you're
19:36
in.
19:37
Um, Carol, I also hear there are people
19:40
being told that they should be election workers,
19:42
and then there are people being told they
19:45
should be poll watchers.
19:48
What's the difference?
19:50
Well, um, one you get paid for, and
19:52
one you don't.
19:54
That's a big difference.
19:55
There's one one difference.
19:57
So a poll watcher is someone that a
20:00
political party, political committee, or candidate selects to
20:04
go into a polling site during early voting
20:07
or election day to watch the operation that
20:11
is happening in the polling site that day.
20:15
Um, they're not allowed to talk to voters.
20:19
Um, they're not allowed to talk to poll
20:22
workers except for the clerk.
20:25
And the clerk in a polling site is
20:27
a poll worker that is responsible for that
20:30
polling site and the operation of that polling
20:32
site.
20:35
Um, they are there simply to observe and
20:38
report back to whomever appointed them as to
20:42
how things went during their session.
20:46
A poll worker uh is someone that is
20:49
hired by the supervisor of elections to run
20:52
the polling site, and we definitely always have
20:55
a need for poll workers.
20:58
Folks that are in our community that want
21:00
Community that want to serve and give back
21:01
to serve and give back to their community,
21:02
to their community, no matter your party affiliation,
21:04
no matter your party affiliation, because we are
21:05
because we are bound by statute.
21:06
bound by statute, we have to uh staff
21:08
We have to uh staff our polling sites
21:09
our polling sites uh on an equal party
21:11
on an equal party basis.
21:12
basis.
21:15
Um, and so we need folks from all
21:15
Um, and so we need folks from all
21:17
walks of life.
21:17
walks of life.
21:19
We have a lot of retired folks.
21:19
We have a lot of retired folks, we
21:21
We have teachers, we have um nurses.
21:23
have teachers, we have um nurses.
21:26
Uh nurses really like it.
21:26
Uh nurses really like it.
21:28
It is such a departure from what.
21:28
It is such a departure from what they
21:30
do on a daily basis, but they I
21:32
have a couple of nurses that love it.
21:35
Um, veterans, uh retired law enforcement.
21:39
Um, we have just from all walks of
21:40
life.
21:41
People are either interested in elections and want
21:44
to know the details of how an election
21:47
is put on and um all the interesting
21:50
details about that.
21:53
They want to serve their community, want to
21:56
give back, they're patriotic, um, all different reasons.
21:59
And some because it pays and we do
22:01
pay.
22:02
Uh, I know before I came into office
22:05
before I started running, I thought election workers
22:07
were volunteers.
22:09
And in fact, they are not.
22:11
They do get paid.
22:12
Um, so uh that's that's the big difference.
22:16
That's a good thing.
22:18
And last but not least, it would be
22:20
voter registration.
22:23
And that is always a hot button, especially
22:26
uh today with determining whether or not the
22:28
person is a citizen.
22:32
Um in Florida, I have been told that
22:34
only citizens can vote.
22:37
How do you make sure that only citizens
22:39
are voting?
22:41
Or is it something that you don't have
22:42
to do?
22:44
No, we do.
22:46
So there was a recent law change, and
22:49
I will tell you that there is pending
22:52
litigation or um regarding that recent law change.
22:56
That law change had a lot of new
22:59
requirements for citizenship.
23:02
But I think the day it was signed,
23:04
there was pending litigation filed.
23:06
So I I won't go into too much
23:08
detail about that, other than currently.
23:11
Currently, what we have is a voter registration
23:14
application that the voter must sign and uh
23:17
it is an affidavit saying that they are
23:19
a U.S.
23:22
citizen.
23:23
Um, they have to say they're a U.S.
23:25
citizen, they have to say they're not a
23:28
felon, and they have to um that they
23:31
are not have not been adjudicated mentally incapacitated
23:34
in regards to voting.
23:36
So those three things must be checked.
23:40
Um, also the department of uh or division
23:43
of elections, rather, um, does a does a
23:46
search of what's called the save database to
23:49
determine if that application in front of them,
23:53
that brand new application, uh, if that individual
23:56
is definitely a citizen.
23:59
If they find that they're not, they send
24:02
us information that we are to start the
24:04
removal process.
24:07
Now, I can tell you that recently, all
24:10
of the supervisors of elections now have access
24:13
to the save database.
24:17
So I make it a practice to look
24:19
at every new voter registration.
24:22
It's just another safety net to make sure
24:25
that new registrations are indeed.
24:28
They're all citizens.
