by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
For Mike Hogan, running for Tax Collector wasn’t about continuing in public service, it was more about fulfilling a dream and following in the footsteps of Lynwood Roberts, a long-time family friend, mentor and neighbor.
“I really enjoy it,” said Hogan (and by the look on his face, he’s sincere). “I always wanted to do this. My dad was involved in elections and I helped him put up signs and I enjoyed the political events, especially the fish frys. I have always had the desire to help others and I thought the most appropriate way to do that was through public service.”
Hogan had a plan, too, and although it has been altered by events and decisions primarily out of his control, serving as Tax Collector is a welcome phase of the plan.
“My goal was to serve on City Council, then run for Tax Collector and then run for mayor,” explained Hogan, who went to Paxon High, graduated from the University of South Florida and eventually retired after a 25-year career with BellSouth (which was Southern Bell for much of that time). “I am still looking to run for mayor, but not until 2011. “
Hogan said there are two big reasons he has no mayoral aspirations over the next couple of years.
“I wouldn’t run against John Peyton. I wouldn’t run against an incumbent mayor,” said Hogan. “Plus, I don’t think I will have achieved my goals at this office. I have a lot to do and I want to focus on this job. It will only enhance my chances in 2011 if I do a good job as Tax Collector.”
As Tax Collector, Hogan is currently in his 14th year as an elected official, but this is his first Constitutional Office (he served on City Council from 1991-99 before getting elected to the state legislature in 2000). Hogan had been eying Roberts’ job for several years, but the opportunity to run without an incumbent never presented itself.
Finally, in January 2003, health issues forced Roberts to step down and the door was open for Hogan to fill Roberts’ shoes. He passed away earlier his year.
“I had originally planned to serve on Council for eight years, then run for Tax Collector in 1999,” said Hogan, who oversees a division with a little more than 230 employees scattered in nine offices (two new offices will open soon) across town. “Lynwood decided to run for reelection and I had always said I’d never run against him.”
The summer of 2002 rolled around and Hogan was faced with a dilemma. He had to either commit to running for a second term in the Legislature or seek the Tax Collector’s office, which he would only do if Roberts opted not to for health reasons. Without a firm decision from Roberts, Hogan sought another term on the Legislature and won.
Then January rolled around.
“In early January, Lynwood told me he was going to run again that year and, on January 27, Tommy Hazouri told me Lynwood told him he wasn’t going to run,” said Hogan. “I had to make a decision and it was tough because I only had 30 days to raise money. The (Legislative) session started March 4 and by law I couldn’t raise money during the session.”
Hogan won and he seems happy. After almost 12 years on the legislative side of government, Hogan now finds himself on the administrative side.
“They are light years different,” he said of the jobs. “I’m an administrator now where before I was a policy-maker. Now I lobby the City Council and the state Legislature for funding for the office and the tools necessary to the run the office and provide good customer service.”
Hogan said one of the first orders of business was to bring the office into the 21st Century. Due to many circumstances, the technology within the Tax Collector’s Office hadn’t been upgraded in years. Hogan immediately sought to upgrade the office’s computer system, implement an office-wide training system for all employees (not just upper management) and elevate the level of customer service.
“We are opening two new branches. Our city is growing and there are areas that are void of service,” said Hogan. “We are getting into electronic processing where you can renew tags, licenses and pay Duval County taxes on-line. “
Hogan is also in the process of implementing a system in which customers will be able to use credit and debit cards to pay for renewals and even taxes.
However, that process is expensive — the credit card companies are going to charge a fee for Hogan’s office to use the cards and he’s working hard to assure as little of that fee as possible gets passed on to the taxpayer.