Residents accuse Sarasota County tax collector of keeping change during public comment in North Port

During the public-comment portion of the North Port City Commission workshop on May 4, two residents used their allotted time to accuse the Sarasota County tax collector and some businesses of keeping customers' cash change.

One commenter, Tim Doyle, called the practice a "penny tax," said county tax-collector offices "are keeping your change" and urged state and local law-enforcement action; he mentioned calling state officials and requested a police investigation. Another resident reiterated similar complaints and said he had encountered security enforcement at the tax-collector office. Both speakers said they believed cash customers were being defrauded and proposed remedies ranging from state investigation to changing county affiliation.

Those remarks were delivered during public comment; no commissioner or staff motioned for an investigation during the workshop, and the mayor thanked the speakers. The claims were not substantiated on the record at the meeting.