24:30
And we have also have the possibility or
24:33
the ability, not possibility, the ability to run
24:37
our entire database through save to determine pre-existing
24:40
voters, people that we already have in there,
24:44
if they are citizens or not.
24:47
And I can I can tell you that
24:50
Jackson County um has had no issues with
24:52
non-citizens registering or voting.
24:56
Well, that is really good news.
24:57
Carol, where can everyone find you and find
25:00
this uh fabulous website so that they can
25:03
take advantage of all of your hard work?
25:06
Uh, thank you.
25:07
So we're at votejacksonfl.gov, vote Jackson FL like
25:10
Florida dot G-O-V.
25:14
Um, we've worked really hard on our new
25:15
website.
25:17
It is brand new this year.
25:19
And um, I think we've got it organized
25:22
where it's really easy to find the information
25:24
that you're looking for.
25:26
We have a countdown calendar.
25:28
We are 99 days away from our uh
25:30
primary election.
25:33
And I can tell you that planning for
25:36
this election started over a year ago.
25:38
Um, it I guess we make it look
25:41
easy the day of the election or early
25:43
voting, because it just a lot of people
25:45
think just magically we just open up for
25:48
election, but man, there is so much planning
25:50
that goes into preparing for an election.
25:53
And it's not just a countywide elections, we
25:55
do assist in many of our local municipalities
25:58
with their elections in April uh of every
26:00
year.
26:03
So I want to thank you, and thank
26:06
you for doing such an incredible job and
26:09
making sure that voting in Jackson County appears
26:13
as easy as we think it is.
26:16
Um, and makes it as seamless as possible.
26:20
Uh folks, don't go away.
26:22
We'll be right back.
26:23
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31:10
Well, we just had an education as to
31:13
what an election is, how it functions, and
31:16
how it runs in the state of Florida.
31:20
And now it's time to turn to that
31:23
other issue that we seem to be having
31:26
in the state of Florida called taxes.
31:29
I remember growing up, my mother used to
31:31
say to me, Karen, there are only two
31:33
things that are certain, and that is death
31:35
and taxes.
31:37
And she was right, because we have to
31:39
pay our taxes.
31:40
The taxes are supposed to go and fund
31:44
the things that we want in our communities
31:47
in our state and ultimately in the country.
31:57
In Florida, we are having a discussion about
32:00
property taxes, because they seem to be the
32:03
one that is absolutely front and center.
32:07
And most people don't realize that there are
32:11
two positions in Florida that are totally different.
32:16
And one is the property appraiser and one
32:18
is the tax collector.
32:20
And they seem to be getting them confused.
32:23
So rather than continue the confusion, I have
32:26
asked Mary Carol Murdoch, who is the tax
32:29
collector in Jackson County, to come on the
32:32
show and explain to us what are those
32:35
taxes.
32:38
Where do they come from, Mary?
32:40
Mary Carol, and thank you so much for
32:43
doing such an excellent job in Jackson County.
32:51
Yes.
32:53
First of all, I wanted to ask you,
32:55
how did you get to be tax collector?
32:57
How does that happen?
32:59
Okay, well, tax collector is an elected office
33:02
from back in the day.
33:05
Um it was in 1884.
33:09
It was established under Article 8 of the
33:13
Florida Constitution that the primers believe local processes
33:17
would best be collected, not a local official.
33:21
One that would be more responsive and accountable
33:23
and know the needs of the community and
33:25
the citizens of the county that elected him
33:27
or her.
33:29
So we are state constitutional officers.
33:33
We are elected to carry out specific laws
33:36
enacted by the Florida legislators.
33:40
Um tax collectors don't carry out any other
33:43
functions of local government that is not authorized
33:46
by Florida State Statute.
33:49
So we do serve the four-year term.
33:53
And just for kids, we are elected the
33:56
same time the president of the United States.
34:00
A lot of times people get it confused.
34:01
When are you running?
34:03
Well, we run every four years when the
34:04
president.
34:06
So you are in the quote big election.
34:10
And um that is how that comes about.
34:14
Uh, unfortunately, folks, most of the people that
34:17
are in the state of Florida have never
34:21
read or looked at the Florida Constitution.
34:25
And I would suggest that you do that
34:28
because there are some very interesting things that
34:31
are in there, such as I didn't know
34:34
until moving to Florida that the tax collector
34:37
was an elected position.
34:41
Um, Mary Carroll, do you just collect taxes
34:44
for uh uh property?
34:48
Oh, everybody always is talking about property taxes,
34:51
and they never really talk about anything else.
