Contact:                Anne Gannon, Tax Collector
                               Jennifer Mahoney, Director of Public Affairs

WEST PALM BEACH – January 7, 2009 Tax Collector’s Office to Implement Ethics Policy

January 8, 2009 Tax Collector Gannon joins area business, political and civic leaders to sign the Palm Beach County Ethics Pledge. Organized by Leadership Palm Beach County, the signing and presentation will occur at 2:00 p.m. in the main courtroom of the 1916 Palm Beach County Courthouse.

Tax Collector Gannon is taking the Ethics Pledge one step further, by having every member of her staff sign the pledge. “We take our value of integrity very seriously – our ethical behavior matters to everyone at our office, not just the elected official. Our staff interacts with the public each and every day and the professional behavior we exhibit is a key part of that interaction.” said Tax Collector Gannon.

Gannon further explains that “On January 28, the Tax Collector’s Office joins Leadership Palm Beach in hosting an Office wide signing of this Ethics Policy, along with our own internal policy. It is our commitment to reach beyond talking about ethics by practicing it with each transaction we undertake.”

About the Palm Beach County Tax Collector:

The Palm Beach County Tax Collector is a constitutional office that collects and distributes over $3 billion annually in taxes and fees. The Tax Collector's Office:

• collects property taxes for every local government agency that has the power to levy,
• serves the county as its agent for the administration of business tax receipts and tourist development taxes,
• serves the state as an agent for The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, The Department of Environmental Protection, The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, and The Department of Revenue,
• serves the public as an educational resource.