Real estate broker Jim Overton became Duval County Tax Collector Jim Overton at a ceremony Monday morning in the customer waiting room at the tax collector’s main branch office Downtown.
Witnessed by friends, former colleagues from the Jacksonville City Council and elected officials, Overton was sworn in by Circuit Judge Waddell Wallace.
Overton, a Republican, defeated Democrat Mia Jones in the Nov. 6 special runoff election to fill the remainder of former Tax Collector Michael Corrigan’s term in office through June 30.
Overton will be on the ballot for re-election March 19.
The first few weeks in office will be devoted to informal staff meetings at the tax collector branch offices.
Overton called it the “punch-and-cookies tour.”
“My job is to create a culture where we trust each other and learn from each other,” he said.
“This is a complex organization doing complicated things. We need to create new ideas and new ways of doing things.”
Overton said he’ll be consulting with other county tax collectors to study best practices for customer service and operations and “see what we can afford to implement.”
Corrigan was there to witness Overton’s installation.
Corrigan resigned the constitutional office to become the CEO of Visit Jacksonville, the convention and visitors bureau for Jacksonville and the Beaches.
“Michael did a great job as our tax collector. I intend not to mess this up,” Overton said.
In September, the State Attorney’s Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit became the first office in Florida to accept credit cards for public records.
The office expanded the program last week by incorporating credit cards as a payment alternative for discovery and diversion programs.
Discovery is the procedure of legal parties obtaining evidence in cases. Diversion programs are offered to certain defendants by the State Attorney’s Office and courts as an alternative to the traditional court system.
To use the discovery credit card portal, visit sao4th.com/resources/for-attorneys/. To use the diversion credit card portal, visit sao4th.com/resources/for-thepublic/alternatives-to-court/diversion-programs-as-an-alternative-to-court/.
The office will continue to accept checks, money orders or exact cash for payment for both.
There is one upcoming vacancy on the 4th Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission and The Florida Bar has the opportunity to nominate three lawyers to the governor for appointment.
The appointee will serve a four-year term that begins July 1.
Applicants must be a member of The Florida Bar engaged in the practice of law and a resident of Clay, Duval or Nassau counties. Commissioners are not eligible for state judicial office for vacancies filled by the JNC on which they sit for two years following completion of their term.
Attorneys interested in applying may download the Judicial Nominating Commission Application for Appointment form from the Bar’s website (floridabar.org) or call Bar headquarters at (850) 561-5667 to obtain the form.
Applications must be received no later than 5:30 p.m. Jan. 14. The board of governors will review all applications and may request telephone or personal interviews.
Smith Hulsey & Busey attorney Joseph Rogan was elected chair of the Jacksonville Ethics Commission for 2019.
Rogan was appointed to the commission by 4th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Mark Mahon and began serving his first three-year term in January 2017.
He focuses his practice on the resolution of business disputes and creditors’ rights in banking, finance and fiduciary relationships, and in the property management, development, logistics and construction industries.
The Jacksonville Ethics Commission was created in 1992 to serve city officers and employees by providing a forum for consideration of ethics problems and questions.
Among its duties, the commission adjudicates complaints filed against city officers and employees and recommends legislation to City Council.
Jason Burnett, a bankruptcy and creditors’ rights law attorney in GrayRobinson’s Jacksonville office, was promoted to office managing director.
The Dec. 6 anniversary ceremony for U.S. Bankruptcy Judges Jerry Funk and Paul Glenn was canceled. The event will be rescheduled to spring or summer 2019.