OUTSOURCING OR SELLING COUNTY DEBT

Board of County Commissioners · 2026-07-21 · report

This document is a report on the feasibility of outsourcing or selling County debt, not a development project. It contains no address, parcel, acreage, or zoning change. The report recommends the Board consider selling a portion of the outstanding debt portfolio, specifically about $41 million gross (8%) of the $525 million outstanding debt as of July 29, 2025, to third-party collection agencies or receivables buyers. The remaining 92% is not recommended for sale. The report was introduced on 6/15/2026 and accepted by the Board of County Commissioners on 7/21/2026. The report is in response to Resolution R-785-25, sponsored by Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, and adopted on July 16, 2025. The report notes that selling citations is legal but not in the County's best interest. It also notes potential legal risks under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA) if third-party collectors are used, and that the County would lose the ability to personally assist constituents. The report states that CCS has almost $17 million average annual collections on recurring balance, and that the sale of receivables could jeopardize funding streams for departments and the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller. The report also states that prior attempts to use outside collection agencies resulted in limited success.