The Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Office is a Wealth of Public Information

I never realized how much information can be found at the Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Office (HCTCO) until I heard from Director of Administration and Special Projects of the office Preston Trigg. According to Trigg, the office is a gold mind for information about property taxes, motor vehicles and business taxes. But the best part is, most of the information is public record and can be accessed by anyone.

Some of the most valuable information that can be accessed is under the property tax link on HCTCO's website. Here, users can view how much any property in Hillsborough County is worth. Users can search for these properties by owner name or address. Once you've located the property you wish to view, you can see what the property was appraised for and what the taxes are on the property. You can even see if the owner paid those taxes on time. There is also a link to the property appraiser's website. This site shows a map of the property, how much it was sold for in the past and when it was sold. The site even shows the square footage of the property and what the home is made. You can also view a breakdown of how much of the tax money paid goes where. For example, you can see in list form how much of the tax money is going to schools in the county, public libraries, the transit authority and many other government bodies.

Although these records are made available to the public, many people feel that they should be privatized. Many politicians believe that their information should not be available due to their status in the county. Some even use their spouses name as the primary name on the records, making it more difficult for users to find them. However, according to Trigg, it is very important to keep all of these records available for public viewing. He says that this information is very valuable in preventing fraud. Many times, owners' homes are far more valuable than their income, raising suspicions of investigative reporters about how and where their extra money is coming from.

Overall, Trigg helped me realize just how much information is available from the HCTCO and how valuable it can be to a reporter and to ordinary citizens. The information available is a key source for anyone looking to buy or sell a home. It is also vital to any news organization who takes their role as a watchdog seriously.

To see for yourself, visit hillstax.org