Do you have a question? To contact us by telephone: Dial 863-534-4700; For all general contact methods, click here!
Tax Collector
Tax Collector
Joe G. Tedder was first elected to the position of Tax Collector in 1996 and was subsequently re-elected in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. Joe’s past public service includes serving as a Member in the Florida House of Representatives from 1992 through 1996. He is the past President of the Florida Tax Collectors Association and past Chair of the United Way of Central Florida Board of Directors. He is a graduate of Leadership Lakeland Class XIII and Leadership Polk Class I. For more about Joe, click here. For information on how to contact Joe directly, click here.
Executive Leaders
Christopher C. Rudolph, Jr.Chief Deputy Tax Collector/Chief Administrative Officer
Christopher currently directs leadership in the areas of Administration, Business Process Analysis, Safety & Security, and Public Communications. For telephone directory information, click here.
Tim MurphyChief Information Officer
Chris JaramilloChief Operations Officer
Chris provides leadership in the areas of Service Center and Call Center Operations, as well as coordinating with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and approved private tag agencies operating in Polk County. For telephone directory information, click here.
Lisa HarderChief Human Resource Officer
Tineshia MorrisChief Tax Officer/General Counsel
Steve ZaryckiChief Financial Officer
Leaders
Julie SimonBartow Service Center / Call Center Manager
Tracy DavisLakeland Service Center Manager
Tracy currently serves as the Lakeland Service Center Manager where she provides leadership in the processing and collection of funds for motor vehicle title and registration transactions, property taxes, county local business taxes, driver licensing, hunting and fishing licensing, and concealed weapon licensing. For telephone directory information, click here.
Gail StaceDavenport Service Center Manager
Gail currently serves as the Davenport Service Center Manager where she provides leadership in the processing and collection of funds for motor vehicle title and registration transactions, property taxes, county local business taxes, driver licensing, and hunting and fishing licensing. For telephone directory information, click here.
Tari ShannonLake Alfred Service Center Manager
Tari currently serves as the Lake Alfred Service Center Manager where she provides leadership in the processing and collection of funds for motor vehicle title and registration transactions, property taxes, county local business taxes, driver licensing, and hunting and fishing licensing. For telephone directory information, click here.
Elizabeth SantosLake Wales Service Center Manager
Elizabeth currently serves as the Lake Wales Service Center Manager where she provides leadership in the processing and collection of funds for motor vehicle title and registration transactions, property taxes, county local business taxes, driver licensing, hunting and fishing licensing, and concealed weapon licensing. For telephone directory information, click here.
Hilary StubockTax Manager
Hilary provides leadership for the Tax Programs Department, which includes the administration and collection of current and delinquent ad valorem real estate property taxes and non-ad valorem assessments as well as installments, partial payments, deferrals, tax certificates, and tax deed applications. Hilary provides additional oversight in administration and collection of current and delinquent tangible personal property taxes, county local business taxes, and tourist development taxes. For telephone directory information, click here.
Clifton J. GarciaHR/Employee Relations Manager
Clifton provides leadership in the Human Resource Department where he is responsible for developing and executing human resource strategies in support of the overall business plan, specifically in the area of employee relations which includes progressive discipline, coaching/counseling, conflict resolution, and policy administration. For telephone directory information, click here.
Chris RoseInformation Technologies Support Services Manager
Sean KrauseIT Application Development Manager
Sean provides leadership in the Information Technologies Application Development Department and oversees application development and the support staff responsible for analysis, design, development, and database administration. Sean also leads testing and implementation of business applications software, both in-house developed and vendor supported. For telephone directory information, click here.
Brandi HaneyProject Manager
Brandi provides leadership in Project Management which includes portfolio management, budget management, resource management and coordination, vendor management, and process improvement for the organization’s IT and operational and strategic projects. For telephone directory information, click here.
Amber DavisService Center Operations Manager
Amber currently serves as the Service Center Operations Manager where she provides leadership in the areas of service center business day-to-day readiness and change management initiatives (development and implementation). For telephone directory information, click here.
Katelyn ZelinkoAccounting Manager – Operations
Katelyn provides leadership in the Finance Department’s Operations Area of Accounting, which processes records and distributes revenue collected on behalf of other entities to appropriate taxing authorities. She prepares and files annual financial reports, monitors funds received to ensure that they are collected in accordance with Florida Statutes and applicable state departmental regulations, policies and procedures as well as county ordinances, and coordinates banking activities, including the electronic transfer of funds and the investment of surplus funds. For telephone directory information, click here.
Chelsea AllenTechnical Processing Manager
Chelsea provides leadership in the Technical Processing Department which includes the processing of customer payments received by the Tax Collector’s Office via mail and online services. Chelsea also oversees customer mail operations, email service operations, utility payments processing, office supply inventories, as well as the transport of items between offices. For telephone directory information, click here.
Ashleigh MillsCommunications Manager
Ashleigh provides leadership in Public Communications, which includes reaching people the Tax Collector’s Office serves with important information online at www.polktaxes.com, by mail, through social media, and other communication channels. Ashleigh receives and coordinates responses to all media requests. She also heads the Tax Collector’s Kids Tag Art (KTA) program, which inspires fifth grade elementary art students to design specialty tag license plates as a fundraiser for school classroom art programs. For telephone directory information, click here.
Rhett SuarezAccounting Manager
Rhett provides leadership in the Finance Department, which processes records and distributes revenue collected on behalf of other entities to appropriate taxing authorities. He prepares and files annual financial reports, monitors funds received to ensure they are collected in accordance with Florida Statutes and applicable state departmental regulations, policies, and procedures, as well as county ordinances, and coordinates banking activities, including the electronic transfer of funds and the investment of surplus funds. For telephone directory information, click here.