34:55
So is that your only job is just
34:57
property taxes?
34:59
We wished it was, but it's not.
35:00
It was, but it's not.
35:02
We have a lot of different things.
35:02
We have a lot of different things.
35:04
We are an agency, we have five different
35:04
We are an agency, we have five different
35:07
state agencies that we work for.
35:07
state agencies that we work for.
35:11
Uh, the one that most people relate us
35:11
The one that most people relate us to
35:13
to is the Florida Highway Safety and Motor
35:14
is the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
35:15
Vehicles.
35:18
That's where we get the bad name.
35:18
That's where we get the bad name, the
35:19
Um the dreaded DMV, so to speak.
35:20
dreaded DMV, so to speak.
35:23
Um, that's better known as the the driver's
35:23
Um, that's better known as the driver's license
35:25
license and the motor vehicle department fall under
35:26
and the motor vehicle department fall under the
35:27
the Florida.
35:29
Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
35:32
We also oversee hunting and fishing license.
35:36
We work with the Florida Fish and Wildlife
35:38
Conservation Commission.
35:40
The Department of Revenue now is the state
35:44
agencies that oversees the property tax laws that
35:47
we follow, and also the sales tax on
35:51
the sale of vehicles votes that we transfer
35:54
titles on.
35:58
Um Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as
36:02
another agency that we partner with more recently
36:05
to accept the concealed weapon and also issue
36:09
the renewal license.
36:15
We are uh with uh a new program
36:18
with birth certificates.
36:21
We work with the Florida Bio Statistics with
36:23
the Health Department.
36:25
Uh, we were doing this until about a
36:27
year or so ago.
36:29
They sought to improve, and they have, and
36:32
now it's just about getting us the new
36:35
software loaded up so we can start the
36:38
process of issuing birth certificates again.
36:41
So there you see we've got the five
36:43
agencies through the state that we collect money
36:45
for.
36:48
They're all very different.
36:50
They certainly are, and I would imagine that
36:53
that is quite a uh role to uh
36:56
have to keep in on track of.
36:59
Um, and then on top of all of
37:02
that, you're responsible for property taxes as well.
37:06
Right, that falls under the department of revenue.
37:09
They oversee what we do, they approve our
37:12
budget.
37:15
Um, we didn't touch on that, but our
37:18
our budget at the beginning of a term,
37:21
we determine whether we are going to be
37:25
a budget officer or a officer, and I
37:28
am a state officer, and so has the
37:32
past three tax collectors prior to myself.
37:35
The state services that we provide and the
37:38
fees and commissions that we earn is all
37:41
defined in the Florida statutes, and the fees
37:44
that we use to run the office is
37:47
what we run on.
37:50
So I print uh uh give my budget
37:53
to the Department of Revenue on August 1st,
37:55
and they approve it, and they expect me
37:58
to manage my office on those fees that
38:01
I earn.
38:07
So everything we do for the state agency,
38:09
there is a fee.
38:12
I see.
38:13
That is very interesting.
38:15
So the fees that you collect in 2026
38:19
determine the budget of 2027.
38:23
Is that the way it works?
38:25
That's the way that works now.
38:27
Very interesting.
38:29
Okay, if we could go back to the
38:32
property taxes for a minute, because there is
38:35
a big confusion that between the um property
38:38
appraiser and the tax collector.
38:41
And I know that every time when the
38:44
tax bill comes out, uh people get mad
38:46
at the tax collector because their taxes have
38:49
gone up, and they blame it on the
38:52
tax collector.
38:54
You don't really have anything to do with
38:57
the determining the uh amount, do you, based
39:00
on the property?
39:04
No, we don't.
39:06
Um is the millage rate times the assessed
39:08
value.
39:11
Now, the millage rate is determined by the
39:15
county, the school, and Northwest Florida water management,
39:19
and all the cities, all the municipalities, and
39:23
they determine that millage rate.
39:27
That multiplied times the best value that the
39:32
property appraiser assesses it.
39:37
That is how we determine the taxes.
39:42
A lot of people do that want to
39:43
complain.
39:45
We're just the bearer of bad news, basically,
39:48
when it's too much, and or sometimes you
39:50
know they say, Is this all?
39:53
Can you believe that?
39:54
But there are some people, or you say
39:57
this is all the yes, you've got homestead
39:59
exemption, you're eligible for this, you are eligible
40:01
for that, and that was granted to you
40:04
by the property of server.
40:06
And so some people are surprised that they
40:08
don't owe any more than they do.
