Lee County Elected Officials' Duties & Responsibilities
Board of County Commissioners
---Legislative & Governing body in Lee County Florida.
---Supply, maintain and manage facilities and infrastructure to the citizenry ( roads, bridges, parks, libraries, airport, incinerator, etc. )
Clerk of Court
---Record keeper & guardian of public funds and court business. Files all official transactions of business in circuit courts ( court proceedings, trial results, fines & costs incurred by individuals, etc. )
---Mails jury notices and assists jurors.
---Distributes legal documents ( marriage licenses, passports )
---Documents official minutes for Board of County Commissioners meetings
---Accountant and auditor for all Board of County Commissioner financial transactions and ensures taxpayers money managed according to law
Property Appraiser
---Determines the market value of all property
---Determines the tax roll (amount of tax on taxable property to be collected after taxes have been levied)
---Administers homestead exemptions
---Determines property entitled to various tax exemptions
---Maintains records of parcels of property.
Supervisor of Elections
---Responsible for maintaining uniformity in the application, operation and interpretation of state election laws.
---Maintains voter registration & records
---Manages polling sites & prepares ballots
---Recruits & trains poll workers
---Qualifies all candidates and maintain records ( campaign reports, etc.)
---Verifies & certifies all petitions
---Provides data & materials to candidates & voters
---Counts ballots, releases results to media
Sheriff
---Chief law enforcement officer of the county
---Manages 4 facilities of incarceration
---Manages crime lab, dive team, K-9 unit and fleet of cars, boats, planes
---Supplies security ( bailiffs ) for court rooms
Tax Collector
---Collects property taxes levied by all taxing authorities
---Collects non-property taxes levied by all taxing authorities ( garbage bill, special assessments, beach erosion and special drainage assessments, etc. )
---Issues occupational licenses and hunting & fishing licenses
---Issues motor vehicle, mobile home and boat tags and title information
26
20th Judicial Circuit
Courts (Judges)
---Florida has a 4 tier court system…..I—Fl Supreme Court…..II---District Court of Appeal…..III---Circuit Court…..IV---County Court
---20th Judicial Circuit…Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Hendry, Glades Counties
---Circuit court handles…probate, civil actions ( if disputed amount exceeds $ 15,000 ), felony criminal case, divorce, child custody, juvenile proceedings, etc. and hears appeals from county court.
---County court handles…misdemeanors, violation of county and city ordinances, traffic matters, landlord & tenant proceedings, etc.
Court Administration
---Staff for the judges which manages administrative, nonjudicial matters of the court
---Responsible for supervision of court staff, budget planning, assignment of cases & implementation of court policy.
---Responsible for management of programs which offer an alternative to the traditional adversarial setting of the courtroom for settling disputes. Examples include….Guardian Ad Litem, teen court, witness management, family court services, family mediation.
Public Defender
---Represents indigent persons charged with crimes ( misdemeanors & felonies )
---Can only defend someone if assigned to the case by a judge after the determination by the judge that the defendant lacks sufficient funds to hire an attorney.
---Staff includes lawyers, investigators, witness interviewers, clerical staff
---Can defend both adults and juveniles
State Attorney
---Circuit’s chief prosecutor
---Represents the state in all suits, motions, criminal & civil trials in which the state is a party
---Conducts grand jury investigations
---Creates task force operations ( multiple law enforcement agencies combine forces to investigate alleged crimes )
* This information is adapted from the Lee GROWS education program organized and operated by Lee County Government.
Medical Examiner
---State of Florida Office of the District 21 Medical Examiner serves Lee, Hendry and Glades counties.
---Performs autopsies. One is performed whenever the death is known or suspected to be of unnatural causes, whether from homicide, suicide or accident. All suspected SIDS deaths will be autopsied. Sudden deaths apparently due to natural causes are evaluated on an individual basis.
---Takes jurisdiction and will investigate & determine the cause of death and manner of death under specific circumstances.
---Does not issue death certificate ( funeral home or cremation society obtains copies for family ) but is responsible for portion of death certificate “Cause of Death by Certifier.”
---Spends much time in the courtroom testifying at trials