Kroll is best choice in GOP primary for Seminole County tax collector
A good county tax collector is like good baseball umpires — you don’t notice them until they mess up.
Seminole County has been getting noticed since Joel Greenberg took office in 2016. The good news is he is not running for reelection, largely due to stepping into the messes he created.
The Republican primary field is down to Brian Beute and J.R. Kroll. The winner of the Aug. 18 primary will face Democrat Lynn Moira Dictor in November’s general election.
Either candidate would be a marked improvement on Greenberg, which is a pretty low bar. But Kroll’s management experience makes him the better choice to more quickly restore normalcy to the office.
That said, we were impressed with Beute’s conviction and encourage voters to size him up for themselves.
We were unable to give him the usual vetting due to Greenberg. Beute felt he couldn’t participate in our editorial board video-interview.
That’s because shortly before the interview, Greenberg was indicted on federal charges of stalking and identity theft. His alleged victim was Beute, who’s now a witness in the case and gun-shy about
Authorities say Greenberg sent letters to Beute’s employer falsely accusing him of sexual misconduct and of being a white supremacist.
That’s the kind of political dirty trick you associate with cut-throat presidential races, not in a county tax collector campaign. But Seminole County voters found out the hard way that Greenberg was not your typical public servant.
He ran as an ethical reformer against longtime tax collector Ray Valdes, who along with his relatives spent years buying and selling tax-delinquent properties. Though legal, it was an unsavory side business for an official charged with regulating those properties.
There’s no need to again recount Greenberg’s misadventures, but as we’ve said before his election illustrates why it’s important for voters to scrutinize even the most innocuous races.
Kroll and Beute both say they were inspired to run by Greenberg’s behavior. Both vow to restore accountability and professionalism to the office.
Neither has county government experience, so any endorsement in this race is something of a leap of faith. We think it’s less of a leap with Kroll.
He is a longtime businessman who runs a real estate agency with 16 agents. He’s familiar with the ins and outs of Seminole County properties and says he wouldn’t engage in the kind of deed-buying drew scrutiny of Valdes.
Beute goes a step further and wants a state law prohibiting tax collectors from buying and selling tax-delinquent properties, which is a fine idea. He is an educator and has spent the past 12 years teaching instrumental music at Trinity Prep.
On his Facebook page, Beute has portrayed Kroll as the establishment candidate who is favored by Valdes. He says Kroll’s real estate ties could present a conflict of interest.
There are certainly fewer potential conflicts with a high school music teacher. But tax collector is largely an administrative position. The office calculates tax rates, processes motor vehicle title transfers, issues vehicle registrations and collects various fees for the state and county.
If it’s run well, the only time most citizens notice it is when they are paying their annual car registration or tax bill. Also, if run well, it generates enough fees to help Seminole County pay for various services (another failing of Greenberg’s tenure).
Beute seems capable of learning on the fly, but Kroll is more suited to do the job from day one.
He has the skill set and the business background to get the office get past the Greenberg era.