40:10
So we get some of those, but the
40:13
majority are the ones that feel like it's
40:15
just too much.
40:19
Okay, so uh folks, there's another office, and
40:23
we'll ask um the property appraiser to come
40:26
on the show also uh and explain that.
40:30
But if you have an issue with your
40:34
property taxes, Mary Carroll's office is only responsible
40:38
for collections, not determination.
40:42
And uh there is a big difference between
40:45
both, so we have to understand what this
40:48
is all about and where it's coming from.
40:51
Um, Mary Carroll, I read in the paper
40:54
about uh tax certificate sales.
40:58
What are those?
41:00
And is it something that people should get
41:01
involved in?
41:03
I uh I think we should understand what
41:05
it is.
41:07
Okay, that the tax certificate is actually a
41:11
lien on the property.
41:15
And if I could, Karen, I want to
41:17
back up to the very beginning so that
41:20
they can see oh, please do how this
41:22
how this goes.
41:24
Okay, so we get the tax roll from
41:27
the property appraiser's office in October.
41:31
We have a vendor that creates our tax
41:33
bills, and they are mailed on or before
41:36
November 1.
41:39
Now in November, you're gonna get the biggest
41:42
discount ever, which is the 4% discount, and
41:45
then in December, the discount is reduced to
41:49
2%.
41:53
In January, it's a one percent.
41:56
There's no discount in March, and then a
41:59
3% penalty begins on April 1st, goes through
42:00
And then a 3% penalty begins on April
42:03
1st, goes through the month.
42:03
the month, and then in May, which that's
42:06
And then in May, which that's the month
42:06
the month we're in now.
42:09
we're in now, we are gotten an advertising
42:10
We are gotten an advertising list to the
42:12
list to the newspaper.
42:12
newspaper, as you will see it advertised this
42:15
As you will see it advertised this year,
42:15
year.
42:17
the newspaper is going to be the Jackson
42:18
The newspaper is going to be the Jackson
42:19
County Times.
42:19
County Times.
42:21
They will advertise it for three weeks.
42:21
They will advertise it for three weeks, and
42:25
And the dates of those publications are the
42:25
the dates of those publications are the 14th.
42:29
14th, the 21st, and the 28th of May.
42:34
All of this is prior to the tax
42:38
certificate sale on June 1st.
42:42
Now the sale is an online sale, and
42:46
it's the amount of the taxes plus the
42:50
penalty, the cost of the sale, the advertisement,
42:55
and the dollar amount is what the certificate
42:59
bidder is going to the they're going to
43:03
bid on interest rate.
43:10
But the low interest bidder gets awarded the
43:14
certificate.
43:18
Okay, the how does that work?
43:21
Okay, here's how this works.
43:23
Okay, so the property is a is to
43:26
get one just to look at one, but
43:30
say the taxes are $100.
43:34
Okay, and somebody wants that particular piece of
43:37
property, it's prime property, and just say it's
43:40
a hundred dollars.
43:43
Okay, the bidders have to get registered through
43:46
our website.
43:49
All of this is online.
43:55
They may want to actually go to it,
43:59
and you could possibly follow along, but our
44:02
website is www.jackson P.
44:10
Let me just repeat that for everyone.
44:12
That is Jackson T as in Thomas C
44:15
as in County.com.
44:19
And you get registered, and when you get
44:22
registered, we have to have your social security
44:26
or your federal ID number as any interest
44:29
that you earn is reported to the IRS.
44:33
So we will have to have your uh
44:36
your form for the IRS, and we will
44:39
need your name address, phone number, and once
44:42
the advertisement hits the newspaper, I believe they're
44:45
possibly bidding now.
44:49
Um, and maybe a few days before it
44:52
gets started, but they're bidding on the interest
44:56
rate starting at the top at 18%, and
44:59
they're bidding down on the interest.
45:03
In other words, the one that is willing
45:07
to take less interest is going to be
45:11
the one who is awarded that certificate.
45:16
Okay, so a lot of people can I
45:18
can I just interject for a second.
45:21
Let me make sure that I'm uh getting
45:23
it correct.
45:25
If the property is uh a hundred dollars,
45:28
taxes due or a hundred dollars, and interest
45:32
collected could be eighteen percent, but if somebody
45:36
else comes in and says, I'll take that
45:40
property and I'll be willing to receive 12%,
45:43
then in the end the person who bid
45:47
12% would be the winner of that certificate.
45:51
Is that correct?
45:52
Right.
