OUTSOURCING OR SELLING COUNTY DEBT

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

This is a legislative report, not a construction project. It analyzes the feasibility of outsourcing or selling County debt. The report recommends the Board consider selling a portion, not all, of the outstanding debt portfolio. As of July 29, 2025, the outstanding debt for County Departments was about $525 million, of which almost $41 million gross (8%) could be considered for sale. The report recommends against selling the other 92%. The report was accepted by the Board of County Commissioners on July 21, 2026. The report is in response to Resolution R-785-25, sponsored by Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, adopted July 16, 2025. The report was requested by the Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava. The report notes that selling debt could expose the County to legal risks under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA), and that it would lose the ability to personally assist constituents. The report also notes that CCS has almost $17 million average annual collections on recurring balance, and that the sale could jeopardize funding streams for departments and the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller. The report states that the County has previous experience with awarding contracts to Outside Collections Agencies in 2003. The report does not describe a physical development project, site, or construction work.