A lifelong resident of Nassau County, John Drew earned his MBA and Bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville University. He has served honorably as our Tax Collector since 2006.
"Nassau County has given so much to me and to my family over the generations, and it has been a tradition for us to give back,” says Drew, the son of the late Mary Tom Drew a schoolteacher, and the late Joe Drew, a mill worker. John is married to Dr. Catherine Hardee Drew and they are the proud parents of Joseph Hardee Drew (an eighth generation citizen of Nassau County.) “The people of this community - my teachers, congregation, and neighbors - helped raise and educate me, as they continue to do for children today. I saw an opportunity to use that education and implement positive changes by bringing together technology and congenial customer service. We want to ensure our office works in a way that is consistently efficient, ethical, and effective."
The Nassau County Tax Collector’s Office has increased efficiency at its four locations by cross-training staff members to process all transaction types. The unique training program creates a “one-stop shopping” experience in which all services can be performed by one staff person and paid by the customer in one transaction. Drew proclaimed, “It is because of the aptitude, ability, and determination of our exemplary staff that makes this possible!”
For seven straight years, Drew’s team has earned an audit report free of any findings and has received the statewide Excellence in Financial Operations Award five years in a row. “With a smaller staff, it is important for us to be innovative when it comes to the very important task of segregation of duties,” Drew said. “I am proud of our audit reports and the work done at every level of our office. In a Tax Collector’s Office, team members at every level deal with public funds. Their diligence and resourcefulness helped build the processes that enabled the office to win so many statewide awards.”
For Drew, it is an honor to continue to serve the people who make Nassau County their home: “It is such a great mix in terms of local history and heritage combining with people from around the nation who choose to relocate their families here. I am honored to serve as their elected Tax Collector."
Since its creation 187 years ago, the office of Tax Collector has grown in scope and in responsibility. In 1885, when the office was created by the Florida Constitution, the primary responsibility of the job was the collection of property taxes. As a state constitutional officer, the Tax Collector is elected to four year terms.
In addition to collecting property taxes, today’s Tax Collectors also represent several state agencies, including: the Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles; the Division of Driver Licenses; and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission.
Not only are Florida Tax Collectors charged with collecting property taxes and other revenues, they are also required to invest the public funds pending their timely distribution to local, regional, and state governmental entities.
The Tax Collector operates as a "fee officer" in which a fee or commission is earned for services rendered. These fees and commissions are outlined in the Florida Statutes.
The office’s annual budget is approved by the Florida Department of Revenue. At the end of the fiscal year, unspent fees earned above and beyond the cost to operate the office are remitted to each local government agency in the same proportion as they were paid.