45:53
It would be awarded the lowest interest bidder
45:55
is that certificate.
45:58
Who buys these certificates?
46:01
Um, we have a large group of investors
46:04
who have large sums of money that they
46:08
want to park it somewhere to earn interest,
46:12
and so this is a good means to
46:15
park some money because it's the win-win, really,
46:19
because you're either going to get all of
46:23
your money back with interest, or you could
46:26
actually apply for a tax B.
46:30
Here's another word.
46:32
Okay, wait a minute to stop.
46:34
Okay, how do they get all their money
46:36
back?
46:38
The certificate holder gets their money back when
46:40
the property owner comes in and pays us
46:43
the tax.
46:46
Oh, okay.
46:49
You're the advertisements in the newspaper, people are
46:51
looking at that, and they say, Oh, so
46:54
and so has not paid their taxes.
46:57
I'm gonna that's a good piece of property.
47:01
They're just having a hard time, and maybe
47:03
they're gonna get them paid soon.
47:06
That would be a good one for the
47:08
average Joe to invest in, having a good
47:10
feeling they're gonna get a quick return on
47:13
their money.
47:15
So they actually bid zero or or no,
47:19
they want to return on their money, so
47:22
they can actually bid a low bid, trying
47:26
to get that piece of property, and then
47:29
when the property owner comes in, pays us
47:33
the taxes, we collect their interest, we turn
47:36
around and write the certificate holder a check.
47:41
Oh, so the certificate holder gets the money
47:45
that they laid out for the taxes plus
47:49
the interest that the property owner has to
47:53
pay on top for them paying the taxes.
47:58
Right, for them being delinquent, they have to
47:59
pay.
48:00
Interest.
48:01
Very interesting.
48:03
Okay, they are after the certificate is two
48:05
years delinquent.
48:07
So they write now we're in 26, and
48:11
we are about to have our sale of
48:14
26 on delinquent 25 taxes.
48:19
So in 28, these 26 certificates will be
48:23
two years delinquent.
48:27
So the certificate holder who bought that certificate
48:31
could be well, he will be eligible to
48:35
apply for a tax feed on the property,
48:39
and that involves another constitutional officer, which would
48:43
be the clerk of circuit court, as we
48:47
do all the preliminary things that has to
48:51
be done for Florida statute to take it
48:55
to the clerk's office for them to actually
48:59
hold the tax deeds sales.
49:00
Actually, hold the tax lead sale.
49:04
A property is lost.
49:04
A property is lost, and Love had to
49:06
give uh the bad news to a lot
49:07
And love had to give uh the bad
49:09
of people.
49:09
news to a lot of people.
49:11
Um here recently, they you know, the parents
49:11
Um here recently, they parents have bought a
49:14
bought a piece of property, and I'm just
49:15
piece of property.
49:17
gonna use this for an example.
49:18
And I'm just going to use this for
49:19
an example.
49:20
This is just an example.
49:20
This is just an example back in the
49:23
Back in the day in the 80s, Alpha
49:23
day in the 80s, confusing the hills was
49:25
Bank in the Heels was divided up into
49:26
divided up into like 6,000 parcels.
49:27
like 6,000 parcels.
49:30
And a lot of people bought those properties
49:33
sight unseen from all over the world, all
49:36
over the world, literally.
49:38
So there could be heirs of owners that
49:41
don't know anything about what their parents had
49:43
left.
49:46
Maybe there was no will or any means
49:47
to know.
49:50
And this property, and all of a sudden
49:51
they find out about it.
49:54
And they call to see does my parents
49:56
still own this piece of property.
49:59
And we can look it up.
50:01
And we can find out hey, well, sorry,
50:05
this property was sold because of unpaid tax.
50:09
So the property was sold due to unpaid
50:11
taxes, correct?
50:15
Just one top of the thing.
50:19
I see.
50:20
Um we also hear on the all over
50:24
the place about people in and registering a
50:29
deed that the owner may not know about
50:33
and taking possession of the property that way.
50:38
Is that a real thing, or is that
50:40
something that is uh it is?
50:48
They are recording fault C.
50:52
We don't know it unless somebody comes to
50:53
kill them.
50:55
So I think that would probably be a
50:58
FERT question, as they may have people coming
51:00
to them because they are where these are
51:03
recorded.
51:06
We've never had any situation to my knowledge
51:09
where piece of property was lost.
51:13
So I don't have a whole lot to
51:14
add.
