Sally Daniel To Retire as Tax Collector

After 12 years in her post, Hernando County Tax Collector Sally Daniel is set to retire. That was only a small part of her service as she started with the county government in 1983 – 41 years ago as of Thursday, October 3. Mrs. Daniel started at the counter at the tax collector’s office and moved her way up until her election in 2012.

Born and raised in Michigan, Mrs. Daniel moved to Florida when she was 18. She would soon meet her husband of nearly 50 years, Michael, who owns and operates Daniel Construction. They have two girls, Katina and VJ. She retired from Withlacoochee Electric and after her daughter turned three years old, she began her four-decade-long stint with the Tax Collector’s office.

She has “pretty much done it all” throughout her time at the office, including signing checks, answering the phone, and selling tags and licenses, and she continues to do so to this day. As part of her senior role, she still handles many of the day-to-day activities, talks to a high volume of customers, and makes sure everything gets done.

This is due, in part, to a small staff as well as a lack of room for office space to be built in the county. As Daniel put it, “we don’t have room for the employees we really need.” That is why she is excited to have a new Tax Collector’s building on the horizon.

The soon-to-be-retired Daniel lists this project, which broke ground on September 12, as “my biggest accomplishment.” An endeavor nearly 20 years in the making, the Tax Collector’s building nearly found its home in several locations around the county before landing on Forest Oaks Boulevard.

The site will alleviate the overflow from the current office, which has led to citizens suffering medical issues related to the Florida heat. The county has a projected completion window of August 2025, but it may take slightly longer than that. She thanks County Administrator Jeff Rogers for helping to get the ball rolling.

The incoming Amy Blackburn is now preparing to take over the position of Mrs. Daniel in January 2025. Her campaign would finish mostly unopposed after facing a challenger during the early stages of the election cycle. The current tax collector had nothing but praise for her successor.

“She’s awesome,” Daniel said. “She’s worked for me for six years and I got her from the Board of County Commissioners. She worked for the budget over there. She comes in early in the morning, stays late. She’s going to be awesome. The employees love her. She has awesome ethics. Not a worry in the world do I have leaving her in charge. She’s good. She’ll be great.”

Mrs. Daniel recognizes and understands that citizens will get angry from time to time, considering the content of the matter being dealt with. The 69-year-old tax collector has always worked hard to keep people happy to the best of her ability, and she is thankful to have had the opportunity to do so.

“I’ve been very proud to serve Hernando County and be in the office,” said Daniel. “I’ve been unopposed for every term, so I’ve taken that as people were happy […] I just want everyone to know I appreciate them having their faith in me to be in here for this long and unopposed. Everything has been wonderful […] I think we run a pretty good show here. I’m proud.”