51:17
Okay, so if I it would it be
51:20
a good idea for everyone to continually monitor
51:23
their tax records for their property taxes, because
51:26
in reality the onus is on the owner,
51:29
it's your property and you should be taking
51:32
care of it.
51:35
So periodically go to the uh Jackson Tax
51:40
Collector's website, which is Jackson T as in
51:44
Thomas C as in county.com.
51:50
Jackson T C dot com.
51:53
And it would be a good idea for
51:56
everyone to go and monitor and check their
51:59
property taxes to make sure that everything continually
52:02
stays in your own name.
52:05
Um Mary Carroll.
52:09
Yes, especially if you don't receive a bill
52:11
and that bill comes out in the beginning
52:14
of well, November is when the bills will
52:16
be mailed.
52:19
Oh, okay.
52:19
So they are November 1st.
52:22
Okay, but you do get a um uh
52:25
uh proposal in the in the summer, and
52:27
the proposal is set by the property appraisers
52:30
office.
52:34
Okay, good okay, and that is a very
52:36
important.
52:38
So there is a definite distinction, folks, between
52:41
the property appraiser and the tax collector, and
52:44
now you know what it is.
52:47
So please pay attention and pay attention to
52:51
your other licenses because that also goes through
52:54
your office.
52:57
So the licenses that are issued by your
53:01
county are paid and procured at the tax
53:04
collector's office.
53:08
Mary Carol, if somebody wanted in Jackson County
53:10
to pay in person, would they be able
53:13
to do that?
53:15
Yes, ma'am.
53:16
Our doors are open.
53:18
Yes, sir.
53:19
They're located at 412.
53:24
And that is a little straight off of
53:26
Pennsylvania Avenue on the West End of Mary
53:28
Anna.
53:31
Okay, so folks, make sure that your taxes
53:35
are paid on time, and that if you
53:38
have any questions, give Mary Carol Murdoch's office
53:42
a call because the people that are working
53:46
there are wonderful and extremely helpful.
53:50
And Mary Carroll, I want to thank you
53:52
very much for coming and sharing this information.
53:55
It is most informative, and hopefully uh people
53:59
will now understand what this uh tax collector
54:03
job is and how important it is for
54:07
the function of the county.
54:11
Thank you.
54:12
Let's remember that the bills go out in
54:15
the beginning of November.
54:17
If for some reason you do not get
54:20
a tax bill, take yourself to the office
54:22
and find out why, because there's usually a
54:25
reason.
54:28
And just because you did not get a
54:30
bill does not mean you don't have to
54:32
pay your taxes.
54:35
It doesn't work that way.
54:36
The government has their handout all the time.
54:40
So make sure that you get your tax
54:42
bill and make sure that that tax bill
54:44
is paid.
54:47
Okay, thank you, Carrie.
54:49
Okay.
54:50
Folks, it is so important that we understand
54:53
how our government works.
54:56
We know that that kids are not learning
54:59
it in school, but how many generations of
55:02
kids who are now parents don't know either?
55:06
So it is my hope that you learned
55:09
a whole bunch like I did from today's
55:12
show, and that you will share it with
55:15
everyone that you know and tell everyone.
55:18
It is so important that we vet our
55:21
candidates that we know who they are before
55:24
we go and elect them, and that we
55:27
vote in the primary.
55:29
And by the way, which I did not
55:32
uh mention before, and I will mention now,
55:35
is that if you are an independent in
55:37
Florida, you would not be able to vote
55:40
in a primary.
55:43
So please change your vote just for the
55:47
primary, change your registration just for the primary
55:50
so that you can vote in the primary.
55:55
It is of utmost importance, and you can
55:57
always change it back right after.
56:00
Right after.
56:00
So it's my hope that you will change
56:00
So it's my hope that you will change
56:03
and become a new registered Republican.
56:03
and become a new registered Republican.
56:06
But whether or not you are, vote in
56:06
But whether or not you are, vote in
56:08
the primary.
56:08
the primary.
56:10
I can't say that enough.
56:10
I can't say that enough.
56:12
Folks, you have been listening to Karen Sean.
56:12
Folks, you have been listening to Karen Sean.
56:15
This is the Prism of America's Education brought
56:15
This is the Prism of America's Education brought
56:16
to you on the America Outloud dot news
56:17
to you on the America Outloud.news Network.
56:18
network.
56:20
Please share this information and I will see
56:20
Please share this information, and I will see
56:23
you again next week.
56:23
you again next week.
56:26
But I'll always been proud and turn.
56:26
But I'll always been proud and free.
56:30
I'm America, don't tread on me.
56:34
I'm America.